We had quite a rewarding Christmas morning walk, in calm almost early
spring-like sunshine around Angle. We started at the Rhoscrowther end of Angle bay and walked the coast path from the village to West Angle and return.
As well as c.1,000 wigeon feeding in the bay at the Rhoscrowther/Kilpaison
end, we recorded not less than 37 pintails feeding on the shore (the most we’ve ever
seen here) and 22 light-bellied Brent geese. 12 of these flew out of the bay at
around 11:30ish heading down the Haven, perhaps towards the Gann?. Other usual
birds in the bay included a few knot, several hundred dunlin, 50+ black-tailed
godwits, 20+ turnstones and at least 10 great crested grebes feeding offshore.
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| Part of the feeding pintail flock (centre) plus a couple of mallards; mainly wigeon in the foreground; some Brents in the background |
In the Haven our attention was drawn to a distant great northern diver
when it briefly called (we’ve seen one or two here quite often in the past but not heard one calling here before). It was
feeding in the channel and gradually making its way down the Haven - we last saw it feeding off Thorn Island.
Several redshanks and oystercatchers were feeding in wet-hollows
in arable fields near west Angle including colour-ringed oyc. Orange 90 (right
leg) orange over metal ring (left leg).
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| Presumably ringed by Paddy/Mike/Paul |
As we drove back towards Hundleton, a
merlin was hunting over stubble fields – flushing a flock of several hundred
linnets in the process.
Wishing everyone a very happy festive season.
Wishing everyone a very happy festive season.