Lade - 0600hrs - warm, dry, sunny, se 2 - We were out early over the local patch, but there were few migrants apart from the ubiquitous Sand Martins, Yellow Wagtails, Common Whitethroats and a Whinchat in Mockmill. Unusually, a party of eight Sandwich Terns were fishing over south lake and every so often they would dunk in the fresh water and bathe.
On a rising tide this afternoon a count of 320 Curlews, 450 Oystercatchers and 25 Ringed Plovers were logged. Terns comprised 200 Sandwich and 100 Common before the tide swept in sending the lot, plus hundreds of Dunlins and Sanderlings, to roost.
With the temperature nudging 30C, at high tide I joined my daughter Lucy and grandson Albert for a refreshing swim in the bay, along with Sandwich Terns swirling noisily overhead and two Grey Seals bobbing up and down further out. The garden buddleia attracted two Hummingbird Hawk-moths this afternoon.
An evening recheck of the bay revealed an Arctic Skua harrying the terns out on the sands amid thousands of gulls and the usual waders. At one stage, just before sunset, hundreds of Black-headed Gulls deserted the bay and flew over the shingle beach to feed on a mass emergence of flying ants in the dead calm. An impressive spectacle indeed.
ARC 1230hrs - Plenty to see from Hanson hide including 100 Golden Plovers, 30 Lapwings, three Little Ringed Plovers, Ruff and Blackwit amongst the eclipse ducks.
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