The local patch and bearded reedlings at last

Fri. 26th. - 30th.

Just keeping to the local patch again as I have been all month and the birding has been much the same. On Friday I counted up to six wheatears, along the LNR wall with 216 brents out on the flats plus 35 egrets and a clouded yellow was nice to see as well along the 'apron'.

Wheatear

Some of the egrets gathering to go to the C.Coote roost

On the Saturday I did a whizz around the patch trying to see as many species as possible but only managed 46 which could have been better as I missed some expected ones! Wraik Hill was almost birdless! However, at the LNR a reed warbler was unexpected but there was no big fall of chiffs as on the east coast, reed bunting numbers were building up again and a couple of stonechats on the LNR were nice to see.

Sunday 28th.. For some reason this year I have not managed to see a bearded reedling at Seasalter, although many people tell me they have. Maybe with only one ear in operation now I've not been able to pick up on them, it was bad enough using two! However, this morning it was like waiting for a bus, you don't see one for ages then several come along all at once. As I got out of the car by the Sportsman in the misty fog I thought I could hear a beardie and yes, in the reeds by the road a couple of bearded reedlings. In the wet mist they were not very flighty but there was more 'pinging' from the reedbed and more came into view rising up from the sheltered depths.  Finally, there must have been c.100, several groups of about twenty flying all around me, sometimes only six feet away. They eventually moved out into the marsh along the reed filled dykes. Also a few reed buntings and 2 reed warblers.

Reed Bunting still 'asleep' in the damp mist

  Bearded Reedlings

I left the reedlings after a half hour and went onto the LNR finding a few more beardies in the large reedbed plus a late sedge warbler. Further on the wheatear gang performed nicely for the camera and at least three stonechats were hanging about around the reedbed,  Lots of b.h.gulls were swooping around over the back fields obviously catching something, craneflies I imagine.

Wheatear

Tuesday 30th.  Yet another Seasalter expedition but only along the seafront where I clocked 46 sp this morning with little effort. A handful of chiffs on the plots and one cetti's and in the dykes a few moorhens and two coots. On the flats opposite a few grey plovers and dunlin etc but at the LNR the flats were empty, c.60 blackwits far out plus curlew and oystercatchers were all I could find apart from six redshanks close to the beach. I walked up to the white post finding only two wheatears and four stonechats plus a few reed buntings and two clouded yellows and one peacock.