12/10/10

Good numbers of Coot, Lapwing, Tufted Duck, Redshank and Dabchick on Conoco. Quite a few Canadas, Pochard, Shovelers and 140+ Shelduck on Flamingo, a Red Admiral on its last wings. Bar tailed Godwit. A lot of Mipits and a flock of 32 GBB Gulls at the north end of Flamingo. The weak noonday sun made a few brave dragons come out to feed, including  a couple of Emperors. This also coincided with the Marsh Frogs starting up, albeit rather halfheartedly. Whinchat at Coastguards and onto Lower Hope Point. Offshore at LHP between Mucking bouys 5 and 3, a dark form Arctic Skua harrassing and being harrassed by the local gulls depending whether they were hard enough. 13 Curlew feeding on the mud. Two Walls chasing each other definitely not looking on their last wings, appropriately on the seawall  A sole Green Sand on the Mead, then onto the BBs and only a solitary Little Stint at the far end.many thanks to David Saunders for providing us with these sightings while surveying at Cliffe, great work david.