Spotshank & Wood Sand

     No time for downloading photos but just to update on news. There was yet another Spotted Redshank on Black Hole yesterday (which somebody had written as Stopped Redshank on the board! Fnarr!) and a Wood Sandpiper was a nice accompaniment. A bit like Bombay potatoes with your Jalfrezi.
     Two each of Green & Common Sandpiper plus Greenshank provided a varied diet (must have some greens) whilst the stodge was there in the form of 18 Dunlin and too many Blackwits plus Common Redshanks to count. More Curlew now on the estuary where 4 Wigeon for dessert were a nice taster of the kind of fayre we can expect in large portions for the next 6 months. Ooh, I'm feeling hungry now - time for some lunch I reckon...

Cattle Egrets

Quick update to last post is that I tried again on Wednesday evening to see the Cattle Egrets from Coly Common hide and was rewarded when no less than SEVEN of the blighters flew low South across the scrape at 18:17 precisely. I believe they are roosting further down the valley but haven't heard anything more since Mark Dobinson had possibly double figures there. Will they overwinter again? Maybe but there's no guarantee of that.

Ruff Extra

Ruff, BHM, 16/09/2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

Apologies for absence

It's almost a month since I posted here which is unusual for this time of year. Unfortunately, the dreaded Toad (Work) has squatted upon my life and prevented me from birding, snapping and blogging to my usual extent. I have quickly thrown down some selected highlights from the last four weeks below but most of these birds have now moved on. Last night I managed a quick look from Coly Common hide but failed to see the Cattle Egrets. However, I managed a Greenshank and Ringed Plover there so moved to BHM where another Greenshank was present. Tower hide produced 2 Greenshanks on the estuary which may mean 4 in total (although the previous 2 may have both flown to the estuary and linked up I suppose!). Those of you who are on Twitter are more likely to see me post there these days but I will update the blog when I have time. Good luck to you!

Ruff, etc.

Ruff, BHM, 16/09/2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

Sanderling, BHM, Sept. 2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

Spotted Redshanks, BHM, Sept. 2018 (Copyright T D Wright)

Wood Sandpiper, BHM, Sept.2018 (Copyright T D Wright)