What a sight - as the mudflats uncover to reveal their bounty!
20th February.
After a wet start, as the high tide receded, the mudflats became populated with in the region of 2-3000 Dunlin, some Grey Plover, about 400 Oystercatchers. The Avocet could still be seen way out on the estuary, too.
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS.
BWG - Large flock of Lapwing on the tideline; Teal on 'Teal Pond'; Merlin seen by the hide with Curlew and Pintail..
21st February.
It had been a crisp, clear night with an almost full moon. A pleasing sight greeted us in the morning - namely that of a small group of Barnacles grazing the saltmarsh round Scargavel Point.
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS
NVH - Large flock of Lapwings and Golden Plover by first screen plus Teal and Wigeon, pair of Bullfinches on lane, 50+ Chaffinches plus 20+ Tree Sparrows at feeders, 1 Yellowhammer. 50 Pintail in front of hide.
22nd February.
A fine bright day with a pale full moon showing in the sky at midday.
Good groups of Oystercatchers and Dunlin still roosting on the Saltmarsh edge at high tide. Later a Little Egret was hunting along the marsh near Byers cottage with a Kestrel frequenting the driftline round Scargavel Point. Further east, a flock of 32 Curlew scavenging on the saltmarsh near Biglands.
J. Ireland - Monday, sunny, cool, W wind. Avocet east of gate.
Line-up of Oystercatchers.
Dunlin in flight.
Little Egret hunting along the saltmarsh.
Curlew landing.
Kestrel at dusk.
23rd February.
A bright sunny but still cold day with little wind.
An late afternoon walk along the Lonning revealed a Kestrel surveying the landscape from a tree stump near the small arable field planted with crops for wintering birds.
Thanks, Guy Broome for the excellent photo.
The recently excavated scrape in front of the 1st Meadow Pool screen was coming into its own now, with 200+ Teal and Wigeon regularly dabbling in its wet margins - while a good flock of Golden Plover with a few Lapwing were using the wet meadows beyond.
Wigeon on scrape . . .
. . . and wet meadows surrounding it.
Lapwing beyond . . .
. . . with Golden Plover.
Whereas, the 2nd Meadow Pool held an Adult Grey Heron enthusiastically fishing along its edge with Wigeon and Teal.
Adult Grey Heron on 2nd Meadow Pool.
View looking north across the Meadow Pools.
Teal looking splendid in the sunshine.
The sun was starting to sink low on the horizon by now, making the landscape look rather dramatic.
Evening light catching the seed heads of the bullrushes.
A passing shower caught in the sun's rays.
Billowing cumulus clouds.
HKM, B Collis, K Brown - Female Hen Harrier over the pond by the lay-by (Saltmarsh Pool) at 1.30pm.
24th February.
Blog - "T'was definitely a Lucky Dip day"
LInk: http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/campfieldmarsh/b/campfieldmarsh-blog/archive/2016/02/26/february-24th-was-a-lucky-dip-day.aspx
25th February.
It dawned frosty across the saltmarsh with a bank of mist covering the estuary. By 10 am the sun started to break through and two Little Egret could be seen sunning themselves on the saltmarsh in front of Byers Cottage. Fieldfare could be heard chattering from the trees back over.
As the tide came in at 1.30pm, the Avocet was still present on the Oystercatcher roost. Wigeon, Shoveler, Shelduck and Pintail all came floating in.
Once the tide began to ebb and the mudflats became exposed, thousands of waders returned to continue feeding. At 4.30pm small skeins of Barnacles started to fly across to the outer estuary.
During the morning the Campfield Workparty were in evidence carrying out a Willow Tit Survey in the surrounding woodland - in which several birds were located.
A frosty dawn across the saltmarsh.
Little Egret hunting as the morning warmed up.
Avocet on the Oystercatcher roost.
Pintail and Shoveler on the high tide . . .
. . . and Shelduck, Mallard and Wigeon too.
Mallard and Wigeon dabbling on the mudflats later.
Dunlin landing on the wet mudflats - with Grey Plover in the foreground.
26th February.
A dull day generally with some weak sunshine early afternoon as the tide ebbed. There were still massed flocks of waders and plenty of duck out on the mudflats as the tide came in.
Long-tailed Tit on roadside feeders.
Waders feeding furiously as the incoming tide advanced.
Shelduck and Curlew higher up the flats.
Oystercatchers bathing and preening in the fresh water.
27th February.
Another frosty morning which soon cleared to be a beautiful sunny day. In fact, on a walk along the Lonning later, everything was starting to sound and feel very Spring-like - with Great Tits and Blue Tits chirruping away; Wigeon sunning themselves on the Meadow Pool edges; Little Grebe showing off their plumage in the sunshine and a Kestrel colourfully posed on a pole near the Visitor Centre.
Returning, 20 Pinkfeet flew over travelling SE. In the Viaduct corner 29 Pintail and 30 Curlew were evident.
Mike Porter reported having heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming at Campfield.
Visitor - Female Hen Harrier on the marsh front. An Avocet too.
Panorama west of the Viaduct.
Great Tit displaying.
Colourful Wigeon grazing round Meadow Pools.
Teal - Meadow Pools.
Greylag geese - 2nd Meadow Pool . . .
. . . alongside a Little Grebe . . .
. . . amongst the reeds.
General view across the 2nd Meadow Pool.
Kestrel hunting from vantage point near the Visitor Centre.
G. Bray - Pintail, Wigeon, Shoveler, Snipe, Female Hen Harrier.
D Smith - Saltmarsh: Wigeon, Shoveler, Oystercatchers and Curlew.
HKM - 12.30pm, Barn Owl at Rogersceugh.
D Smith - Feeders/Trees: 12 Linnets, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Tree Sparrow, Collared Dove, Jackdaw.
28th February.
A frosty start again but, as on previous days, it remained sunny and bright - very still and quite cold though!
The Avocet was still present with Oystercatchers at high tide. A Little Egret was busily scavenging too. The Kestrel was seen using the same perch along the hamlet trees each day, to survey the marsh.
Avocet with Oystercatcher.
Feeding on the tideline.
Little Egret ever present on the saltmarsh.
Kestrel hunting from roadside perch.
29th February.
An overnight frost again which quickly thawed. The day remained dull with a very cold easterly wind.
Stephen could be seen finishing off and tidying up the laid hedge on the roadside near Maryland farm - securing it with a long line of fencing both sides - about 500 ft in all. He and the Thursday work party had put in several weeks of hard graft to get it to this stage. It certainly does look very smart!
Long line of fencing protecting the newly laid hedge - roadside near Maryland farm.
Nest Boxes have been fitted to some of the remaining specimen trees.
Viewed from the Lonning.
Stephen clearing brash . . .
. . . and extraneous materials.
High tide at 3.49pm gave a good deal of bird activity on the saltmarsh and estuary: the Avocet with Oystercatchers at Scargavel point; Little Egret searching the dubs near Byers cottage; a pair of Redshank as the tide ebbed near the Lonning entrance; large flock of Dunlin and some Grey Plover (some were getting their summer plumage); Wigeon and 16 Curlew feeding on the tideline. There is never-ending interest here over the few hours round the high tide.
Colin Auld reported 110 Kittiwake coming in on the high tide and Avocet with Oystercatchers at Scargavel Point at 4.30pm.
Little Egret foraging on the saltmarsh.
Redshank on tideline.
Wader group.
Curlew on tide's edge.
Dunlin aerial display . . .
. . . and landing amongst the Curlew . . .
. . . feeding as the tide comes in.
Wigeon joining in.
On the ebb-tide - distant Cormorant.