WIGEON IN THE WET

The wigeon were out in force today with 750 counted on the park's grazing fields on Monday 21st. This drake wigeon was one of a small group feeding on the saltmarsh beside the seawall at the end of the afternoon.

 Pleased to see the snow bunting still feeding along the beach at the Point at the end of the afternoon - present now for its fourth day. The bird stood still for a while five metres ahead allowing this picture to be taken.


Also seen near the Point were 10 pied wagtails, wheatear and 2 rock pipits while 9 red-breasted mergansers flew out of the river.

Glyn Evans counted a record 1100+ black-tailed godwits roosting on the pools in the fields on Monday. This picture is a small group, along with a drake shoveler, still in the fields late in the day. Also roosting were 400+ redshank along with 400 teal, 25 snipe, 50 lapwing, 300 brent geese and 44 little egrets. A male sparrowhawk flew along the edge of the fields a couple of times during the day. There was also a big foraging flock of about 2000 starlings in the fields.

In the park a ring ouzel was heard chacking loudly from the edge of the car park in the morning but its only view was a brief glimpse as it flew behind some bushes. A female merlin flashed over the car park mid morning. Also during the day were three siskins with 20 goldfinches flying over the pond, a redpoll flying west while 15 swallows and 3 house martins and a chiffchaff were noted.Up to 20 redwings were seen about the park during the day.



Glyn and his fellow WeBs counters walked the north side of the Island and flushed a short-eared owl from the Maydays seawall, probably a recent immigrant as it dropped back down again a short while later. Also a good count of 13 Mediterranean gulls in a field at Maydays. Two wheatears and a common tern were also noted.

This is the back of the very dark cloud that had just dropped its full payload of hail and torrential rain on me whilst at the Point. Accompanied with thunder and lightning, needless to say I got a tad soaked. At least the snow bunting was still on the beach and I saw it before I got drenched. In the afternoon Steve Entwistle saw a clouded yellow fly near the seawall at the Point.

On the pools in the field a green sandpiper flew round and dropped down amongst the many waders and wildfowl. Seven swallows were seen during the day.