Monday 10 August 2009

1 of 2

After seeing that waders were starting to appear on the coast over the weekend, I had the chance to have a look this morning.
We stopped at Hauxley first where I went to the Tern hide, I think? A band of mud was exposed on the island in front of the hide.
7 Dunlin, some still with black patches, were running along the mud. I noticed a Dunlin sized wader to the left of the 7, which had a more orange head. I then noticed the white v shape on its back, it was a Little Stint.
A Juv Arctic Tern was hiding amongst a group of BH Gulls and 3 Snipe were on the bank in front of the hide.
Wading through the water in front of the mud was a Redshank and two Black Tailed Godwit, which flew off and landed again a few times.
As well as the resident Canada and greylag Geese 27 scruffy Mallard and a few Tufted Duck were on the water, most still looked as if they were in the eclipse stage.

After seeing the report that a Curlew Sandpiper was at Cresswell Pond still this morning, that was the next stop.
The causeway at Cresswell has changed since the last time I was there and the first thing I saw was the pointless square of concrete and wood opposite the car park.
Also I can’t remember there being a fence along one side of the causeway. I’m glad it was there today as the cows, which usually stay further up the field, were very inquisitive today; one was trying to put its head through the fence.
There was no sign of the Curlew sand or the Dunlin flock it was amongst.
The little Egret was on the far bank along with a Whimbrel.
As we were driving off I noticed a wader in the channel, which joins onto the beach opposite the pond. It turned out to be a Common Sandpiper.

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