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Notes from Saturday 18th to Friday 24th:
The spring tide cycle from Saturday morning thru' to Wed 22nd brought the expected peaks of ringed plovers at this time of year from c200, rising to 300+ by 22nd, but thereafter, the birds essentially disappeared. Dunlin numbered up to 200, with sanderling maximums at c90. Only 1 curlew sandpiper on 19th along with 1 little stint, with a further 2 little stints on 22nd. Other waders included small parties of knot and oystercatchers, with up to 4 turnstones, but it's always the ringed plovers that dominate here on the high tide roosts.
On the Saturday evening, with the tide not breaching the sand bar, there were only a few sanderlings and no other waders, but 1 pectoral sandpiper, previously noted on the forum, north and west high, which identified on call only.
Whimbrel have been moving south every day, with a peak of 45 on 19th, of which 37 were in 1 party.
Terns have now declined to less than 40 sandwich terns and around 37 common terns at roost, attracting Arctic skuas on 19th and 22nd.
2 wigeon flew north on 19th and the common scoter flock on the sea has been steady at about 45. There were 2 guillemots, 1 juv and 1 adult on 19th.
Early morning on the beach Thursday 23rd was spectacular, when a peregrine flew over the black-headed gull roost, which was predominantly north of Churchill. Well over 5,000 gulls all rose tother and scattered in all directions.
There was a Med. gull on 22nd on the beach in the evening of 22nd (Birklands RG).
Birklands ringing Group have been staying with us all week and as usual, it reminds me just how difficult it is to see birds in the dense cover along the dunes here. I have been seeing the odd chiffchaffs and hearing a few lesser whitethroats, seeing only 1 pied flycatcher today 24th. However, they have ringed 43 willow warblers, 35 whitethroats, 13 lesser whitethoats, 4 chiffchaffs and 7 blackcaps. They have ringed a further pied flycatcher and saw 1 other and 1 redstart on 18th. They also actually caught 90 house martins and 100 swallows.
The turtle doves stopped singing between Churchill and Brickyard on 18th, but Birklands have had 1 singing all week at Crook Bank. There were 3 this morning together and up to 2 others during the week.
Other birds of note include hobby on 19th and 22nd, marsh harrier south on 19th and 22nd, wheatear 2 on beach on 22nd, cuckoo on 22nd and 23rd. Birklands had a large pipit that flew off without calling on 22nd.
It's now 10.35 am and as I finish, a spotted redshank has just flown south over the garden.
Regards
Cliff
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