We had a very nice if brief visit to Angle Bay (Rhoscrowther-side and Angle harbour) this morning, in glorious sunshine. There were around 750 Wigeon on the eastern side of the bay, plus a dozen or so (distant) Pintails, at least 8 Great crested Grebes, a single Red-throated Diver, and a distant Razorbill. No sign of any Brent Geese though when we were there. Usual gull species included 20+ Common Gulls.
Over at the harbour, locally ringed Curlew 24 (noted by Richard a few days ago) was the first wader we saw feeding on the shore. We checked another dozen or so Curlews but none of them were ringed. We have possibly seen No. 24 in most winters since first noticing it there on 25th December 2018.
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| Another Christmas period sighting of this winter resident Curlew |
A colour-ringed Bar-tailed Godwit was too distant to be certain of its ring number. It had an orange ring on its left leg and and a black ring on the right leg inscribed possibly 11, 12 or 22. Hopefully Paddy or Mike can confirm this ones credentials. It was roosting on the spit in a mixed flock of around 30+ Bar-tailed Godwits, several Black-tailed Godwits, c.150 Oystercatchers (one with an orange ring on the left leg, its right leg was hidden), c.150 Dunlin, 40-50 Redshanks, 25 Turnstones (later busy feeding on the rocky shore) and a dozen or so ringed Plovers.
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| Mixed waders roosting on the Spit - a location that sadly often gets disturbed |
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| Some of the 25 Turnstones - who noisily turned over stones as they fed on the rocky shore |
A couple of days previously we noted two Great Northern Divers in Goodwick Harbour and a distant Red-throated Diver in the bay. Several auks (mostly guillemots and a couple of razorbills) were also feeding inside the harbour and in the bay.