Sightings

Main sighting: Waders

0515 – 1000 Wheatear on fence to the right of the hide, Chiffchaff 2, pheasant, buzzard, cettis calling, common whitethroat 1, blackcap 2, lesser whitethroat 1 and a raven with a small chick. Good wader roost including 624 dunlin (several Arctica race and the pale looking bird), 4 grey plover, 3 sanderling (1 almost in summer plumage), 46 ringed plovers, 2 bar-tailed godwits, 2 knot (1 partial summer plumage), 2 black-tailed godwits, 2 whimbrel and 17 turnstone. 1 heron, 3 skylarks and reed buntings. Hide two – reed warbler singing, avocet, lapwing, shelduck, 2 whimbrel overhead. Hide three – 8 bar-tailed godwits, 5 black-tailed godwits, mute swans, 4 tufteds, teal and around 11 sand martins but good numbers of swallows (80+) with a number landing on the fences and in the reeds, with a spectacular feeding almost in slow-mo right in front of the hide within 10 feet.

Main sighting: Common Sandpiper

Another wet visit – 1615 to 1830. Blackcap 1, chiffchaff 2, lesser whitethroat 1, common whitethroat 1, cettis warbler 1, pheasant, skylark singing and a raven which took a Canada goose gosling. Hide two (scanning the three lagoons) – gadwall, 3 pairs tufted ducks, avocet with 2 chicks, grey heron 2, cormorants 3, lapwing (one pair copulating), common redshanks, oystercatchers, at least 100+ house martins feeding over the lagoons with swallows and sand martins mixed in, 1 swift over the seawall, 1 whimbrel with a second seen on the seawall, 1 bar-tailed godwit with 2 more later, reed warbler singing, reed bunting, 33 black-tailed godwits, 1 dunlin, 1 little ringed plover and 1 common sandpiper. Dan Webb and John Lawton remained after I left so not sure if the main wader flock came in later?

Main sighting: Dunlin

Good numbers of dunlin on the ebb tide @ 1400hrs, several small groups combined to estimate 700 + , also inland 14 buzzards soaring on a thermal then dispersing. Single male wheatear on the seawall

Main sighting: Dipper

Also Wheatear main highlight of BTO BBS survey at Celyn Farm near Grosmont

Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher

A brief visit by a Spotted Flycatcher – first record for the site. Two singing Whitethroats, two Swallows and, at last, a House Martin.

Main sighting: SWIFTS

I know it’s just out of area, but these two were my first sightings this year. Good to see them back!

Main sighting: Lapwing, Whinchat

The river was running v high and fast, and there was massive flooding – two Sand Martin colonies were under water and a third one partially so. Two Lapwing on a newly ploughed ‘island’ in a huge sea of water; a swan pair rebuilding and delving for their eggs in a flooded nest; Stonechat pair unusual and 5 Whinchats first for this site – obviously passing through. Also 2 Swifts, 4 redhead Goosander and 3 Mandarin.

Main sighting: redstart

A pair of female redstarts flying into the silver birch on edge of our orchard, probably just passing through, 1430 hrs

Main sighting: Spotted flycatcher and Cuckoo

Spotted Flycatcher seen for the first time at this site, also Male Cuckoo flew over at the same time. Also lots of Willow Warbler song with Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Pair of Bullfinches, Coot on nest, Canada Geese with Goslings and a Cormorant.

Main sighting: Whimbrel

At high tide this evening,19-Whimbrels,4-Bar Tailed Godwits all still in non breeding plumage and 2-Turnstones.17h20-18h00

Main sighting: Waders

Visited just after dawn. Wader numbers dominated by Dunlins in their hundreds. Probably 1000+ off you include those out on the mud on the foreshore later.
Monk and Becs the busiest lagoons.
Lots of Dunlins, 6x Turnstone, 4 x Knot ( one red one), 13 x Bar-Tailed Godwits, 3 x Sanderling, 1 x Ruff ( reddy plumage) on Priors, 4 x Whimbrel, 16 x Black Tailed Godwits.

2 x Wheatear, 4 x Black Headed Gulls. 4 x Oystercatchers.
Avocets, Redshanks and Lapwings as usual.

Kestrel ( male) near Hide 2
Bean. Goose on Priors.

Main sighting: Seen at 09.00 hours today

Bird similar in size to a blackbird of sleek appearance feeding at ground level in field adjacent to road
Yellow/orange breast with darker face marking. colour of body pigeon grey with lighter underwing shading