Redshank circled calling over where the spit normally is this morning before heading off west. Several Water rail seen well with the high water levels.

This morning, 9:00 - 12:15;

59 species in total for me, including;

Woodcock 1 flew over the southern side 

Several willow tits near Bunting hide

Siskin 4 from the canal

Lesser redpoll 1 with the siskins

Mandarin 1 still at Plank Lane marina

 

67 species seen or heard this morning, highlights included: 3 Little Egret in flooded fields near Moseley Hall Farm 4 Raven flew south over Moseley Hall Farm, 1 landed in large conifers next to farm and then called loudly (can Raven call any other way?!) for several minutes before flying back north. c 80 Pink footed goose flee east c.8.30 am and 4 flew west at c. 9.30. Cettis Warbler singing from flooded area between Charlie Owenl hide and canal 3 Siskin in trees in the same area 2 drake and a female Wigeon circled the fkash for a minute before landing in East bay

An afternoon visit to the hides revealed a further seven goosander from Charlie Owen (Teal) hide giving a total of 11 birds for me today.  

Also on the car park amongst the frequent blue ringed black-headed gulls, blue ringed 2T62 which was ringed at the flash 16/10/2020, seen at a breeding colony at Poznan, Poland in July 2022 (1300km, 807 miles) and last seen by me at the Flash a year ago today, 30/12/2022. Also the Dutch metal ringed bird 3,738,977 (558km, 347 miles).

 

Late afternoon up to dark today:

158 Great Black-backed Gulls

434 Herring Gulls

154 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

28 Stock Doves in a single flock going to roost around Pennies somewhere

Drake Wigeon still at the western end

Two redhead Goosander

This morning, 8:45 - 11:00, partly with Bill Harrison;

Mediterranean gull 1 adult landed in east bay at about 9:30am. Still present to at least 10:30am

Wigeon 1 drake west end

Pochard 17 off the car park

Goosander 2 flew over, male and female

Black-headed gull on car park with metal ring 3,738,977 ringed in Holland 2016. I've seen it on many occasions since at least 6th November 2022. Also several birds with blue plastic rings but all previously ringed at the flash.

 

Only managed 34 species on my quick walk around the hides around midday - only the 3 nearest the car park were open - although there's the viewing bit next to Ramsdales and you can go round the front of Teal hide for a "lesser" view.

Highlights were:

• How close you can get to the car park Oystercatcher for a good look at it, it moved to the spit towards the end of my quick visit (I'm presuming there's just the one)
• Seeing 5 tit species with 4 of them (not Long-tailed) + Bullfinch + Nuthatch from really close up on the feeders between Bunting and Teal hides - there was a young man putting seed out and taking photos

I've never seen the water level that high (no doubt others have)

From first light to midday today, some interesting full site counts on what was a very decent day weather wise for a change!

202 Tufted Duck

24 Shoveler

97 Gadwall

66 Teal

1 drake Wigeon

13 Pochard, 12 off the car park and one in East Bay

5 Goosander (three western end and two on Teal Scrape)

865 Pink-footed Geese over east in three skeins between 08:58 and 09:25

21 Goldcrests

78 Long-tailed Tits

36 Song Thrushes (of which 15 were in song)

2 Lesser Redpolls feeding in trees on the side of Ramsdales Ruck

18 Redwings behind Ramsdales Hide

6 Nuthatches

8 Treecreepers

4+ Siskin in alders north of Teal Scrape

2+ Willow Tits, both in the feeding station

12 Coal Tits

8 Bullfinches, all in the feeding station

16 Reed Buntings, all in the feeding station/Pengies area

40 Goldfinch in one flock feeding in alders on the south side

4, probably 5, Little Egrets around the western end

31 Cormorants

The resident Oystercatcher, of course

 

Today’s highlights include a first winter drake Scaup, pair of Wigeon and two Little Egrets.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

First visit for a while following a holiday, 12:30 - 13:30. Mainly from the boat club;

Wigeon 3 (2 drakes)

Goldeneye 27

Little egret 1

 

This late afternoon:

538 Herring Gulls roosted

3 Little Egrets at the western end

5 Pochard

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

An improved gull roost this late afternoon up to dark!

512 Herring Gulls, including a small but noticeable increase in argentatus birds

42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

8 Great Black-backed Gulls

67 Lapwings still circling around towards duck looking for some dry land to roost

1 drake Mandarin in Ramsdales

29 Goldeneye

12 Pink-footed Geese over low NW at 4:15pm

 

Much earlier this morning:

31 Goosander

11 Pochard

4 Little Egrets

44 Cormorants

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

41 Goosander this morning and four Little Egrets.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

Today, 

Water rail 2 on the edge of the reeds in Ramsdales 

Goosander 16

Pochard 5 off the car park

 

This morning 8am - 11:45am

Bittern 1 sunbathing in Ramsdales

Pochard 15, 9 off the car park, 6 in Ramsdales

 

From Sunday 26th PM - nothing particularly unusual seen but...

• 8 duck species; Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted, Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander
• The Goosanders (2) were both male green headed; one seen from Teal hide (asleep on the "island", at a quick glance you'd assume just another Shoveler - sneaky), the other from Ramsdale hide; no females seen
• Little Grebe - a couple visible from Teal hide
• 1 Little Egret at the car park end of the spit quite near the hide
• A few (<15) Redwings flying across and one sharing a tree by the canal with a solitary Fieldfare
• Quite a few Great Black-backed gull; didn't actually count them but I'd say between 10-15 in adult or near adult plumage
• Plenty of Lapwing, Cormorants and Great Crested Grebe
• Sparrowhawk - 2 both female although could have been the same one because they were over an hour apart
• Long-tailed Tits - little flocks all over the place, with one flock going off into loads of alarm calls when a Sparrowhawk blasted through - don't think it got one

Snipe on the spit - none - but was that none there or me missing them, easily done.

Three Little Egrets present this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

This late afternoon up to dusk:

Comparatively small gull roost tonight, 358 Herring Gulls which isn't bad but smaller number of everything else, even the Jackdaw roost was significantly smaller than it has been.

12 Pochard (2 females)

27 Goldeneye

4 Goosander

1 Raven flew west at 3pm

Cetti's Warbler singing from the shore by Sorrow Cow Farm

This morning, 8:15am - 11:15am,

Whooper swan 2 at the west end at 8:15, then another 4 flew over east and the two on the water flew off.

Scaup 1 still at west end

Pochard 14 off the car park, 12 males and 2 females

Goosander 2 immatures 

Pink-footed geese 40+ flew west

Lesser redpoll 1 in alders behind Ramsdales hide

Siskin 5 in alders behind Ramsdales hide

Little egret 2

This morning, 

Common scoter 3 including 1 drake

Scaup 1 still west end

This afternoon to 15:15,

Scaup 1 still at western end (photos)

Redwing 30 Mossley Hall farm

Pochard 7 off the car park

Goldeneye 20+

Goosander 1 male

-- Edited by colin davies on Tuesday 21st of November 2023 04:38:38 PM

Late afternoon today up to dark:

Adult female Scaup (unsurprisingly) still present at the western end

30 Goldeneye at dusk

9 Pochard off the western end of the car park, including one female

7 Goosanders at dusk

514 Herring Gulls

203 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

27 Great Black-backed Gulls

5820 Black-headed Gulls

2200 Jackdaw in the roost

c40 Lapwing settling on a relatively small submerged weed patch out in the middle of the flash at dusk was a surprising sight!

14 Redwing going to roost in the trees around Sorrow Cow Pond

3 Kingfishers, with two around the shore at Sorrow Cow Farm and one in Ramsdales

Adult female Scaup still present at the western end late morning today.