Patch Birding

Saturday 10th October 2020

Having seen the 1^st winter Wilson’s Phalarope on Fishtail Lagoon I headed over to NO. The highlight was one of the first birds I saw, a lovely Firecrest in oaks opposite the gate to the NP hide, associating with a mixed flock of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests.

The sea was fairly quiet other than a group of four Eider close in shore. The number of Chiffchaffs was down to around 10 and I only saw one Wheatear during the five hours. It definitely felt like we were heading into winter and the first returning Brent Geese, twenty of them, off the point, added to the wintery feel.

Two Marsh Harriers were quartering over the B Water, a female and an immature male. There were three Greenshank from the Estuary Hide and I also heard but didn’t see a Spotted Redshank from there. The three Sandwich Terns remained, fishing off the point.

Monday 5th October 2020

A walk through the scrub and bushes beyond NP hide produced lots of calling Chiffchaffs and there were still good numbers of Swallow passing through, perhaps 100 and half a dozen Wheatear feeding along the tideline. Later, I watched an immature male Marsh Harrier quartering over the reed beds adjacent to B Water and a Yellow Wagtail called as it flew over.

The main highlight today was watching a Little Stint fly onto the Estuary Scrape. I managed to watch it for 10 minutes but it was fairly flighty throughout and soon left strongly to the west. Six Greenshank were also feeding around the edge of the scrape.

A pair of Rock Pipits landed close to me on the pontoon before leaving to explore the sailing clubhouse. The male Common Scoter was again seen drifting close in shore out from the cottages.

Tuesday 29th September 2020

I explored the south west bushes to start with and was rewarded with a very close Short-eared Owl quartering around the pool near MM’s house. A Spoonbill drifted high overhead towards B Water.

An impressive passage of hundreds of House Martins and Swallows included the odd Sand Martin and a Sedge Warbler at the edge of the reed bed near the NP hide was an increasingly unusual record for the site. Two Wheatear lingered along the beach and 20 Chiffchaffs were very vocal including several who were singing.

I had reached the hides before Ian rang to say that there was a male Common Scoter close in shore off the beach. I returned to the beach gate and had great views as it drifted east.

Waders around the hides included 12 Greenshank, 3 Spotted Redshank and 3 Green Sandpiper. A wander around the point produced a stunning Merlin first seen perched on distant fence posts before powering towards me chasing Linnets and Meadow Pipits and then flying straight over my head.

Insects included a Clouded Yellow drifting west along the beach, several pristine Small Coppers, a perched Migrant Hawker and several Common Darter.

Saturday 26th September 2020

An obvious passage of at least 40 House Martins with lots of vocal Chiffchaffs and an obvious movement of Redpoll including a flock of 10 on the ground which I was able to get in the scope. Several newly arrived Wheatears with around 6 in total and a vocal Marsh Tit accompanied me on my walk around the bushes and trees west of the NP hide. A pair of Peregrines were seen from the Estuary hide with one of them sitting on the fence posts and the other on the ground in the flooded fields. Five Spotted Redshank were swimming together out from B Water hide and they included a juvenile bird. A very showy Water Rail ran across in front of B Water hide and several Sand Martins hawked over the water. 15 Curlew were feeding close by up on the bank north from JV hide. A Field Grasshopper near the sluice gate where there was also a pair of Kingfisher and a Red Kite drifted over Inchmery.