Cool, cloudy, N 3 - Superb morning for a Ted tour of the peninsula in a cooling northerly airflow with birds everywhere. We started on the local patch at Lade with Greenshank, Ringed Plover and two Common Sandpipers on the new islands by the far reed-bed, plus two Great White and 15 Little Egrets around the margins. Hundreds of common and feral wildfowl, grebes, Coots, Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls remained across south lake while a steady passage of Sand Martins and Swallows came and went. The Desert duly delivered several Wheatears, Meadow Pipits and Stonechats as well as a drop in of c50 Yellow Wagtails, the first of many more seen and heard across the shingle this morning. The bushes held a variety of Willow, Reed and Sedge Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps. Moving onto Kerton Quarry where more Common Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Greenshank were present along with the usual wildfowl and two more Wheatears perched on the fence line. On the reserve Firth lookout was busy with birders enjoying the juvenile/1st winter White-winged Black Tern (now in its sixth day) alongside two Black and 50 Common Terns, an adult Little Gull, four Little Stints, several Dunlins, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Pied and Yellow Wagtails. Over the road an hour from Screen hide produced four Little Stints (presumably the Firth birds?) four Dunlins, Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers, two Ruffs, a Greenshank and three close Snipes in front of the hide. While there was plenty of Water Rail vocalising I only had a brief glimpse of a black juvenile dashing between the reeds. Also noted: a Sparrowhawk, two juv Marsh Harriers, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers and a Spotted Flycatcher by the pines.
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