I arranged to meet Dad to show him around the reserve and we started by meeting Ian to see if we could find Wednesday’s Penduline Tits again. There was no sign although I did manage to pick up single Bramblings and Fieldfares flying over east, both patch ticks for me. Other finches were also on the move with handfuls of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin also going east.
There were two Great Crested Grebes on the sea and a pair of Swallows drifting over the NP Pool were the latest I’ve seen in the UK. The Dartford Warbler was on the beach fence line very close to MM’s house. A confident sounding pipit picked up from the marsh looking robust and dark and proved to be a Rock Pipit.
We headed to the hides with a Chiffchaff calling as we walked along the walking trail hedge. Highlight of the day was a female Goldeneye on the water near JV hide. I texted Ian and he confirmed that Goldeneye is very rare here and actually a patch tick for him despite having been birding here for more than ten years! He route marched over to join us!
A Little Egret and Greenshank were close range treats from the DL’O hide and two Avocet were swimming on the Estuary Scrape. A curious Southern Hawker buzzed us several times in the winter sunshine and the five Spoonbill were resting on Inchmery Marshes viewable from the point.
Patch Birding 