Seasalter District  FEBRUARY 10

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Other Travels & Photographs

25th Feb.

For a change I walked up to Castle Coote this morning, nothing had changed much as I recorded 4 species on the reserve which included; 1 heron, 2 skylarks, 1 wren and 1 pied wagtail on the wall but to be fair there were a few crows further on behind C.Coote. The tide was going out and the usual waders were evident as the tide receded plus 19 brent geese.  I was dismayed at seeing the horses now in the compartment behind C.Coote. I stopped at that point noticing the area was beginning to suffer the same treatment as the first compartment, horses again in the reedbed and grass being razored of. Hopefully they will be removed before the breeding season as birds will be looking for nest sites very soon. No pictures, nothing to photograph.

23rd Feb.

A look along the seafront in a bitingly cold east wind produced very little. A stop by the plots revealed the swollen dykes and 1 moorhen swimming vigorously to avoid being swept over into the outfall pipe. The tide was going out and on the seaward side 28 brents were feeding on the mud near the outfall but no other waders with them. I moved up to the Sportman and walked up to the wall along the beach stopping and sheltering by the huts and recording 780 bar tailed godwits, by far my largest count ever. Other waders included c.150 knot and c.200 dunlin with redshank, good numbers of curlew and oystercatchers etc..  Small passerines were non-existant but opposite the Sportsman a flock of c.300 starlings wheeled about giving a peregrine some practice on how not to catch small birds in a flock. A heron and a marsh harrier put in appearance over the 'levels' to the south of the Sportsman.

15th Feb.

The plots were quiet with only; 7 goldfinches, 1 wren, 4 mipits, 1 grn.wpker., 2 reed buntings, 6 w.pigeons, 4 magpies and c.60 fieldfares and redwings.  From the Sportsman; c.200 lapwings, 1 redwing on the grass apron, 2 goldfinches, 1 great tit and 3 blue tits as I drank my coffee in the car. I walked west for about a mile and thank goodness the horses have been moved off.  Still very quiet but 4-6 bearded tits in the reed bed, no reed buntings, 2 skylarks, 1 kestrel, 1 g.c.grebe, 19 brents, 32 shelduck, 6 g.b.b. gulls and as I was leaving a male stonechat by the last 'gate'.

Checked the roost on the way home seeing; 130 ringed plover, 110 redshank, c.75 turnstones and half a dozen knot on the water's edge.

13th Feb

A heavy drizzly murk quickly enveloped the marsh mid-afternoon, but initially as the tide left the beach there was a good congregation of waders in front of the beach huts. c 400 Bar Tailed Godwit were dominant with c.350 Knot along with smaller numbers of Dunlin, Redshank and Turnstones. Groups of Curlew stood thigh deep waiting for mud exposure. At the start of the seawall c. 60 Fieldfares were feeding on the thawing turf with several Redwings with them. It was soon apparent that there were many of the former in feeding groups as far as Castle Coote--probably 500 or so. Nice to see so many Redwings with them--seaside Song Thrushes and Blackbirds still evident. The drake Eider was again off the mussel beds---a Barn Owl was quartering the dykes adjacent to the `Array` workings and a Marsh Harrier headed west with roost in mind. 33 swans were Mute and a large dog Fox dug furiously at newly thawed earth. Thought better of walking to Fav creek as things got darker and wetter !! Mike Roser

A walk around the plots this morning produced 3 loads of bricks and turf tipped in front of the entrance plus a few birds which included; 6 swans, 1 moorhen, 3 magpies, 1 wren, 1 male hen harrier, 1 snipe, 2 great tits, c.30 redwings, c.75 fieldfares, 4 pheasants, 3 mipits, 1 reed bunting, 1 green wpker, and the fields opp.the Sportsman held c.65 curlew, c.100 lapwing, 14 goldfinches and 12 crows.

By Sportsman the tide was nearly up to the beach attracting c.200 dunlin, c.150 knot and further east by the outfall, c.60 turnstones, 25 ringed plovers, c.40 redshank on the beach and on the outfall 1 knot.

6th Feb.

Drake Eider off white marker post at 3.30pm on rising tide----Peregrine on Cleve pylon-----Hundreds of Wigeon and Teal in mid channel-----small passerines ? Hardly a view! Mike Roser

3rd Feb.

Wraik Hill was very quiet this morning except for 1 sparrowhawk that swept across the bushes and also drew a blank. Later, 4 chaffinches were getting excited that spring was in the air and a couple of blue tits and blackbirds also put in an appearance.  A look over the levels from Seasalter Lane produced 9 swans, 1 kestrel and 1 marsh harrier plus a few crows.

Down at the seafront the tide was out with a selection of the common waders including a flock of c.400 golden plovers which flew up from mudflats in front of the golf course. A look over the plots produced; 1 water rail, 2 reed buntings, 5 goldfinches, 5 chaffinches, 1 green wpker., and in the main dyke, 10 teal, 6 gadwall and 2 mallard. The tide had started to come in which enabled me to pick out 3 mergansers, 2 g.c.grebes, 29 brents and far out a raft of c.3000 wigeon. Unusual were c.2000 blk.hded gulls on the mudflats. Further on, near the Sportsman I saw another marsh harrier.