A fine social gathering down at Marshside this afternoon, with Bazzo, Jellyhead, Mike S and Squeaky all out, scoping furiously from the Sandgrounders Hide.
With almost all the ice gone, the marsh is still a bit quiet - Wigeon herds grazing and a gull roost of about 2,000 birds on Marshshide One, but it'll take a day or two before numbers really build up again.
Blackwits and Curlew still, but not too many Lapwings as a consequence of the cold snap.
Bazzo had a young Kittiwake feeding with the gulls over the tide from Mount Baker, and the Green Winged Teal was still scooting about Marshside Two, but nearer Polly's Creek than the hide.
A few Little Egrets about and two Peregrines on the gasometer.
We were long distance scoping the Golden Plover and Dunlin right at the back of Marshside Two, when a Spotted Redshank flew through, heading south before it seemed to pitch down on Marshshide One.
Could be worth keeping an eye out for.
Squeaky picked up 7 wild swans in flight over Crossens and as they got closer we could see they were all Bewick's - always good to see these days.
They kept going towards the outer estuary.
A quick look over the marsh from the Sandplant walls revealed the Marsh Harrier still hunting out there, Merlin and a few hundred Pinkies in the grasses.
Not a bad hour or so.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Chris F wrote...
35+ Twite at Weld Road early afternoon, also a single Little Egret.
Posted by: Chris F | January 11, 2009 6:05 PM