21st and 22nd March
A much nicer day on the 21st with only a few
showers to keep us on our toes; a Grey
Wagtail was near Hooking along with notable increased counts of 36 Meadow Pipits
and 13 Pied Wagtails while single Stonechat and Song Thrush completed the
Passerine highlights. 6 Whooper Swans
were new and included a 1st winter bird as was a smart adult male
Merlin which came in off the sea at the pier.
Whooper Swans, photo Simon Davies
Other
birds of note included good counts of 53 Sanderling and 244 Purple Sandpipers
while the 2nd winter Glaucous
Gull still floated around and on the sea totals of 11 Red-throated Divers
and 9 Great-northern Divers were seen on much calmer seas.
Apart
from the morning hail showers and the bitingly cold northerly wind it was a
lovely sunny day on the 22nd but the cold weather limited notable
records to just the regular drake Smew
on Bewan as well as 9 Snow Buntings also on the north coast. There were no Northern Harrier sightings
over these two days but experience tells us he can easily turn up again after
disappearing for a few days.
Purple Sandpipers, photo Simon Davies
Shoveler, photo Simon Davies
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