Angle Bay this afternoon

Although gloomy with heavy drizzle at times, it was nice to get out for some exercise. We noted around 120 oystercatchers roosting over at the Sawdern Point end of the Bay and small flocks of mixed ringed plover, dunlin and turnstone - feeding on the upper shore. About 15-20 curlews were dotted about on the falling tide. Out in the bay, towards the village end seven Great Crested Grebes (all adults) were resting and feeding - possibly disbursing failed breeders? Two were displaying to each other for a brief time. An adult gannet was also feeding in the bay for a while. At least 100 back-headed gulls were roosting on the south shore with not less than 17 Med gulls. These included one metal ringed on the left leg (impossible to read the sequence of numbers even through a telescope) and a colour-ringed adult/near adult (right leg white ring with black numerals/letters 32PJ) – presumed to have been ringed in The Netherlands or Belgium. It has been reported and we await the ringing location details.

In between the drizzle showers there were good numbers of swallows on the move. There were probably in excess of 100 over the bay at one point plus at least 30 swifts, in two separate small flocks - all heading west towards the coast.