Mon 16th March 20

A good day weather wise and bird wise today, a look over the road on the way into site turned up my first view of a Cetti's Warbler of the year. Moving onto the main site a Chiffchaff was singing along the approach road, the Dell was quiet but the small wooded area to the south held a Firecrest (NFY) in the ivy bush.
A walk along the front soon added another NFY in the form of a Wheatear atop a bush in the moth sanctuary being mobbed by a pair of Stonechat, the walk to the golf course added just a couple of Skylark, Reed Bunting and c30 Curlew. On the way back 2 Wheatear were on the hedge between the moth sanctuary and the hide.

From the hide : 1 Black Swan, 4 Greylag, c150 Wigeon, c100 Teal, 46 Shoveler, 17 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 32 Avocet, 15 Lapwing, 9 Snipe, 8 BlkWits, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank, 1 Lt. Egret, 2 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard. MR

Another Chiffchaff was in the area between the hide and the sluice a second Firecrest at the entrance to the sewage works and at least 4 more Chiffchaff along the carpark bottom hedge (poss.influx during the morning). The same could be said for the Wheatear as at lunch time Dave Cummings had 3 and by mid afternoon Liz Huxley had 4.



Dave Cummings

14:13 Three Wheatear now showing well between hide and moth sanctuary.


John Hall

15:09 Wheatear on grass front of sea watching hide one on gun emplacement poss. same birds


Liz Huxley

15:14 Pm visit. 4 wheatear, 10+ chiffchaff, pair kestrel, song thrush, 34 avocet, 54 shoveler, 9 blackwit, 2 dunlin, 3 snipe, black swan, male gadwall, common buzzard, kingfisher, 4 reed bunting.