Author: chrisbutton1

The first time I raised my binoculars was for a patch tick, a Green Woodpecker on the grass near the NP Hide. The Dartford Warbler was still in gorse bushes near the beach although I only heard it today. The sea was quiet with just a Great Crested Grebe off shore.

At B Water the female Marsh Harrier was perched on a dead tree but flew just before I had my camera ready. A Peregrine was in full hunting mode powering across the fields towards the JV hide and 22 Pintail out on Inchmery Marsh was a site high count. Brent Geese numbers continue to rise and it’s great to see lots of juvenile birds with their white-edged covert feathers.

As the sun came out a Migrant Hawker appeared and there were several Common Darter pairs egg laying in tandem. A piping Kingfisher rounded the corner near the sluice gate and the Sandwich Tern was still in the river entrance.

Several Chiffchaff were still calling and a group of nine Swallows over the Reedy Ditch were getting quite late.

I headed to NO hoping that the stormy weather might have brought something in. I had to dodge the showers and at one stage got caught in a torrential downpour of hail. An Avocet on the scrape from DL’O hide was my first for NO and 69 Shoveler was my highest count here. I always scan the fence line and it was great to watch a Merlin sheltering in the lee of a fence post. This view looks south east so straight into the winter morning sun and so initially she wasn’t much more than a silhouette. When the clouds came over the Merlin ‘appeared’ from the dark shadows, it was brilliant to see all her subtle detail before she dashed off purposefully like a miniature Peregrine. After a coffee in the car I headed off towards the beach. The Dartford Warbler had moved further west almost to the beach gate and this time I managed to get a few record shots. The sea was quiet other than adult and 1st winter Mediterranean Gulls flying west.

There appeared to be a new arrival of Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes but nothing more unusual. A pair of Redpoll called as they flew over but there were no hirundines today. The long distance view over the scrapes from the gate to the south produced 2 Spotted Redshank in a place where they are hidden from DL’O. While stood at the gate an impressive Goshawk powered over the mouth of the river and then over the fields south of B Water. A Little Grebe dived in the river mouth while the lingering Sandwich Tern drifted over.

After a few wet and windy days it was still fairly cool and breezy this morning. Siskin were flying over east as I headed down to the beach. Turnstone, Curlew, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher were dotted along the shoreline although there didn’t seem to be much on the sea. I was pleased to relocate the Dartford Warbler in the same group of gorse bushes near the beach fence line and with a lovely male Reed Bunting nearby.

Plenty of Skylarks were moving and some were singing. A handful of Swallows drifted overhead and then straight out towards the Isle of Wight. The immature male Marsh Harrier drifted over the reeds at the back of B Water and a Spotted Redshank swam right in front of DL’O hide. Nearby one of the Peregrines sat preening on the bank overlooking the Estuary Scrape.

Most days I see a pair of Goldcrests struggling to keep up with the mobile Long-tailed Tit flock, on this occasion the male flashed his amazing orange crown to his mate. A Sandwich Tern was plunge diving off the pontoon before resting on the nearby buoy. There have been three in recent days, perhaps they will spend the winter here.

I arrived just before a high spring tide and so headed over to DL’O hide to see what was roosting on the Estuary Scrape. There were 75 Curlew including a colour-ringed bird with yellow over red on the right tibia. Unfortunately it was roosting on one leg and stubbornly refused to reveal it’s left leg. This Curlew is from a foreign ringing scheme but without the left leg ring information it isn’t possible to pin it down further, I’ll have to keep an eye out for it on future visits.

I also noticed a smaller wader with the Dunlin. It was facing directly away from me with its head tucked away. Eventually it woke up and started to feed and I could see it was a Little Stint. The Dunlin all flew off but the stint remained. I took some video and was able to see pale tramlines confirming this bird as a juvenile. A good record for NO and my second in a fortnight. I heard a Green Sandpiper but couldn’t locate it.

After a coffee I headed down to the beach to try and relocate yesterday’s Black-throated Diver, unfortunately no luck. It was flat calm and quiet with three Great Crested Grebes the only birds I saw on the sea. 20 Swallows drifted over east and I heard a Dartford Warbler calling, another good record for NO. There have been very few following the Beast from the East 2.5 years ago. I finally tracked it down in the gorse bushes south east of the NP hide, near the beach fence.

There was only one Chiffchaff today and no visible passage of thrushes or finches. As we’re heading into Black Redstart time of year I thought I would finish off with a walk around the point. It was a bit of a long shot as there haven’t been any here for a few years now. I got out of the car and scanned the fence posts near the sluice gate and amazingly a Black Redstart popped up into view! A great finish to a brilliant day.