Big Grey Plover Count

Sunday 8th

Another morning at Seasalter, the tide was out so plenty of time to scope birds on the mudflats. It was a bit thin on the ground except for grey plovers which were spread out from just off the Ski Club to right up into the Swale, the biggest gathering being on the mudbank right out off Shellness point. There were a good few yesterday but this mornings total being the largest amount I have ever seen  with numbers around 1000 I estimated.  Two mergansers were a first for the year and 5 grebes were also on the sea plus three lesser black backed gulls on the mudflats. Representatives of all the other waders were on the scene including 2 barwits but still no black-tailed godwits.

On the plots, 5 shoveler, 1 gadwall, a few teal, 2 coots, moorhens and on one of the paths 5 snipe, 4 mipits, 2 cetti's, green woodpecker, 1 linnet, 1 marsh harrier and a couple of reed buntings. A stop by the YC revealed a buzzard right overhead and a one point circling over the 'hard' before heading inland again. I walked up to the start of the wall on the LNR seeing another two buzzards, 1 kestrel, 5 shelducks and a pied wagtail bringing my total to 48 species finishing at 11.15.