Shortie, Swifts and a WeBS count
Middle Point/Dumbles
A large high tide this morning forced nearly all birds onto the Dumbles or scrapes. A Short-eared Owl was seen from the new viewing platform in the Middle Point area, happily roosting undisturbed in the long grass. Other highlights included 20+ Yellow Wagtail on the Dumbles (among cattle) with 20 noted over heading S, Wheatear, Yellow-legged Gull, Grey Plover, 52 Dunlin, 110 Curlew, 10 Whimbrel, 5 Redshank, flocks of 5, 15 and 8 Ringed Plover, 1 non-breeding plumaged Oystercatcher, at least 71 Shelduck (5 adults), 3 Little Egret, 12 Mallard, 1 Common Sandpiper. 118 Barnacle Geese were out on the grassland or saltmarsh.
Nearly all of these species seen as the tide came in, whilst it was high or on the ebb along the edge of the shelf or on the grassland areas. A scope is needed to pick many of these bird out from the seawall or Middle Point. Please be aware that Middle Point may flood tonight and over the next two days, it will be wet underfoot.
Tack Piece
Green Sandpiper, 7 Avocet as well as Teal ad Gadwall.
Rushy Hide
Juvenile Little ringed Plover, 5+ Green Sandpiper, a Ruff, a Redshank, 12 Lapwing, 25 Gadwall and 5 Avocet, the roaming party of one adult and six juveniles dropped in a couple of times.
Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece
A Swift over this morning, 130 Dunlin (mostly juveniles), a juvenile Little-ringed Plover, 11 Ringed Plover over high tide included a juvenile, a juvenile Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 17 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Avocet, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, a juvenile Ruff, 56 Shoveler, 220 Lapwing, Peregrine, Yellow Wagtail, 151 Canada Geese.
South Lake
The Crane family + two young, 18 Ruff including 3 juveniles, 15 Redshank, 99 Black-tailed Godwit, 63 Lapwing, 72 Teal, 3 Pied Wagtail, 3 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, 14 Gadwall, 27 Shoveler, 15+ Sand Martin, at least 10 Swift over at 1.45pm, 17 Tufted Duck, 3 Cormorant, 3 Great Crested Grebe.
