Saturday 16th June
A wet and blustery morning had a couple goodies for the handful of birders who dared to venture out:
SAILING POOL
10 Mallard, 2 Canada Geese, 3 GC Grebe + 2 chicks (first time I have had a good look at them; seem more advanced than the pair on the Moors Pool)
MOORS POOL
Highlight was a pure white goose that frustratingly remained largely hidden in the vegetation on the East Island, Clive & Brian had ID'ed it as a Snow Goose and there was a similar entry in the log book for Thursday but based on what I saw Ross's would be a better bet - size, length of neck, "cute" appearance etc.
Otherwise it was very much business as usual: 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 4 GC Grebe + 2 chicks, 42 Coot, 3 Moorhen, 11 Tufted Duck, 58 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans + 2 cygnets, 1 Lapwing, 4 Common Tern, 2 LBB Gull, 3 Oystercatchers + 2 chicks, 24 Mallard, 45 BH Gulls + only 6 chicks (verifying John's observations of the wipe-out of the colony on the Moors), young Carrion Crow being fed in Amy's Marsh, several young Wood Pigeon, a fox took a gosling
FLASHES
c170 BH Gull, 4 Moorhen, 2 Teal (m+f), 5 Coot, 28 Mallard, 2 Oystercatcher, 9 Canada Geese, 5 LRP, 10 Avocet and 7 chicks (difficult to count with the number of youngesters being brooded in the heavy rain), 2 Common Terns from the Moors Pool, second summer Common Gull, fledged Robin by the feeding station hide.
About 1.5 hours into my stay, my attention was caught by two small waders suddenly rising from the channel to the right of the hide and flying due south. Rushing to the rear of the hide, I forgot that my view would be blocked by the new porch. By the time I was correctly positioned they were way over the transmitter field; Sanderling would be my best guess based on size / bill length / wing bar but it was an annoyingly short observation. The pair were stooped by the Peregrine as they carried on south passed the transmitter masts. Cursing my luck, I returned to my vigil, resigned to a washout. However within 5 minutes a Sanderling emerged in amongst the islands where it remained (along rather wary) until I left and GLaB arrived at around 1pm. I dont believe this bird could have been one of the two departing birds so potentially there were three briefly on site.
With further heavy rain forecast this afternoon, the water level at 0.47, water pooling near sitting birds and John due on site tomorrow, the sluice was left draining water off.
Does anyone know anything about reports of a Little Gull and a large Lapwing chick at the Moors Pool on Thursday?