A three hour vigil on the seawall was at times slow but quality easily won out over quantity with two unexpected firsts for the year. The first came just after 9am when the site's third White-rumped Sandpiper, the first since 1998, flew past close inshore with three Dunlin. They had presumably flown from somewhere further down the spit but unfortunately kept going south. Two hours later the site's fourth Great White Egret, the first since 2002, flew east distantly offshore, it eventually started circling and gaining height out from Straight Point, before being lost to view. Also during the morning 54 Common Scoter, 35+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, seven Great Northern Diver, four Pintail, a Shoveler, a pale phase Pomarine Skua and a Balearic Shearwater flew south and whilst all this was going on a Slavonian Grebe was on the sea and two first winter Black Redstart were showing intermittently on the seawall. Elsewhere the Black Brant was in the Bight, a Merlin flew west, a tight flock of 73 Redwing flew high east and in blown out conditions a Jay was in the Entrance Bushes.
Wildlife News: A Migrant Hawker and three Common Darter were still on the wing.
While walking to the hide and back on Tuesday 5th.Nov. I saw a Red Admiral in good condition around some nettles in a sand dune. Also a obliging Green Woodpecker on the grass near the Visitors Centre and the good views on the tree trunks nearby.
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