5th and 6th August

Overcast with a brisk westerly breeze and the occasional shower on the 5^th but with most of our focus on the array of other things happening at the Obs time in the field was limited; the first Short-eared Owl of the autumn was flushed off a freshly killed Redshank at Brides was the highlight while the Goldcrest lingered in Holland gardens and a Heron and a good selection of waders were around the Brides coast.

                A completely different day on the 6^th with endless blue skies, warm sunshine and a light westerly breeze which had switched round to the east by the afternoon.   Good counts of 47 Ringed Plover, 69 Sanderling and 390 Golden Plover were on The Links, a Merlin flashed by the school and just 5 Sand Martins remained from the unprecedented breeding numbers this year.   Two juvenile Willow Warblers were trapped in Holland during the evening, perhaps a result of the easterly wind where there were also 150 Linnets coming into roost and the 4 Collared Doves still.

Short-eared Owl,   photos Simon Davies