Author: chrisbutton1

From the car park I could see a drake Eider heading east and then what looked like mergansers heading west, they were too distant to be certain. With some activity on the sea I decided to head there first.

The first few birds I picked up on a flat calm sea were Great Crested Grebes but then a Great Northern Diver. He sat very low in the water with a big lumpy head, huge bill and dark half collar. I tried to get some video but it was very frustrating. He dived for a minute reappeared in a different position and was then on the surface for less than 10 seconds, by the time I’d found him again he was diving.

I’d been half expecting mergansers for a fortnight and so it was great to finally watch three Red-breasted Mergansers heading west, a patch tick and the first of the winter.

The walk over to the hides was fairly quiet other than three Fieldfare overhead. A pair of Pochard were resting directly out from B Water hide. Around 200 Lapwing were on the scrape viewable from DL’O hide, there was a single Black-tailed Godwit with them. I’d also noticed a single Black-tailed Godwit with a large group of Lapwing on 4^th November, perhaps it was the same godwit still thinking he was a Lapwing. Nearby yesterday’s seven Avocet were still on the scrape feeding in the slightly deeper water.

Pochard and Gadwall

I spent an hour or so watching from the Sailing Club, there were few bird highlights here although it was great to find a Common Seal looking straight at me and showing his heart shaped nostrils.

After a sandwich I headed down to the beach again and soon picked up a distant diver heading west. Even at this distance it looked too slight for Great Northern Diver. As it flew closer I could see a smallish head which was extensively white and with a characteristic head nodding movement. My first Red-throated Diver at NO.

As I was watching the diver I could hear the Dartford Warbler calling behind me. After the diver had disappeared towards P Shore I began to look for the warbler. I ended up with some reasonable pictures and was surprised to see that it had a metal ring on its right leg.

This is definitely a second bird. Based on my photos I’d say this 2nd bird is a female and the first is a male. If I’m right and they both stick around then this could be the return of breeding Dartford Warblers.

Still no sign of any Slavonian Grebes or Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea first thing or again mid afternoon, they’re both often here by mid November.

A Treecreeper was a slightly unexpected find 200 yards west of the S Hide. There were plenty of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes around and with them a single and silent Redwing halfway along the walking trail. I walked over to the hides to find that the reeds had been cut to improve visibility in front of the NFOC hide although there were few birds on B Water or on the scrape from DL’O.

A single Siskin called overhead and a group of seven Avocet flew up the river and over onto DL’O scrape. A pair of Spoonbill were roosting distantly on the far side of Inchmery. They have a reputation for always sleeping but on this occasion they were flushed by the rising tide and flew straight towards me and two minutes later they were right overhead.  

Brent Goose and Little Egret

Highlight of the day was a Bar-tailed Godwit roosting with Grey Plover on Inchmery. It’s the first I’ve seen here, they’re fairly regular but not guaranteed. Three Sandwich Terns in the mouth of the river are looking like wintering birds now.

At least six Skylark were feeding around the warden’s hut and as I walked around the sluice gate one of the Kingfishers flashed turquoise as it flew away. When the wind dropped it was much warmer and there were at least three Common Darter still on the wing.

I headed back towards B Water hoping for a late afternoon Hen Harrier, Barn Owl or Short-eared Owl, no luck unfortunately. Fourteen Stock Doves were roosting in the trees on JV island until they were evicted by Rooks.

The Dartford Warbler was calling as I made my way down to the beach. The sea was quiet again although an adult winter Sandwich Tern heading west was the first I’ve seen for a few weeks. A Greenshank flew over calling and an adult Mediterranean Gull also headed west scanning the shoreline as it went. I wandered around the wet margins south of the NP hide and flushed seven Snipe but no sign of their smaller relative.

A pair of Ravens were honking as I made my way to the hides. Two men with rifles were hiding behind artificial fences and although I didn’t hear them fire their guns there was very little bird life on B Water. The lagoon from DL’O was completely flooded with the extremely high spring tide spilling over the sea wall, topping up the brackish water levels. There were two Spoonbill asleep on the lagoon and a tightly grouped flock of six Avocet were standing on a tiny exposed area of mud.  I heard one of the Spotted Redshank calling but couldn’t locate it.

One of the Peregrines was sat on the shingle spit and from the point I could see a huge roosting flock of waders. They were very distant and appeared to be mainly Dunlin, perhaps 400 with around 50 Grey Plover, similar numbers of Ringed Plover and Curlew and at a least one Knot. Five Rock Pipits were feeding on the wet margins in front of the Wardens Hut.  

There were plenty of ducks on the high tide in front of the sailing club and most of the males were now in full breeding plumage and many were starting to display to their females.

A stop at the Reedy Ditch produced a Treecreeper and a Coal Tit. They were with Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests in the Oaks just north of the ditch, both are patch ticks.   

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