Tuesday, 11th February: Another grey and cloudy day, though perhaps a little less dull than recently, and drier too, with a light N/NW wind, making conditions feel more pleasant.
Elmer Rocks: As I left home a Grey Heron dropped onto a nearby roof, then on my arrival at the beach it felt quite pleasant after the recent days of gloomy weather, with a much lighter wind, a calm sea and even some hazy brightness. There were quite a lot of birds offshore, the main focus being on Red-throated Divers, which seemed to be everywhere! Although many were quite distant, there were closer birds too; three different groups of about a dozen were noted, plus other ones and twos behind all the rock islands, whilst further birds were flying mainly east. It is difficult to be exact, but I estimate at least 45 were on the sea, with a similar number flying offshore, so at least 90 in total.
There were also a good number of Red-breasted Mergansers, with several small groups displaying, say a total of c.25. Also logged were three Great Crested Grebes and 8E and 1W Brent Geese, whilst 12 Oystercatchers and c.50 Turnstones flew west. Away from the sea, other species recorded included two Song Thrushes, two Greenfinch and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Climping Gap: I tried some partly-flooded low vegetation to the north of the area, and it paid off this morning, when I located a total of four Jack Snipe and at least six Common Snipe. I confess I was greatly aided by my small thermal imager and doubt that I would have achieved too much success without it, eventually managing some great views. I did check out some of the adjacent fields for other species too, locating just 25 Linnets, 15 Goldfinches, several Greenfinches, a couple of Reed Buntings and a Kestrel.
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