Sunday 18 October 2020

Carew/Creswell Rivers (WeBS) this morning

This morning’s WeBS count at Carew/Creswell River was livened up a bit by a Yellow-browed Warbler feeding with various tit species in the oak trees that are along-side the road between Black Mixen and Lawrenny village. Its call gave it away immediately but a photo was impossible in the very dull light conditions. Winter thrushes have been around for a while now. This morning about 200 Redwings were feeding on hawthorn berries near Lawrenny and later a similar number of Fieldfares flew over our house near Martletwy.

Out on the estuary, wigeon numbers had increased to around 600, quite a few of them were feeding on seed amongst quite a lot of flotsam. Eight shelducks were back on the Cresswell and wader roosts included modest numbers of curlew (c.80), 6 Greenshanks and about 50 Redshanks.

Last winter I noted a few Grey Plovers roosting on flotsam on Cresswell River. This morning I noticed the same thing though this time they were out in mid-channel, drifting down river towards the main Daugleddau channel, I had to head up to the Carew River to finish my counts so didn't have time to see if they got as far as the main channel.

Too far away and too dark for a decent photo but they seemed very content drifting on the ebbing tide

A flock of at least 1,500 Black-headed Gulls were resting on Cresswell River and although light conditions were poor through the scope I could see at least 12 Med Gulls with them. 

Earlier in the week we had been over at Angle Bay where there were at least 71 pale-bellied Brents resting on the sea at high tide. A regular colour-ringed Curlew orange left leg; black ring 24 right leg was feeding in its usual spot in the harbour. 

Around 130 Redshanks and 10 Greenshanks have been roosting at Landshipping Quay recently plus seven Little Egrets. In excess of 1,000 Golden Plovers were as ever a delight to see in the evening sunlight over the upper Cleddau.