WeBS counts along the Carew/Cresswell and Daugleddau produced quite high numbers of Redshanks including 163 on the Carew/Cresswell system which is a good count for this area. 72 Redshanks at Landshipping was also quite a good count although there were fewer in the Garron Pill to Coedcanlas area. Curlew numbers were also quite high on the Carew River and also along the Daugleddau - highest numbers there for some time. No Dunlin were seen though and only one Grey Plover plus a few Lapwings and a total of 6 Greenshanks - not a very high count today.
Numbers of Wigeon (440+) in the Carew section were also reasonable, where there were also at least 3 Pintails present. Some of the male Teal were showing off their speculums to nearby females. One in Millars Park lagoon perhaps would have been better named "Green-winged" Teal, but of course it was not that species!
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| A generally scruffy-looking male Teal, but with a rather splendid speculum |
Attention was drawn to the Sprinkle Pill side of the Daugleddau by the distinctive calls of Pink-footed Geese. We normally only hear these wonderful calls on trips over to the North Norfolk coast or around Morcambe Bay where of course there are thousands. However, scoping across the channel from Brickyard towards Sprinkle, produced three Pink-feet on the muddy shore along side 70+ Canada Geese and a rather dominant Greylag. The Pink-feet seemed rather nervous and mostly kept out of the way of the Greylag that was chasing away other geese that got anywhere near. Six Shelducks were also feeding alongside the mixed goose flock.
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| Three Pink-feet, 3 Canada Geese and a Greylag |
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| The Pink-feet were too far away really, so these are just record photos of assumed wild birds |
In all there must have been somewhere between 30-50 Greylags, some were arriving with Canadas, most of which were resting in the usual sheep-grazed pasture above Knapp Wood. Judging by the constant calls, heard from the garden at dusk, numbers of Greylags down at Landshipping could have been much higher.