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

After a drizzly and foggy start there were good numbers of thrushes including 30 Blackbirds, 15 Song Thrushes and 6 Mistle Thrush. The sea was quiet other than nine Great Crested Grebes and a Wheatear on the fence line near the beach was the latest I’ve seen in the UK.

The immature male Marsh Harrier was quartering over the B Water before dropping down and completely disappearing into the reed bed. I counted 331 Teal and 479 Lapwing although I’m certain there were more hidden from view.

Avocet numbers were up to five and I heard a Spotted Redshank and saw one Greenshank. Two of the five Spoonbill were still around and resting on the Estuary Scrape while five menacing Great Black-backed Gulls fed from a Greylag carcass.

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.