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Interesting to read the comments re. Donna Nook project. A principle reason for it is to compensate for declining available mud for wader feeding in the Humber region. For those who have visited the lower Humber over the years, they will be aware that developing marsh has taken up so much available mud habitat, thus reducing available feeding for waders. At Rimac and Howden's for example, the marshes have extended outwards several hundred metres at both sites, right up to the outer sand/shingle ridges. Both of these areas were excellent for feeding dunlins, redshanks and knot, but no longer.
I have mentioned several times on the WeBS notes that the areas are dry, so that smaller waders are either absent or in low numbers. What I should have also pointed out is that the wetter areas are now marsh and unsuitable. The same comment applies for todays counts, so it will be interesting to see what happens when the breach is made at Donna Nook next spring.
Anyway, back to today's low tide counts, where the intention is to identify feeding areas and utilisation in particular. Raptors proved to be a real menace for me in accomplishing this task. It started with the Osprey, that's been occupying the area for a couple of weeks now. It was perched up just to the south of the wet areas at Grainthorpe Haven, so no waders here. After a 40 minute walk out to the tide, I had counted up to 400 on the Oystercatcher flock, when the osprey came over and hovered over the sea before heading up the Humber. So, nearly 2,000 oycs. took off and headed north. Whilst a great sight in the bright sunshine, not very helpful to me! After a 2 mile walk, I then started counting again, when this time, 2 of the local peregrines decided to buzz the oycs..
After walking over the high sands to Tetney Haven, the 2 peregrines were towards the boat club on the sands and both had prey, so that should have left me in piece. However, a juv. marsh harrier decided to fly along the haven, scattering curlew, redshanks and egrets in all directions. I was thinking that it was 50 years since Steve Lorand and I saw our first marsh harrier here and how thrilling that was, but today, it was irritating. Finally, a spitfire came zooming low across the marsh, but above minimum aviation height, so completing a disturbed day.
Key counts were:
Pink-footed goose, 27 south over Grainthorpe as 1,2 and 24, having been split by a barrage of shots further north at Tetney marsh.
Little egret, 11 N of Graintorpe haven and 17 on Tetney marshes.
Oystercatcher, 1850+ between Grainthorpe and Humberston
Redshank, 140 Grainthorpe, 230 Tetney
Greenshank, 2 Grainthorpe, 11 Tetney
Curlew, 18 Grainthorpe, 180+ Tetney
Bar-tailed godwit,3 Grainthorpe, 15 Tetney
Black-tailed godwit, 1 Tetney
Ringed plover, 8 Tetney,
Dunlin, 80 Grainthorpe,
Curlew sandpiper 1 Tetney
Other birds of interest;
Wheatear, Horseshoe Point
Y. wagtail, .........................
Rock pipit, first singles at Grainthorpe and Tetney.
Regards
Cliff
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