On Tuesday we had about 300 Teal on site but yesterday these numbers had swollen to over 1300.... magic! A big sky full of duck! Wigeon remain stable at about 300 which is low for the time of year and about ten Pintail are still around along with the first two Pochard of the season. The newly reformed Purfleet Scrape is looking promising but has yet to draw down the wildfowl but with the fencing contractors off site after tomorrow this may quickly change. The Spotted Redshank is still on site but Snipe numbers are low. Lapwing vary but at least 1500 are swirling around at the moment with the attention of at least six different Peregrines from the local area giving them grief throughout the day.

Lapwing over the pool (Neil Hughes)

Lapwing above and a mass of turbulent Teal below (Denis Tuck)

A male Merlin was seen this morning and the Sparrowhawks have been equally active. No big BOPS wintering at the moment but the Short-eared owls are still around but you need to be looking at the west end at dusk for those although one was on the Sub-marine Look out on Wednesday. Bearded Tits have been showing well most days and have proved very obliging... no Pendulines as yet. Very few thrushes and only a couple of Water Pipits so far amongst the dozen or so Scandinavian Rocks but they have started to come down in front of the Purfleet Hide at high water.

Work wise we are also having the predator proof fence severely tweaked in preparation for next spring so fingers crossed and the work parties have been cutting more wide channels into the dense stands of reedmace and phragmites to try and open things up a little and create more edges and thus better feeding opportunities for the birds and viewing ones for us!

We have also been redoing the woodland feeding area after the strimming last week, to hopefully draw in more buntings and the like and to bring the birds closer to the visitors.  Only took the birds five minutes to come back in. Boardwalk repairs are still underway with rotten ones being replaced by the vols.

 

So that is where we stand in the run up to Christmas.  The mild weather has meant that early winter work has been swift and successful so I for one would be quite happy to have a good cold snap now to add a bit of wintery spice to the proceedings.

Let's see what tomorrow holds...