Wednesday 17 February 2021

Daugleddau - Garron Pill/Landshipping circuit

We did one of our longer circuit walks this morning, from home to Garron Pill and back along the shore to Landshipping. Spring was clearly in the air with many birds singing/displaying, including a pair of Nuthatches that were checking out an old Greater Spotted Woodpecker hole. A bit of renovation work will be needed at the entrance to make a snug fit, but there is plenty of estuary mud nearby so it should not take them too long. 


Along the estuary, there were about 160 Wigeon and a few hundred Teal feeding. Shelducks, in loose flocks, are clearly starting to pair up. Most of the Dunlin and Lapwings appear to have moved on in the last few days, with very few around this week. Small numbers of Curlew (less than 50) were feeding in a few places. We noted a partially leucistic bird that we have not seen before on the lower eastern Cleddau. Besides some white on its head and neck region it also has some white wing feathers. 


We flushed around 30 Snipe and 30 Skylarks along the shore but no Jack Snipe today. An overwintering Common Sandpiper was feeding on lug worms (or something similar) on the shore near Sam’s Wood. 

For much of the winter, most of the local Little Egrets have been feeding alongside cattle in pasture fields near Brickyard. Eleven were there a few days ago but only 7 today, the others were feeding along the shore. We don't see too many Med Gulls up this end, so it was nice to see an adult (already in full summer breeding plumage) resting offshore near Landshipping with Black-headed Gulls (still in winter plumage).