Saturday 19th November

A Barn Owl found roosting in Dead Dolphin Wood was an unexpected highlight, only the 5th site record and the first since Nov-Dec 2003. A more expected first for the year was an immature Long-tailed Duck found offshore in with 165 Common Scoter, also offshore an Eider, six Great-crested Grebe, two Great Northern and two Red-throated Diver.

A third Great Northern Diver was in front of the hide with other records from the estuary including a juvenile Spoonbill on Finger Point, two Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood and counts of c1800 Dunlin, 837 Wigeon, 277 Teal, 133 Grey Plover, 34 Turnstone, 24 Ringed Plover, six Knot and a Greenshank. Elsewhere the Bonaparte's Gull was feeding off the seawall late afternoon, seven Chiffchaff were on site and three Shoveler were on the Main Pond.

 Barn Owl - Lee Collins

Spoonbill - Alan Keatley

Wildlife News: A young Grey Seal was in the estuary.