Trying to keep the cost of diesel down I thought I would scout around the local area starting at Wraik Hill which was totally dead, only six species whilst I was there! Moved on down to the coast where things improved seeing a chiffchaff on the way by the ditch along Seasalter Lane. The tide was still a fair way out but rapidly coming in which had pushed 27 egrets into the tidal pools just off the Ski Club. 76 Ringed plovers were gathering at their pre-roost but most waders had moved off. Hundreds of house martins were moving west plus a few swallows and over the sea, a flock of 13 teal were going up The Swale.
Dunlin
Further on, at South Swale a sandwich tern was sitting on one of the buoys and 9 great crested grebes were on the sea but no sign of the red-necked grebe reported the last two days. One surprise was a kingfisher flying along the shore and briefly landing on the breakwater but not much else just a few dunlin and ringed plovers below the sea wall. A total of forty species, missing blackbird strangely but speaking to two other birders who mentioned the same, having not seen one in four days of birding! Come to think of it I've not seen one in the garden for a couple of weeks.
2 comments:
Nice to see you've taken the plunge Mike. I shall follow with interest.
Well done Mike.
Post a Comment