sightings 31/08/2011

I received this sightings report from Iain Darbyshire following his visit to Cliffe Pools today:

The high tide brought good numbers of waders onto the pools today and I managed to see 20 species in total:

Little Stint – 1 juv (Flamingo)
Curlew Sandpiper – 4 juvs (Flamingo, Black Barn)
Dunlin – numerous (Flamingo)
Grey Plover – c. 50 (Flamingo)
Ringed Plover – numerous (Flamingo)
Knot – 2, both juvs I think (Flamingo)
Turnstone – 1 ad (Flamingo)
Spotted Redshank – 1 ad, 1 juv (Radar)
Greenshank – c. 15 (various locations)
Redshank – abundant throughout
Ruff – c. 8, mainly juvs, at least one ad (Black Barn, Flamingo)
Green Sandpiper – 5 (Black Barn, ditches)
Common Sandpiper – 1 (Radar)
Bar-tailed Godwit – 20-30 (Flamingo, Radar)
Black-tailed Godwit – abundant (mainly on Radar islands)
Whimbrel – 3 (Flamingo, but didn’t settle)
Curlew – 1 (Flamingo)
Oystercatcher – 2 (Flamingo)
Avocet – v. large flock on Flamingo at high tide, scattered elsewhere
Lapwing – numerous throughout

Plenty of other good birds around too, the highlights being:

Spoonbill – feeding on Flamingo, then later on the Radar islands
Black-necked Grebe – 1 (Radar)
Kingfisher – 1 male (Flamingo)
Hobby – 1 over
Marsh Harrier – 3 over fields, including male
Sparrowhawk – 1 distant
Ruddy Duck – pair (Flamingo)
Lesser Whitethroat – 5 (near Black Barn & Radar)
Whitethroat – common throughout
Blackcap – frequent throughout
Sedge Warbler – 1 (near Black Barn)
Green Woodpecker – 1 ad, 1 juv (near Radar / Black Barn)
Small numbers of Sand Martin and Swallow regularly passing through.

many thanks Iain