A few more migrants were apparent at the south end with 110 Blackbirds, 60 Redwings, 5 Song Thrushes, one Mistle Thrush, 20 Robins, one Black Redstart, 20 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, one Sparrowhawk and one Woodcock.   Also on the dunes were 4 Corn Buntings, 3 Kestrels, one Peregrine, one Greenshank, one Kingfisher and 5 Little Egrets.   On the shore were 400 Oystercatchers, 600 Dunlin, 60 Sanderlings, 32 Curlews, one Common Snipe and one Rock Pipit.

         The Black Brant was seen in the Brent Goose flock which has now risen to 1,240 birds between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall.   Also on the shore were 624 Shelducks, 220 Redshanks, 470 Dunlin, 370 Knot, 10 Grey Plovers and 40 Curlews.   One Stonechat and 2 Merlins were on the dunes and on the realignment area were 3 Little Egrets, 3 Little Grebes, 150 Teal, 63 Mallard, 9 Canada Geese, 25 Twite, some Bramblings heard, 190 Lapwings, 2 Kestrels and one Common Buzzard.

         There was no trace of the Pallid Harrier and great disappointment in the assembled observers greeted the news that it had reached Gibraltar Point by late morning.   Highlights today included 800 Brent Geese, one Black Brant, one pale-bellied Brent Goose, 40 Pink-footed Geese, 200 Shelducks, 1,000 Teal, 180 Mallard, 250 Lapwings, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Snipe, 120 Goldfinches, 8 Bramblings, one Lapland Bunting and one Merlin.

         There was no sign of the Pallid Harrier at the realignment area in the morning before the onset of the heavy rain.   However, the bird reappeared in the drier afternoon and delighted watchers as it hunted over the realignment and took protracted rests on the fence posts and a bramble bush by the car-park at Stonebridge.   Eventually, it departed south across the fields at 1530.

         Most of the time was spent on the harrier so some of the other counts between the RAF base and Pye's Hall are incomplete.   Best were 25 Twite, 2 Bramblings, 40 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Woodcocks, 10 Long-tailed Tits, one Chiffchaff, one Short-eared Owl, one Little Owl, one Peregrine, 400 Teal, 700 Brent Geese and 86 Shelducks.

 

                                                                      Pallas's Warbler

                                                                           Redwing

                                                            Great Spotted Woodpecker


         A good day with quite a few new migrants.   The headline species were a Pallas's Warbler which was trapped and ringed at 0925 at Quad 3, a Little Bunting which was found at Pye's Hall and a juvenile Pallid Harrier which flew north over Ark Road and towards Stonebridge at 1257.   The harrier was relocated by JS on the realignment area at 1400 and subsequently seen by several observers over the next couple of hours.

         Other migrants at the south end included 200 Redwings, 34 Fieldfares, 40 Blackbirds, one Ring Ouzel, 15 Robins, 11 Bramblings, 40 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, one Blackcap, one Woodcock and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.   Also seen were 7 Long-tailed Tits, one Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Common Buzzards.   Additional birds at Pye's Hall included one Long-eared Owl, one Merlin and one Greenshank.

         Birds on the fields included 300 Golden Plovers, 95 Lapwings, 400 Wood Pigeons, one Common Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, one Peregrine and one Marsh Harrier.

         A few more migrants were in evidence on the south dunes, hence 70 Redwings, 12 Fieldfares, 25 Blackbirds, one Ring Ouzel, 15 Robins, one Black Redstart, 40 Goldcrests, one Firecrest, one Chiffchaff, 3 Bramblings and 2 Lesser Redpolls.   Also of interest were 6 Tree Sparrows, 6 Long-tailed Tits and 3 Rock Pipits.   On the flashes were 8 Little Egrets, one Grey Heron, one Cormorant and 11 Teal.   50 Sanderlings, 10 Dunlin and 60 Curlews were on the shore and up at Stonebridge, there were 900 Brent Geese and 220 Shelducks.

         A seawatch 0850-1030 saw northerly passage of 4 Gannets, one Cormorant and 2 Red-throated Divers.   To the south were 200 Herring Gulls, 40 Great Black-backs, 10 Cormorants, 2 auks, one Great Skua and 6 Whooper Swans.  On the tide-line were 34 Sanderlings, one Dunlin, 98 Curlews, 74 Oystercatchers and 4 Bar-tailed Godwits.   5 Skylarks and 2 Rock Pipits came in from the sea.   As I walked back to the dunes at 1030, a party of 12 Goosanders flew north over the mudflats and these birds must be those recorded heading north by GW at Saltfleet Haven.

         The dunes were generally quiet with 10 Blackbirds, 2 Redwings, 5 Robins, one Stonechat and one Great Spotted Woodpecker.   On the flashes there were 9 Teal, 2 Little Grebes, one Grey Wagtail and one Kingfisher.   On the fields and delf were 3 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 400 Golden Plovers and 30 Lapwings.