A grey, overcast day but at least the fog was gone by first light. The sea was like a millpond and for once there was some good feeding offshore with hundreds of birds present across the bay. The highlight was a Red-necked Grebe moulting into breeding plumage, arriving with a winter high count of 52 Great Crested Grebe. Also present at least 585 Razorbill, with two Guillemot, 58 Common Scoter, 12 Red-throated and five Great Northern Diver, six Red-breasted Merganser and the two Eider.
Spoonbill - Lee Collins
In the estuary a Spoonbill roosted around the Bight at high tide until being flushed by two circling paragliders, these also kept the waders airborne with many settling on the estuary wall north of Cockwood. Counts on the dropping tide included 2,290 Dunlin, 193 Grey Plover, 169 Bar-tailed Godwit, 145 Curlew, 89 Knot, 53 Teal, 42 Ringed Plover, an increase, 38 Wigeon, 37 Redshank, 23 Turnstone, 13 Sanderling, three Greenshank and two Avocet. Disturbance further upriver flushed 358 Dark-bellied Brent Geese from Oak Meadow, Starcross into the Recording Area, within the flock 63 juveniles, showing good overwinter survival.
Elsewhere five Rook overhead and two male Stonechat in Greenland Lake were signs of spring with 10 Cirl Bunting, three Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff on site.
Wildlife News: At least three Harbour Porpoise and a Common Seal were offshore with a Grey Seal in the estuary. Invertebrates remained well hidden with a few rove beetles and springtails recorded as well as the pseudoscorpion Moss Neobisiid Neobisium carcinoides, the second site record.
Moss Neobisiid Neobisium carcinoides - Alan Keatley
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