Bittern flew across Ramsdales at 3:43pm and presumably into the reedebed along the western edge of Ramsdales (which was out of view from my vantage point)
2490 Herring Gulls
56 Great Black-backed Gulls
Regular adult Mediterranean Gull
101 Cormorants
5 Pochard in Ramsdales
43 Greylag Geese
1 Kingfisher
5 Little Egrets at the western end, went to roost just prior to dusk
Highlights from a couple of hours this morning included
2 adult Whooper Swan over heading North east c. 9.10am
c.30 Greylag geese at the western end
11 Pink footed geese North just after 8.30
7 Siskin in trees by the leaning posts
61 Cormorant in a large fishing raft off the sailing club
2 Grey Partridge
Woodcock
Kingfisher
Little egret in ramsdales
First winter Caspian Gull in a decent sized gull roost (record photos on the website)
The usual adult Mediterranean Gull
At least 104 Greylag Geese at the western end, feeding with Canada Geese, though there were probably more as many were in the reeds and out of view etc. Towards dusk some of the flock flew off towards the Lightshaw area.
5 Little Egrets, at least three of which were initially at the western end but flew towards the lagoon/Ramsdales and towards dusk they were then all on Ramsdales Scrape
Resident Oystercatcher on the spit
2160 Herring Gulls
Usual adult Mediterranean Gull
41 Woodpigeons in trees and bushes around Sorrow Cow Pond
Redshank circled calling over where the spit normally is this morning before heading off west. Several Water rail seen well with the high water levels.
Two Marsh Harriers flew directly overhead at the viewing fence behind Teal Scrape (where it says liable to flooding.) They were in plain view for around two minutes, being mobbed by crows and were finally chased away.
67 species seen or heard this morning, highlights included:
3 Little Egret in flooded fields near Moseley Hall Farm
4 Raven flew south over Moseley Hall Farm, 1 landed in large conifers next to farm and then called loudly (can Raven call any other way?!) for several minutes before flying back north.
c 80 Pink footed goose flee east c.8.30 am and 4 flew west at c. 9.30.
Cettis Warbler singing from flooded area between Charlie Owenl hide and canal
3 Siskin in trees in the same area
2 drake and a female Wigeon circled the fkash for a minute before landing in East bay
An afternoon visit to the hides revealed a further seven goosander from Charlie Owen (Teal) hide giving a total of 11 birds for me today.
Also on the car park amongst the frequent blue ringed black-headed gulls, blue ringed 2T62 which was ringed at the flash 16/10/2020, seen at a breeding colony at Poznan, Poland in July 2022 (1300km, 807 miles) and last seen by me at the Flash a year ago today, 30/12/2022. Also the Dutch metal ringed bird 3,738,977 (558km, 347 miles).
This morning, 8:45 - 11:00, partly with Bill Harrison;
Mediterranean gull 1 adult landed in east bay at about 9:30am. Still present to at least 10:30am
Wigeon 1 drake west end
Pochard 17 off the car park
Goosander 2 flew over, male and female
Black-headed gull on car park with metal ring 3,738,977 ringed in Holland 2016. I've seen it on many occasions since at least 6th November 2022. Also several birds with blue plastic rings but all previously ringed at the flash.
Only managed 34 species on my quick walk around the hides around midday - only the 3 nearest the car park were open - although there's the viewing bit next to Ramsdales and you can go round the front of Teal hide for a "lesser" view.
Highlights were:
How close you can get to the car park Oystercatcher for a good look at it, it moved to the spit towards the end of my quick visit (I'm presuming there's just the one)
Seeing 5 tit species with 4 of them (not Long-tailed) + Bullfinch + Nuthatch from really close up on the feeders between Bunting and Teal hides - there was a young man putting seed out and taking photos
I've never seen the water level that high (no doubt others have)
A relatively poor gull roost for large gulls at least held 42 Great Black-backed Gulls
20 Pochard, with 18 in Ramsdales and two off the car park though towards dusk more birds moved over to off the car park
38 Goldeneye
2 Wigeon (probably missed the female this morning as the pair were not together and the female was around the sailing club shore area)
420 Lapwings
56 Pink-footed Geese over west at 3:50pm
1 Little Egret at the western end
66 species were recorded during my two visits today without even trying (I only totalled up tonight out of interest), if I had done, I could probably have added a further four or five species.
Only a relatively small and widely distributed across the flash gull roost this afternoon up to dusk contained 26 Great Black-backed Gulls although the majority of them flew off SW well prior to darkness.
19 Goldeneye
At least six Pochard around the eastern outflow
c60 Lapwings looking desperately to land on a non-existent spit, now completely submerged under the very high water levels
The Goosanders (2) were both male green headed; one seen from Teal hide (asleep on the "island", at a quick glance you'd assume just another Shoveler - sneaky), the other from Ramsdale hide; no females seen
Little Grebe - a couple visible from Teal hide
1 Little Egret at the car park end of the spit quite near the hide
A few (<15) Redwings flying across and one sharing a tree by the canal with a solitary Fieldfare
Quite a few Great Black-backed gull; didn't actually count them but I'd say between 10-15 in adult or near adult plumage
Plenty of Lapwing, Cormorants and Great Crested Grebe
Sparrowhawk - 2 both female although could have been the same one because they were over an hour apart
Long-tailed Tits - little flocks all over the place, with one flock going off into loads of alarm calls when a Sparrowhawk blasted through - don't think it got one
Snipe on the spit - none - but was that none there or me missing them, easily done.
Comparatively small gull roost tonight, 358 Herring Gulls which isn't bad but smaller number of everything else, even the Jackdaw roost was significantly smaller than it has been.
12 Pochard (2 females)
27 Goldeneye
4 Goosander
1 Raven flew west at 3pm
Cetti's Warbler singing from the shore by Sorrow Cow Farm