Lade wildfowl & waders

Lade - 0900hrs - mild, overcast, drizzle, light airs - A repeat performance from yesterday on the  weather front and with hardly any wind south pit was covered in gulls and wildfowl, mostly Coot and Gadwall but with around 50 each of Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon plus 4 Common Scoters which are pretty scarce here. North pit held less birds but did include the first 2 Goldeneyes of the season. Passerines were much in evidence with Chiffchaff, Cetti`s Warbler, Mipit, Skylark, 10 Blackbirds, 5 Goldfinches and 2 Song Thrushes. Several Water Rails called from the reed-swamp while 2 Marsh Harriers were on the wing behind the `mirrors`.
To complete the circuit of the local patch we cut back along the beach on an incoming tide where seven species of waders were noted, some of which were roosting on the shingle. The Curlews however flew over the coast road heading for the storm beaches out on the Desert.

                                Oystercatcher roost, Lade beach

                                Redshanks, Lade beach

                               Sanderlings, Lade beach