Another trip up the Cleddau this morning in my neighbours' boat proved a great success. Setting off from Hobbs Point soon after 8 am we headed along the Daugleddau. On the edge of Benton Wood a bird sitting on top of a bare branch caught my attention and it turned out to be a Peregrine sitting soaking up the sun and being mobbed briefly by a Crow.
Sprinkle Pill was fairly quiet with a couple of Little Egrets, a few Curlew and 5 Redshanks. Then as we approached Landshipping Ferry an Osprey was flying over the water and made a couple of passes down to the water before flying into the trees on the east bank. A young and very curious Grey Seal spent a couple of minutes around the boat.
Further along the Eastern Cleddau near Slebech the/an Osprey flew from the trees on the west bank and again made a few passes down to the water before soaring over the trees. Another Osprey then appeared from behind the trees and also soared. So, definately 2, possibly 3 Ospreys.
We then headed up the Western Cleddau and in Millin Pill an Osprey again flew out of the trees, made some fishing passes and perched for a while in a tree. Eventually it flew off back towards the Eastern Cleddau and I assume this was one of the birds seen earlier. It had a blue ring on the right leg so was, probably, the long staying individual I saw on 17 July.
Carrying on down the Western Cleddau there were 11 Greenshank, 30+ Redshank, c. 50 Curlew and a couple of Whimbrel at Little Milford. We then ended on a high with good views of the Great White Egret on the west bank near Fern Hill.