Merlin
On Monday I had a look at Blacktoft Sands for the first time in 18 months. It was very disappointing with what there was very distant...
Lapwings, Greenshank & Other Waders
Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank & Ruff
Water Rail at Far Ings (c) 2021 Hugh Wood
On Wednesday we went to Paull and walked out from the “Dirty sugar cube” car park. The tide was well out. It was fairly breezy and we were looking against the light most of the time. We could just about discern the smaller less curved bill of a couple of Whimbrel, which was only 80% confirmed, when one took to the wing and let out its distinctive seven syllable call. When we reached the furthest point we were able to see some waders with the light behind us, so it was possible to make out the colours better. Here, we saw plenty of darker than normal Redshank, a couple of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, and a few well spaced out Golden Plovers in summer plumage. We didn’t see a great deal on our loop around Fort Paull, but we did notice that it appears that the Beverley aircraft was in the process of being dismantled.
Golden Plovers
Ditto
Turnstone
Whimbrel
Ditto
Whimbrel (c) 2021 Hugh Wood
ditto
Gatekeeper
Small Skipper
Tansy
Sloe Berries ripening
On Thursday we returned to Paull. This time we started from the reserve car park for the long trek to the hide. It was very high tide, and filled the bottom of the managed flood area. Again we saw some Whimbrel, but they were amongst the Curlew and were sandwiched between the Curlew. On the long walk itself we got occasional glimpses of waders, but were rewarded with a good number of Golden Plovers flying towards the estuarine mud in a v-formation. Many of these had the noticeably black bellies of their summer finery. We reached the hide and were rewarded with a pair of Hares, and near the hide itself an immature Wheatear. On the return journey one of the highlights was a wary Greenshank, which we glimpsed at least 3 times as it attempted to escape our approach. There were plenty of butterflies on the teasels and other wild flowers in the lee of the floodbank.
Kestrel
Golden Plovers
Ditto
Immature Shelduck
Wheatear
Ditto
Whimbrel
Hares
Chichory
In the afternoon we returned to the dirty sugar cube, which was similar to the previous day, although the Whimbrel were a little easier. We also saw a Black-tailed Godwit, but it was in rather poor light. On the way back a very close Marsh Harrier was a bonus.
Small Skipper
Ditto
On Friday we met at the Blue Bell car park, and as it was still high tide we went to Kilnsea Wetlands. The hide was rammed but by staying outside we still managed to see Ruff, Ringed Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Greenshank, Redshank and Yellow Wagtails. A Wall Brown was very obliging on some Ragwort, and we later saw at least 2 other individuals. Beacon Ponds brought two very distant Grey Plovers and minuscule other waders. A few Sandwich Terns flew over at times. We then drove to the YWT car park near the new centre. Close to here a bird of prey was sat in a field, which on investigation turned out to be an immature female Merlin. She was sat for awhile before she flew up and tried to catch some passing dragonflies. We walked on to the peninsula where a lot of waders were sheltering in the saltmarsh. These were mainly Curlew but we did notice some beautifully marked “Silver Plovers”. A walk to part of the triangle added some recently-fledged Sedge Warblers. In the afternoon a Whimbrel flew over our heads calling it’s unique 7-syllable call - the best sighting of a Whimbrel during this Whimbrel week.
Mainly Dunlin
Little Ringed Plover
Dunlin [left] and Ringed Plover
Female Merlin taking off
‘Silver’ Plovers
Ditto
Ditto
Juvenile Sedge Warbler
Ditto
Whimbrel
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Oystercatcher
Magpie
Ditto
Roe Deer
Wall Brown
Ditto
Ditto
Male Wall Brown
Peacock and Red Admiral
Ditto
Migrant Hawker
Predated Grass Snake
Rosehip
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