High tide just before daybreak meant a WeBS count along the Carew/Cresswell Rivers on a falling tide. Highlights
were quite good numbers of Shelduck in both rivers (a total in excess of 150), some
700 Dunlin (in two flocks), 400+ Wigeon, c.300 Teal, around 500 Lapwings, 100+
Curlew and 15 Knot with a similar number of Black-tailed Godwits on the
Cresswell River. Knot are relatively unusual on this count section. Redshank
numbers were a bit lower than the previous months visit but a few Greenshanks
were in expected places.
 |
| One of at least five Greenshanks noted this morning - this particularly tame one was feeding below the French Mill dam |
66 Oystercatchers roosting at Lawrenny was quite a high
count at this regular roost location. A common sandpiper on the nearby shore was close to where others have been seen in winter in previous years. 500-600 Herring gulls were bathing at Carew
Millpond along with 200+ Black-headed and a few LBB gulls but I couldn’t see any ringed birds
or any other odd gulls amongst them.
A quick look at Cosheston Pill late morning produced 153
Black-tailed Godwits and yet more Knot (32 there) which was also quite a good count
of species seen less often at this location.
 |
| 21 of the 32 Knot roosting and several of the Black-tailed Godwits at Cosheston Pill late morning |
Later in the day 48 Grey Plovers were on the rocks and beach
at Freshwater West – a reasonable increase in their numbers since December.