Carew/Cresswell Rivers and fields near Milton

Numbers of most species of waterfowl during this mornings WeBs count (a day late - due to the very heavy rain yesterday) were fairly modest along the Carew/Cresswell.

Wigeon numbers had dropped considerably to no more than c. 50, although teal numbers (c.400) seemed to be holding up. Seven shovelers were at New Shipping where most of the birds were roosting. Some 80+ curlews were present - 55 of these feeding in sheep pasture rather than roosting at high tide. About 130 shelduck were distributed across both river systems and 56 oystercatchers were roosting at Lawrenny Quay (quite a good flock-size for this location). Redshank numbers were not especially high - a total of c.60 were roosting in small flocks at a few regular locations but there no obvious lapwings anywhere this morning and only a small number of dunlin on the Cresswell side.

It was really more of a gull morning, with over 1,000 herring gulls coming in to rest and bathe on Carew Millpond, along with other gull species. They were coming from slurry-enriched pasture fields near Milton on the south side of the A477 - an area that in most winters usually attracts lapwings but none were here this morning. There were at least another 1,000 to 1,500 gulls feeding here (utilising  two fields) including at least 700 herring gulls and similar numbers of black-headed gulls, small numbers of common gulls and a few LBB and GBB gulls and a little egret. With them was a 1st winter Iceland gull - possibly the same bird that was bathing with herring gulls on Carew Millpond back in November.

A buzzard perched on a hedge seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on the gulls, or perhaps more likely on the numerous starlings and small numbers of fieldfares that were also feeding in the fields.