Oare Marshes

0745—0930.

Whimbrel

0745—0930: Big skies; high clouds and subtle dawn light. A steady, light passage of Swallows; Whitethroats now evident in all the shrubberies and hedgerows and a Cuckoo distantly calling. Linnets busy collecting nesting material ,particularly `down` from the reed-mace heads.A combination of Sedge and Reed Warblers vying with Cetti`s for decibels. Mediterranean Gulls called, high, and lost in the sun. Tufted Ducks; Pochard; Gadwall and Teal continue to loaf, periodically erupting in dating manifestations , whilst the Wigeon pair remain sedate and secretive. Little Egrets are displaying a range of lilac/mauve hues about their lores, but to me their numbers appear less in their local breeding colony, a result perhaps of previous gale-damage in their local favoured woodland copse. Whimbrels are vocal throughout the saltings—a flight of 15 were in salt-marsh in the near locale later in the day.
Mike R

16:10-17:20 – a brief visit with the highlight a Spotted Redshank in transitional plumage on the east flood. The pair of Wigeon are still on the flood.

Geoff Burton

Spotted Redshank Oare Marshes April 2017

Clockwise from top left: Wheatear, Common Tern, Peacock, Linnet