Saturday 19th August

Sea defence works along on the dune ridge continue to restrict access to the hide and Warren Point. The golf course is not a public right of way. Please follow signs and access guidance from staff.  No works today so access was less restricted. 

A morning spent scouring the bushes produced 15 Blackcap, 13 Chiffchaff, 12 Whitethroat, four Willow Warbler, three Reed Warbler, and single Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and a Sparrowhawk.  Finch flocks assembled between Greenland Lake and The Bight comprised of 55+ Linnet, 29 Goldfinch  and six Greenfinch, the most since late-March.  Also five Wheatear and four Skylark in the dunes and open areas.

Sedge Warbler (Alan Keatley)

During the mid-evening high tide, 1032 Oystercatcher, 331 Curlew, 201 Redshank, 182 Dunlin, 119 Ringed Plover, 37 Great Black-backed Gull, 19 Mute Swan, 13 juv Black-tailed Godwit, 13 Bar-tailed Godwit, nine Mediterranean Gull, eight Little Egret, five Sanderling, four Greenshank, three Grey Heron, two Whimbrel, a Turnstone, a Common Sandpiper and on the railway saltmarsh, a Stock Dove.

Close in front of the hide, examination of  ‘wasp’, Darvic and metal rings on Oystercatchers revealed at least four ringed here in 1989 and one in 1990; ‘T24’ ringed in Aberdeenshire has returned for its fourth consecutive winter and ‘JA’, ringed in Iceland in spring 2016, also spent last winter here. 

Oystercatchers with rings (Lee Collins)

The White-winged Black Tern was again in the estuary this evening, feeding with other terns and gulls over Cockle Sands, Exmouth and sometimes hawking high over the lower estuary, but not seen inside the recording area today, nor was an Arctic Tern. On site, 33 Sandwich Tern and 23 Common Tern.

Between occasional showers in a freshening westerly breeze, overhead passed 26 Swallow, five House Martin, three Swift, three Meadow Pipit (first of the autumn), two Sand Martin, a Rook and a Kestrel.

Highlights at sea were three Fulmar, a Manx Shearwater and again an unseasonal Great Northern Diver.

Autumn Lady's-tresses (Alan Keatley)

Wildlife News: an abundance of flowering Autumn Lady’s-tresses across Greenland Lake, three Southern Hawker, a Grey Seal offshore and a Stoat.