Sunday 4th August

The advantage of long hours of daylight was again taken and both spring tides were covered as numbers of waterbirds continue to rise, today producing 773 Oystercatcher, 288 Redshank, 286 Dunlin, 246 Sandwich Tern, 139 Ringed Plover, 32 Sanderling, 27 Mediterranean Gull (various ages), 16 Canada Goose, 12 Mute Swan, 12 Cormorant, eight Little Egret, eight Great Black-backed Gull, seven Greenshank, six each of Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull, five Shelduck, four Bar-tailed Godwit, three Grey Heron, two Grey Plover, the first two Knot of the autumn, two Turnstone, a mobile noisy juv Little Ringed Plover, one Black-tailed Godwit, and 'Herbert', the resident Slavonian Grebe.  

juv Little Ringed Plover - Lee Collins

Highlights were an adult (unringed) Roseate Tern and the juv Black Tern, both at times close in front of the hide.  One of the South Africa ringed Sandwich Tern was also present again.  

Roseate Tern (note quite extensive red at bill base on this individual) - Lee Collins

A juv Peregrine put everything up briefly.  And the 'Tunes In The Castle' concert at Powderham, even at two miles away, was absurdly loud enough to get some visitors' hackles up, though attributing increased alertness of waterbirds in response to this additional potential source of disturbance was less straightforward.   

On the Main Pond, the first two Water Rail of the autumn squealed from the reedbeds where also heard were Reed Warbler continuing to feed their young and a Sedge Warbler 'tcheked' and popped out after a bit of 'spishing'. 

Offshore, rafts of c20 Shag, 15 Common Scoter and just single figures of Gannet and Kittiwake, plus a single Great Crested Grebe.