Pallas's Warbler

Pallas's Warbler
Pallas's Warbler, Donna Nook 10th October 2010

Saturday 28 February 2015

      49 Whooper Swans on the fields at the south end appeared to be getting quite restless.  Other wildfowl present were 5 Mute Swans, 14 Mallard, 170 Teal and 21 Tufted Ducks, the last including only 6 females.   Also on the landside were 6 Coots, 4 Little Grebes, 550 Golden Plovers, 7 Reed Buntings, 19 Yellowhammers, a Pied Wagtail and a Peregrine.
      A half-hour seawatch in the blustery conditions saw northerly passage of 3 Cormorants, 10 Red-throated Divers, 2 Brent Geese, 300 Herring Gulls and 50 Great Black-backs.   To the south were 2 Cormorants, 300 Common Gulls and 200 Black-headed Gulls.   40 Knot and 16 Redshanks were the only waders seen onshore.

Friday 27 February 2015

      The Black Brant and pale-bellied Brent Goose were seen again on the realignment area.   Other wildfowl were 1,400 Brent Geese, 150 Teal, 21 Mallard, 3 Tufted Ducks and 61 Shelducks.   Waders were 570 Golden Plovers, 190 Lapwings, 180 Redshanks, 8 Curlews, 74 Dunlin and singles of Bar-tailed Godwit and Grey Plover.   Also of note were 13 Cormorants, 5 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 2 Little Grebes, 3 Common Buzzards, 2 Peregrines, 5 Rock Pipits, 15 Meadow Pipits, 85 Twite, 24 Linnets, 37 Goldfinches, 220 Skylarks, 30 Yellowhammers, 22 Reed Buntings and 540 Starlings.
      Out on the shore were 800 Oystercatchers, 400 Knot and 60 Sanderlings.

Friday 20 February 2015



                                                                       Brent Geese.


      Ca. 1,200 Brent Geese, including the Black Brant and pale-bellied Brent Goose were present on the realignment area this morning.   Other wildfowl were 72 Shelducks, 27 Mallard, 2 Wigeon, 55 Teal and a Tufted Duck.   Waders here and on the shore were 540 Lapwings, 180 Golden Plovers, 90 Dunlin, 10 Sanderlings, 70 Knot, 4 Oystercatchers, a Common Snipe, 24 Curlews, 120 Redshanks and a Greenshank.   Also of interest were 8 Little Egrets, 10 Little Grebes, 2 Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, 150 Skylarks, 40 Rock Pipits, 25 Meadow Pipits, 20 Yellowhammers, 15 Reed Buntings, 3 Lapland Buntings, Pied Wagtail, 30 Twite and a Song Thrush.

Wednesday 18 February 2015

      Very few changes apparent at the south end.    On the fields were 57 Whooper Swans, 6 Mute Swans, Little Egret, 2 Common Buzzards and 80 Skylarks.   Along the flashes and adjacent marsh were 21 Mallard, 130 Teal, 9 Wigeon, 6 Tufted Ducks, 7 Coots, a Common Snipe, 2 Rock Pipits, 23 Yellowhammers, 11 Reed Buntings and 15 Linnets.   Six more Rock Pipits were on the outmarsh with a Water Pipit, 220 Lapwings and 120 Golden Plovers while on the open shore were 100 Sanderlings.   A very lively Chiffchaff was the first reasonable bird seen in the buckthorn for some time.


Tuesday 17 February 2015



                                                                               Twite

      120 Pink-footed Geese flew north over the beach and a Red-throated Diver north at sea.   Waders between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall were 530 Lapwings, 350 Golden Plovers, 650 Knot, 50 Sanderlings, 170 Redshanks, 9 Curlews and a Common Snipe.   Also noted were 700 Brent Geese, 69 Shelducks, 120 Teal, 4 Little Egrets, Grey Heron, 3 Little Grebes, Merlin, Kestrel, 140 Skylarks, 25 Reed Buntings and 80 Twite.

Saturday 14 February 2015

      On the southern fields were 57 Whooper Swans, 9 Mute Swans, 100 Golden Plovers, 350 Wood Pigeons and 70 Skylarks.   On the flashes were 140 Teal, 41 Mallard, 2 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, 8 Tufted Ducks, 6 Coots, 5 Little Grebes, 2 Common Snipe, 5 Redshanks and the Water Pipit.   Along the adjacent sea-bank and marsh were 20 Meadow Pipits, 10 Rock Pipits, 40 Linnets, 35 Reed Buntings and 15 Yellowhammers.   700 Lapwings on the outmarsh.

Wednesday 11 February 2015

      On the fields at the south end were 56 Whooper Swans, 11 Mute Swans, 50 Curlews, 50 Skylarks, 13 Meadow Pipits and a Common Buzzard.   The dunes and flashes produced 95 Teal, 31 Mallard, 2 Tufted Ducks, 9 Little Grebes, 4 Coots, Common Snipe, Little Egret, 24 Reed Buntings, 4 Yellowhammers, 42 Linnets and 12 Goldfinches.   On the shore and outmarsh were 380 Lapwings, 200 Golden Plovers, 20 Redshanks, 180 Brent Geese, 2 Cormorants, 3 Rock Pipits and a Peregrine.

Monday 9 February 2015

      980 Pink-footed Geese in eight skeins flew north.   55 Whooper Swans on the southern fields were driven away by the local farmer, and returned later, but only 26 remained when I left at 1330.  Also on the fields were 7 Mute Swans, Greylag Goose, 130 Skylarks, Mistle Thrush, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Merlin. 
      On the flashes were 4 Mallard, 38 Teal, Tufted Duck, a presumed Scaup X Tufted Duck hybrid, 5 Coots, 8 Little Grebes, 3 Little Egrets and the Water Pipit.   On the shore were 300 Knot, 120 Dunlin, 400 Lapwings, 15 Redshanks, 30 Golden Plovers, 15 Sanderlings, 90 Brent Geese and 14 Rock Pipits.

Sunday 8 February 2015

      WeBS count between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall.   Waders were 245 Redshanks, 38 Curlews, 620 Lapwings, 210 Sanderlings, 600 Dunlin, 80 Grey Plovers, 355 Golden Plovers, 270 Oystercatchers, 80 Knot and a Turnstone.   Wildfowl were 811 Brent Geese, one Black Brant, 12 Teal, 22 Mallard and 81 Shelducks.   Also of note were 3 Cormorants, one Common Guillemot, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Little Grebes, 190 Skylarks, 6 Rock Pipits, 2 Lapland Buntings, 12 Fieldfares, a Merlin, a Common Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier.

Saturday 7 February 2015

      Birds on the fields at the south end included 59 Whooper Swans, 14 Mute Swans, Greylag Goose, 22 Golden Plovers and 21 Lapwings.   Along the flashes were 3 Little Egrets, 90 Teal, 29 Mallard, 2 Coots, 6 Little Grebes, Water Rail and Water Pipit.   28 Linnets, 5 Rock Pipits, 30 Skylarks and a Common Snipe on the outmarsh while on the shore were 7 Cormorants, 18 Brent Geese, 80 Curlews, 750 Knot, 420 Dunlin, 10 Sanderlings, 91 Grey Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers, Turnstone and 7 Redshanks.   2 Shelducks and a Red-throated Diver flew north at sea.
      Also noted were 500 Wood Pigeons, a Common Buzzard, 10 Blackbirds, 8 Yellowhammers and 15 Reed Buntings.

Friday 6 February 2015

      A walk around the realignment area and Pye's Hall back to Stonebridge was quite pleasant in the crisp conditions.   The Black Brant and a pale-bellied Brent Goose were amongst ca. 700 Brent Geese, while other wildfowl were 2 Mute Swans, 302 Shelducks, 120 Teal, 116 Mallard and a Gadwall.   Waders were 290 Lapwings, 165 Redshanks, 340 Golden Plovers, 130 Grey Plovers, 30 Sanderlings, 400 Dunlin, 11 Oystercatchers and 53 Curlews.   Also recorded were 17 Little Grebes, 4 Little Egrets, 4 Cormorants, 290 Skylarks, 19 Rock Pipits, 6 Corn Buntings, 8 Lapland Buntings, 18 Reed Buntings, 45 Goldfinches, 28 Magpies, a Kestrel and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Thursday 5 February 2015

      The first frost-free day for a while and most of the snow had gone, but continuous light rain all morning.   On the fields were 54 Whooper Swans, 13 Mute Swans, Greylag Goose, 70 Curlews, 260 Golden Plovers, 270 Lapwings, 1,350 Wood Pigeons, 30 Skylarks, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Song Thrushes and 16 Blackbirds.
      On the flashes were 39 Mallard, 45 Teal, 4 Little Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 8 Redshanks and a Water Rail.   Other birds included the Water Pipit, 15 Rock Pipits, 12 Meadow Pipits, 15 Reed Buntings, 12 Linnets, 7 Goldfinches, Sparrowhawk, 150 Brent Geese, 17 Shelducks and 6 Knot.

Wednesday 4 February 2015

      Only a brief visit between the heavy snow and sleet showers.   Birds of note were ca. 50 Whooper Swans, 500 Brent Geese, 130 Shelducks, Little Egret and Common Buzzard.