3rd September 2023

Weather: SE force 1, in the afternoon NNE 2 with haze.

An early start with the moon showing that the sky was mostly clear last night.

 

 A quieter day bird wise than yesterday with a trickle of migrants. There were 2 Chiffchaffs present with one spending most of it's time in the obs garden.

and a couple of Goldcrests following the first of the autumn yesterday.

A few dozen Meadow Pipits came through, also a couple of Pied and a White Wagtail,  a small number of Robins were present and 2 Wheatears fed.

 Making themselves known were 32 Swallows and 12 House Martins.

Eleven Shelduck flew into the estuary just before high tide. The 2 female Eider were still about and a colour ringed Cormorant will prompt some enquiries to be made.

 A small number of waders roosted the tide along the west side and did not suffer too much  disturbance unlike the thousands of Oystercatchers on Middle which were put up repeatedly by a various array of craft passing too close. The west side held mostly Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling. 

 

Thirteen Bar-tailed Godwits and 6 Whimbrel were also around the island. A larger than usual number of grasshoppers were active in the obs garden and more frogs than usual (mostly small) are now being disturbed from the grassy areas

There were 5 Little Egrets and 4 Grey Herons and the Kestrel was giving a fine display while hunting.

Red Admirals were the most numerous butterflies today.

 Photos AEH, AS