An awesome pre-dawn lightening show was the vanguard to rain, often heavy, that persisted most of the day in a breezy ENE. Understandably, the bushes were largely ignored and since the sea was virtually birdless, hours of sheltering and observing from the hide produced another noteworthy day. The Black Brant was again present with 121 Brent Geese in The Bight over the high tide. A Garganey generally remained hidden in the saltmarsh. The wildfowl influx continued with c1755 Wigeon, 28 Pintail, both respectable counts here, the latter count aided by birds displaced by kite-surfers and a kite-flyer stood in the estuary off Exmouth; (whatever next)? Also 55 Teal and a Shoveler.
A juv Peregrine briefly spooked the waders at high tide, and in being only a neap, birds gathered in large numbers in The Bight, including the Oystercathers, 116 Ringed Plover, 3 Grey Plover, a Ruff, 6 Knot, a juv Curlew Sandpiper, c265 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Turnstone, and 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls joined the flock of 282 Great Black-backed Gull. Elsewhere in the estuary, the Slavonian Grebe, c315 Curlew, 205+ Redshank, 2 Greenshank, a Snipe and 3 Mediterranean Gull.
Bursts of Swallows headed NE between the worst of the rain, totally 806, but only 2 House Martin joined them.
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