Monday, 18 December 2023

Monday 18th December

Seawatching from first light saw 114 Gannet and 87 Kittiwake SW in 1.5 hours with six Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver. Also offshore, 24 Great Crested Grebe and as a ♀ Red-breasted Merganser.

Counts from the high tide wader roost and dropping tide included 1797 Dunlin, 167 Curlew, 159 Grey and 28 Ringed Plover, 148 Bar-tailed Godwit and Redshank, 136 Knot, 17 Sanderling and eight Greenshank. Oystercatcher numbers remain fairly constant with 1077 counted on site, plus an additional 79 roosting on railway embankment N of Cockwood. 

Also in the estuary, 736 Wigeon, 234 Teal, 98 Common and two Mediterranean Gull, 91 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 80 Shelduck and four Eider.

Elsewhere the Dartford Warbler revealed its continued presence on the Golf Course with a few dry, scolding calls, and four Shoveler were on site as were a few extra Chiffchaff, with one of seven birds a probable but silent tristis

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