Single Whimbrel flew off the spit early this morning, also two Common Sandpipers present.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme 

Highlights so far this morning:

3 Arctic Tern dropped in at 6:20am

8 Common Tern

Little Egret 

Garden Warbler around Sorrow Farm Pond

2 Swift

Info thanks to Bill Harrison and Phil Rhodes

A non birding family visit mid afternoon but still managed to sneak off for 20 minutes to a couple of hides :-

3 Reed Warblers seen plus close views of a Cetti's Warbler in the reeds opposite Tom Edmondson Hide with a Blackcap heard only.

also a Little Egret fishing from Ramsdale's Hide but no sign of the Grasshopper Warbler.

First visit for a long time, this morning.

Common Tern 3
Common Sandpiper 2
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 2
Little Ringed Plover 4...I think.
Little Egret 1
Shelduck 1
Great Crested Grebes
Little Grebe 1
Cetti's Warbler 3 singing.
Sedge Warbler 2 singing.
Reed Warbler 1 singing.
Whitethroats
Willow Warblers
Chiffchaffs
Blackcaps
Reed Bunting 1 male.
etc.etc.etc.

Grasshopper Warbler still singing behind Ramsdales Hide off the chip track, also 2 Common Sandpiper, a female Goosander and 2 Redshank present.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Whimbrel on the spit early this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Drake scaup still present at 16.00 from Horrocks, showing well.

Karl Bishop just found cracking Male Scaup off the spit at penny.

This morning, Grasshopper Warbler singing by the chip track behind Ramsdales Hide, 4 Common Tern, 2 Common Sandpiper.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Thursday 21st 1100-1430 Mallard (1 with ducklings), tufted duck, gadwall, shoveler, great crested grebe, coot, moorhen, canada geese, mute swan (inc. a pair sitting on a nest together building it up), blackcap, cetti's warbler (heard), robin, wren, dunnock, blackbird, ringed plover, lapwing, oystercatcher, redshank, black headed gull & various others, heron (including the 'bachelor pad' with 11 herons hanging out by one of the pools), wood pigeon, stock dove, reed bunting, bullfinch, chaffinch, nuthatch, blue tit, great tit, willow tit

Tue 19th 2-5 pm

Warblers

• Chiffchaff (several) and Willow Warbler (many) - both heard and both seen
• Cetti's Warbler - several heard, 1 seen from Horrocks hide
• Reed Warbler - several heard (5 I think), 1 seen very briefly at the W end of the long narrow reedbed behind the point (which had 3 of the 5)
• Whitethroat - seen briefly from the viewing point on the north side of Ramsdale's Flash
• Blackcap - M from viewing "screen" on the loop from Teal hide round to Ramsdale

Bunting Hide

• Brambling - just the 1 M
• Bullfinch - 2 M&F
• Reed Bunting - lots
• Stock Dove - 5
• Chaffinch - 2 M&F
• Great Tit

Waders

• Redshank - 2 from Ramsdale hide
• Little Ringed Plover - 1 (possibly 2) on and next to the spit from Horrocks hide
• Common Sandpiper - 2 on and next to the spit from Horrocks hide
• Oystercatcher - 2 at W end of Flash, also 1 on spit from Horrocks hide

Also seen (of note)

• Willow Tit - from path on north side of Teal hide
• Common Tern - initially 1 on a buoy but then up to 7 on the spit from Horrocks hide

This morning's highlights mainly on and around Ramsdales Ruck:

1 female Wheatear

8 Reed Warbler

1 Sedge Warbler

1 Whitethroat

24 Willow Warbler

4 Common Tern

140 Sand Martin

1 Common Sandpiper

Mallard with 8 small young

Black-tailed Godwit flew into Ramsdales Scrape from high to the west (scrape not checked for further godwits)

1 Shelduck

1 drake Mandarin in the centre of the flash associating with its usual pair of Mallard

Unbelievably, I went to Pennington on Bank Holiday weekend around 11am Someone's dog had wandered onto the spit and it was all a bit annoying from that point onwards! However, did get onto a gorgeous female blackcap singing and showed well. Other highlights were... Lapwing Oystercatcher Shoveler Gadwall Grey heron

Also 11 Black Tailed Godwit during a mid afternoon visit. 9 Brambling (and 2 Chaffinch!) at Bunting hide.

2 Black Terns still present at 7:30pm, also 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern, the drake Garganey, Wheatear and Little Egret (no sign of the Little Gulls).

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

This afternoon to 16:45

Little gull 2

Black tern 2

Common sandpiper 1

Mandarin 1 from boat club

Common tern 2

2 little Gull off rucks at the moment, 1 Adult ,1 second Summer bird .  

Whimbrel just been flying around spit calling and black terns still present 9.55am.

Further sightings through the early morning included 500+ Sand Martin, although some northward movement of birds meant perhaps double that went through but 500 was the highest recorded flock at any one time. 19 Willow Warblers, 13 Blackcap and 8 Chiffchaff were on and around Ramsdales Ruck alone. 

Late news for yesterday evening when a Swift flew through west and 4 Common Tern were present.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Highlights so far this morning:

2 Black Terns

Drake Garganey still present

4 Black-tailed Godwit

1 Common Sandpiper

2 Common Tern

3 Wigeon

Female Brambling by the Point

Other highlights from this morning:

Garganey 1 male still around mini spit

Black-tailed godwit 8 from Ramsdales hide

Little ringed plover 1

Sand martin 200+

Swallow 10+

Great black-backed gull 3

Plus willow warblers, chiffchaffs and blackcaps.

Common tern still this morning 

Quick hour late afternoon on way back from Carr Mill Dam.

Of note :- Bunting Hide - 3 Brambling, Willow Tit & a peculiar looking female Reed Bunting with a black face.

               Edmondson Hide - A nice perched Buzzard, Female Blackcap, Willow Warbler & Cetti's Warbler heard only.

               & a nice first chat with Gordon Newman

This evening, a Common Tern roosted, the drake Garganey was still present by the spit, a Little Egret flew NW and 100+ Sand Martin and 5 Swallow were present.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

The male brambling at bunting hide is a really spectacular bird, one of the best I've ever seen. Photos attached.

Saturday am:

Six brambling: Bunting hide including male with dark phase head.

Drake Garganey, 9 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 Redshank so far this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

So far this morning:

1 Common Sandpiper (almost certainly present yesterday too)

Drake Garganey

6 Black-tailed Godwit

Drake Goosander

Shelduck

2 Redshank

2 Little Ringed Plover

Info thanks to Barry Hilme

Female Brambling at the point at 6:35pm, a pair of Mediterranean Gulls flew North and the drake Garganey still present.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Perhaps of interest regarding the mandarin that's been seen at the flash on Wednesday and today, there's been a drake mandarin on Plank Lane marina, apparently present for a few weeks and the assumption is that they may be one and the same bird. 

However, I've checked the marina twice this week on Wednesday and this morning at 10am and both times a mandarin has been present and not looking like it has any intention of leaving. It has a purple ring on its left leg. 

The flash bird was reported early morning today but I checked later and couldn't find it. It would be interesting to know if it's been seen on the flash later today. Pete, did you see the mandarin today?

Attached photo is the bird at marina.

Other birds early morning today included 260 Sand Martins moving north in three flocks after feeding over the water up to 10am, a single Swallow north, 3 more Redshank flew in from the west making 5 in total and no less than 7 Sparrowhawks watched soaring, some very high, over the south of the flash probably not all local birds.

So far this morning:

drake Garganey still in Ramsdales, opposite the end of the spit

10 Black-tailed Godwit on Ramsdales Scrape

140 Sand Martin, many of which appeared to move off north around 8:45

Singing Willow Warbler on the top of Ramsdales Ruck

2 Little Ringed Plover

Drake Mandarin off the sailing club (per Barry Hulme)

2 Redshank

3 Greylag Geese

2 Little Gulls at the western end this morning, also House Martin present and the 9 Black-tailed Godwits also.

Info thanks to John Dixon

Further sightings from this morning

Garganey 1 drake still from Horrocks hide

Shelduck 1 

Sand martin 100+ dropped in with the rain about 11:15

Attached is the best photo I could manage of the red-necked grebe from yesterday