A double rainbow - it looks like Spring!
Start of the Meteorlogical Spring. We certainly experienced milder conditions and spring-like sounds from the birds along the hedgerows.
2nd March.
Back to square one today with Storm Jake bringing icy blasts of gale force NW winds. However some sunshine did manage to filter through.
A few Grey Plover and Dunlin could be seen out on the mudflats during at low tide. A couple of Grey Heron were braving it out on a sand bar.
LOGBOOK
John Ireland - 24 Knot, 200 Dunlin and a male Sparrowhawk.
Snow on Scottish hills across the estuary.
Grey Heron's plumes blown by the wind.
3rd March.
Still a NW wind blowing but the sun came out to give a beautiful day. It was a low tide series now, so distant birds way out on the tideline were not so obvious and also harder to recognise.
A skein of geese could be seen flying well out over the river. From a distance they looked like Pinkfeet.
Being Thursday, the Workparty were out in force. Todays task being weed wiping rushes to improve the habitat for breeding birds.
A few Dunlin and Grey Plover picking about on the wet mud.
4th March.
It rained heavily overnight. The sun came out during the day but there was a cold strong NE wind blowing.
Watched the Grey Squirrel taking nuts from the hamlet feeders and caching them in the ground not far away, watched on by the resident pair of crows. No sooner had it left to get another consignment than they promptly moved in to polish them off. Seemingly oblivious to their activities it returned with more which it buried in a slightly different place. Fortunately the Crows were too busy digging up their first find to notice this!
The Crows however are most territorial and later, seeing a Kestrel using a regular perch in one of the Ash trees fronting the marsh, soon moved it on.
5th March.
Looking out across the Estuary it was apparent that snow had fallen on the hills overnight. A strong NE wind blew most of the day with a little sunshine appearing through the clouds periodically.
A cold, cold day.
6th March.
Still very cold with snow remaining on the Scottish hill across the estuary. Sunshine and showers most of the day.
Counted 86 Lapwing out on the mudflats at high tide( low series) with a number of Oystercatcher, Curlew and 3 Grey Heron. 10 Shelduck flew in later.
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS
Meg - 1st Screen: Wigeon, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Little Egret, 2 Pink-footed Geese, Curlew.
From the hide: Pintail, Wigeon, Heron, 2 Buzzard, Snipe.
From the Lonning: Linnet, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch.
Lapwing feeding with a few Oystercatcher on the mudflats.
Shelduck landing . . .
. . . and feeding on the wet mud.
A small group of Starlings scavenging along the roadside verge . . .
. . . with the sun highlighting their iridescent plumage.
7th March.
A sunny dawn . A small group of Shelduck could be seen displaying out on the flats.
From the LOGBOOK
M. Lincoln - sunshine and warmth felt and seen! Lovely.
8th March.
There was a northerly drift on the clouds today. It rained most of the morning until the high tide at 11.29am. A group of 12 Curlew are now being seen regularly frequenting the bay west of the Viaduct.
A Curlew fly-by.
Oystercatcher at high tide.
During the afternoon 2 Little Egret came hunting along the marsh. A Kestrel seems to have established a perch on the large ash tree in the hamlet which, overlooking the marsh as it does, provides it with a convenient place to hunt from. A pheasant accompanied by up to 5 females can be regularly seen on the marsh front.
A Little Egret drifting by.
Kestrel on its favourite perch on this wet morning.
Must have spotted something!
9th March.
A calm and very cold day with a northerly wind blowing - making for dramatic cloudscapes.
Colourful landscape.
Two Little Egret were seen on the saltmarsh west of the Viaduct while a further one frequented the pool east of it.Little Egret hunting . . .
. . . and flying restlessly along the saltmarsh.
As the tide came in at 12.13 pm it pushed groups of Oystercatchers up the mudflats to roost on the saltmarsh. The Avocet was there with them in front of Byers cottage. A small group of Golden Plover were there also.
Oystercatchers flying in at high tide.
Avocet feeding on the mudflats with Oystercatchers.
Golden Plover on the ebb-tide.
Kestrel hunting along the drift-line.
A subdued sunset.