A decent morning with 100% cloud cover, good visibility on a very light NE>2. All was quiet this morning with waders busy feeding and no new arrivals so it gave me a good opportunity to have a count up and a review on what was here at the present.
This afternoon was a different story with 50 % cloud cover, with some black clouds on a W>4. The watch turned out to be a re run of yesterday but without the fall of waders. I just got to the furthest point possible when the heavens opened yet again making me head back towards the car which was 20 minutes walk away so another good soaking was inevitable.
Back behind the shelter of the tailgate the rain continued with low scud clouds cutting down visibility so it was up stumps and head for home. Ironically , by the time I,d had a bit of tea the sun shone letting me spend the rest of the evening in the garden.
The heavy showers yesterday took some of the birds away as well as dropping some with the 7 Ringed Plovers gone and a few of the Dunlins but a check on numbers this morning, as best as I could, produced :-
32 Dunlin, 24 on the south shore and 8 on the east shore.
22 Common Sandpiper, spread around all 4 shores.
9 Redshank, very mobile moving around all the time.
2 Oystercatchers, NE shore.
2 Snipe, near top gate.
1m Wheatear
1 Grey Wagtail
3pr Greylag with 16 young between them, just 2 lost so far .
c 50 Canadas with around 30 young. Over 300 adults + young this time last year.
5 Lapwing around the waters edge with 2 chicks each .
Gull numbers dwindling daily now with just 12 LBBs today.
4 Male Reed Buntings
Several Meadow Pipits carrying food.
6 Curlew , all with young
1 Kestrel
2 Raven
2 Red Legged Partridge.
BS