I headed to the beach where the sea was quiet with three Great Crested Grebes fairly close in shore. As I was about to head back inland I picked up a Great Northern Diver heading west, the first of the winter and a patch tick. The Dartford Warbler was very obliging following me along the fence line and showing well in the sunshine.
A noisy group of four Raven circled over B Water and four Avocet were feeding from DL’O hide. I met up with Ian at the sailing club where one of the Peregrines watched us from G Island, a single Greenshank fed near the pontoon and a Spoonbill flew up from Inchmery Marches before settling on the edge of the estuary.
As I was heading back to the car I watched a Marsh Harrier quartering over the spartina marshes in front of the S Hide and just before dusk I pulled over in the Reedy Ditch layby hoping for an owl. No luck, unfortunately, although there was a fair bit of activity and I was rewarded with a stunning Firecrest, a Marsh Tit and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Firecrest photos by Ian Williamson
Patch Birding 