Category: February 2022

A very brief morning only visit. I first headed to the Inchmery side to see if there were any large gulls around high tide, there were just a few Herring Gulls.  

Herring Gulls in late winter often look pristine and white-headed like Yellow-legged Gulls but the paler mantle shade of Herring Gull is usually straightforward to judge. If in doubt the orbital eye ring of Yellow-legged Gull is red and the red spot on the lower mandible bleeds into the upper mandible. The primary pattern in flight is also diagnostic.   

I did get slightly closer views than normal of at least five Bar-tailed Godwit. and there were now 17 Spoonbill out on the saltmarsh.

I then headed to Park Lane to look for an unusual pair of Greylags with Bean Geese-like bill patterns seen by Philip F on Tuesday. Unfortunately no sign today, just the standard Greylags.

The two Cattle Egrets were still present around Park Farm.

Back at Needs Ore on the sea a single male Eider drifted on the tide. The only other birds on the water were six Great Crested Grebes.

On Wigeon Fields 43 Black-tailed Godwit fed with the Curlew and the five Pochard on Venner were newly arrived. A female Wigeon with a partially leucistic head pattern was on Venner, this is the second time I’ve noticed her here and I also saw the same or a similar bird on Warren Saltmarsh last week.  

Highlight of the day was the wintering Spotted Redshank showing nicely (apart from the barbed wire) in the small bay on the right hand side of De L’Orne Lagoon.

Lots of Mistle Thrushes today, there were two birds at the pines near the cottages, at least two or three moving between Rye Errish and Bergerie Farm and one or two between Park Farm and Park Shore.  Mistle Thrush populations are largely sedentary in the UK unlike Blackbirds which are heavily augmented by huge influxes of birds from Scandinavia. You can see the round spots on the belly, dark vertical lines (black and white) below the eye and the pale edgings to the median and greater coverts which help separate it from Song Thrush, the rattling calls also grab the attention.

A Common Seal was resting on the river bank south of the Yacht Club. Despite its name it’s not as common or widespread as the more familiar Grey Seal. Another name for them is the Harbour Seal which is perhaps more appropriate. They are well known for hauling up on beaches and sandbanks in tidal estuaries.

30 Black-tailed Godwit were with around 50 Curlew feeding on the Wigeon Fields. 14 of the Spoonbill picked up from the river and flew past me over to the flooded fields before landing on Venner. Tufted Duck numbers were up again to 32 with a single male Pochard.

A Coal Tit proved frustrating to photograph as it moved down the tree line at Black Water with a mobile tit flock. Eventually it showed nicely near Black Water hide.

The 1^st winter Redshank was seen again on Sluice Gate Saltmarsh. Lizzie ringed this bird as a chick in the Avon Valley last summer. I’ve now seen it three times (23^rd Oct, 28^th Nov and 7^th Feb) all within a hundred yards of the Sluice Gate. Great to see that it is wintering here. It will be interesting to see if this bird returns to the Avon Valley this spring.

Avocet numbers were up again, to 20 with the new arrivals including one of Graham’s yellow flagged birds although they were too far away for me to read it. There were around 50 Redwing across the reserve including groups on Droveway South, Spring Meadow and Park Shore.

From the top of Park Lane I scanned down across Park Farm and picked out the Pale-bellied Brent Goose amongst the 500 or so Dark-bellied Brents. The male Kestrel landed on the wires nearby as I sat, apparently well hidden, on the edge of the boot of my car.

The two Cattle Egrets remained at Park Farm. It was quiet again on the sea with an apparent clear out of auks, divers and mergansers. Two Slavonian Grebes remained however.

Some, but not many, of the Mediterranean Gulls are now starting to acquire summer plumage.

A very quiet day with no other birders and not many birds. The cold grey wind probably contributed.

There were around 10 Redwing feeding around the edge of Warren Farm House Field. It was particularly quiet from Mary Monts in fact there wasn’t a single bird on the sea during 45 minutes of scanning.

Over on Venner the 13 Spoonbill were resting on the other side of the island.

On Black Water there were good numbers of ducks with new highs for me of 82 Gadwall and 29 Tufted Duck.

On De L’Orne Scrape there were 4 Black-tailed Godwit and a Greenshank and plenty of Shelduck, Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon.

On the walk over to the hides it was good to hear several Skylark singing.

Another brief sea watch from the Sailing Club produced a female Eider and the highlight of the day was the Pale-bellied Brent Goose feeding on the near edge of Gull Island.