Conditions:
High Tide: 20:09
Viewing Time: 17:00
Visibility: V Good
Wind: Low
Species:
1x Unidentified Tern (probably Sandwich)
1x House Sparrow
1x Swallow
2x Cormorant
3x Curlew
2x Meadow Pipit
3x Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7x Shelduck
15x Oystercatcher
1000+ Dunlin
Although it was a bright clear day the 'heat haze' played havoc with the scope past 30x. I saw a Tern perched on a yellow container but the haze was just that too much for me to confidently identify it at distance although it was a probably a Sandwich Tern. I had a similar problem with a group of Curlew. 3 flew off and 1 remained and it had the look of a Whimbrel. I could see a cap and the bill was certainly more angulated but my gut is telling me it was just an immature Curlew. Again, sadly the heat haze made it impossible for me to be confident.
The highlight of the watch was seeing 1000+ breeding plumage Dunlin flying in that murmuration kind of way then coming to rest relatively close. I looked through the flock as I've seen a lot of Ringed Plover in Dunlin flocks recently but none were to be seen. The vast number of them was impressive to see. When they rested on the shore you couldn't see the estuary mud for Dunlin! What a magnificent sight - with this crappy phone-scoped picture not doing it justice!
High Tide: 20:09
Viewing Time: 17:00
Visibility: V Good
Wind: Low
Species:
1x Unidentified Tern (probably Sandwich)
1x House Sparrow
1x Swallow
2x Cormorant
3x Curlew
2x Meadow Pipit
3x Lesser Black-backed Gulls
7x Shelduck
15x Oystercatcher
1000+ Dunlin
Although it was a bright clear day the 'heat haze' played havoc with the scope past 30x. I saw a Tern perched on a yellow container but the haze was just that too much for me to confidently identify it at distance although it was a probably a Sandwich Tern. I had a similar problem with a group of Curlew. 3 flew off and 1 remained and it had the look of a Whimbrel. I could see a cap and the bill was certainly more angulated but my gut is telling me it was just an immature Curlew. Again, sadly the heat haze made it impossible for me to be confident.
The highlight of the watch was seeing 1000+ breeding plumage Dunlin flying in that murmuration kind of way then coming to rest relatively close. I looked through the flock as I've seen a lot of Ringed Plover in Dunlin flocks recently but none were to be seen. The vast number of them was impressive to see. When they rested on the shore you couldn't see the estuary mud for Dunlin! What a magnificent sight - with this crappy phone-scoped picture not doing it justice!
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