Plenty of folk still coming down to Marshside to see the Glossy Ibis - late this morning it was in front of the Sandgrounders Hide amongst the Blackwit roost - but spent most of the time invisible down the ditches, hidden by the high summer vegetation.
In view for a few seconds, then back out of sight again.
Then it flew off to Polly's Creek again - looked great in the air with about 150 Blackwits and two Little Egrets - very continental.
From Mount Baker on the tide there were 5-6 Little Egrets (4 later on at Polly's), plus good numbers of Dunlin, Grey Plover, Sanderling etc on the mudflats.
A horrific heat haze made seawatching pointless, although at least one adult Gannet went through south.
The pools on the outer marsh still attracted plenty of waders - very frustrating, they're just too far off to work well, but there were at least 100 Dunlin, similar numbers of godwits and a few Redshank - God knows what else was lurking out there.
The marsh looked pretty fine today in the sun - hawksbits, bladder campion and sea aster all flowering away.
One of the buddleia that Tropical sneakily planted all those years ago on Mount Baker had three Peacocks, one Red Admiral and one Small Tortoiseshell feeding on the blooms.
Nice work Trops.
A Meadow Brown was on the north bank of the Sandplant walls.
Three Ruddy Duck on the channel north of the Sandgrounders Hide, and a Sand Martin in with the other hirundines over the main pool.
A Common Sandpiper was on the island in front of the hide, and about 200 Blackwits were snoozing away on Marshside Two.
Met Neill and Jellyhead, but they hadn't seen much else, so walked down to Nels Hide.
Nels was ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!
As long as your idea of "brilliant" is watching Coots.
Lovely.
There were 63 of 'em grazing in the algal bloom and mooching about the deeper vegetation. Not much else tho' - a few Lapwing, young Shelduck, three Teal and BHGs.
Tomorrow is another day.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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carp117 wrote...
I was at Marshside myself Saturday. Playing peek-a-boo with the Ibis.
It will take a week for the water sink in to the earth, then the egrets and avocets may come back. Great to see that many Godwits.
I will pop down again next month, hoping to get some returning waders.
Cheers
Posted by: carp117 | July 30, 2007 9:26 AM