GEDSER - 18th August

Rain at dawn delayed proceedings by about an hour but after it had passed it was another fine day with good netting conditions; numbers were slightly down though with [only] 92 new birds caught including 3 Red-backed Shrikes (adult male, adult female and a juvenile) and a Thrush Nightingale (with one of the last few days birds re-trapped); totals of common migrants were headlined by 11 Marsh Warblers, 4 Icterine Warblers, 20 Lesser Whitethroats and 15 Whitethroats.   Golden Plover, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and a few Tree Pipits were heard overhead through the morning.

                Bøtø was then fairly quiet mid-afternoon with wader counts down but birds present did include 15 Wood Sandpiper, 6 Spotted Redshank and 4 Ruff; Ducks on the other hand were well up on the last visit as counts consisted of 410+ Teal, 40+ Gadwall and 15+ Shoveler while other birds of note were 4 Cranes and at least 6 Water Rails (mostly juveniles).

                A random drive round then produced a few farmland birds including White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and Yellow Wagtails before I ended up at Skelby Strand where there were a few bits and pieces feeding on the large quantities on seaweed along the shore with 2 Whinchats, an array of flavas including an adult male Grey-headed Wagtail, a smart summer plumaged Grey Plover, 6 Greenshank, 12 Redshank, 15+ Common Sandpipers and a Sedge Warbler hopping along the beach.

 

White-tailed Eagle causing havoc wherever he goes...

and with a Marsh Harrier showing just how big he is!

Buzzard

Whinchat