Steart WWT
On the tidal pool north of the breach today: 2 Blackwit, 4 Greenshank, 3 C Sand, 1 Wood Sand, 1 Ruff. Most were on the small crescent shaped pond to the right looking from the screen. Tricky as there are lots of hiding places there!
A nice surprise this morning, a Wood Sand on the new ‘Ibis pool’ between the main Otterhampton Marsh and the road. Took me and Dave N a bit by surprise but gave super close views and despite that, I can only say that I think it was a juv. It ended up flipping back into the sedges just behind the pool where there must be a wet channel. Also 3 Green Sand and a couple of Snipe. No Ibis!
Waders on the Wall Common high tide were just nice flocks of Dunlin and Ringed Plover, with a few each of Sanderling and Turnstone. North of the fence was a decent Curlew flock with a few Grey Plover and Whimbrel, and a couple of groups of Oystercatcher flew past.
The only wader on Otterhampton itself was a lonely Ringed Plover, despite there being plenty of water now.
Matt S ventured further north up the peninsula and saw Spotred and 3 Golden Plover amongst other things.
Bit of an early autumn feel today… The Glossy Ibis was on the small pool between the main Otterhampton marsh and the road mid-morning with at least 6 Green Sand and a couple of Snipe. Otterhampton East just had a few Cattle Egret.
Wall Common beach had a decent flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover, and Robert K had seen 2 Greenshank and a Sanderling earlier. A juv Peregrine chased a wader.
The pool north of the breach held a Greenshank with 2 each of Wheatear and Yellow Wag by the track, and adult male and juv Marsh Harriers were around.
Hard work at Steart this evening but the Spotshank was again on the river, this time with 20 Redshank. A Whimbrel and a few Curlew were close by.
Otterhampton all but birdless but there was a Dunlin and a Common Sand.
Reminded me of birding at wetlands in Senegal, Kenya, Thailand and the Andamans this afternoon! Not too much heat haze though, surprisingly…
Best was a moulting adult Spotshank on the low-tide river from the Otterhampton East bank. Also a few C Sand and Curlew, and on the fresh marsh, 3 C Egret. On Otterhampton Main, the only things unexpected were half a dozen C Egret. Someone else had seen a Wheatear, and a Glossy Ibis made it on to the news services earlier in the day.
Wedged in a couple of hours before it got too hot this am - small signs of southerly passage - 1 Greenshank, 1 Redshank, 2 Curlew, 4 Blackwit, 3 Common Sand and a Wheatear that looked to be 1stw. I only looked at the estuary from Otterhampton East so I imagine there were actually many more waders not far away.
Seen today Sunday 6th March
Female Marsh Harrier
Male Hen Harrier
Golden plovers
Shelducks
Red Shanks
Dunlin
Mallards
Mute Swans
Spoonbill
Gold Crest
Stone Chat
Magpies
Canadian Geese
Oyster Catchers
Teals
Widgeons
Cheers Stu
One Spotred on Otterhampton today and a Green Sand. 20 Barwit on Otterhampton East with lots of Blackwit. Possible Sibechaff at Steart Gate but too brief to confirm…
thank you Andy 😊
Yes Gareth, park there (gated grassy car park on the left), then walk back across to the marsh and follow the track east/left. Very nice spot, though in my experience, hit and miss with what you’ll see.
and drove/walked to the north breach screen…
Which is the north breach screen? Is it the northermost one near the smaller Steart gate car park?
Walked to the breach, looked at Otterhampton, and drove/walked to the north breach screen…
Otterhampton was spectacular with large numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover, plus many others, never seen so many birds on it. A female Merlin showed nicely. Plenty of Avocet and Blackwit on the river. Ravens are nest building on a pylon.
No Spotshank, Brents, Spoonbill, Hen Harrier or Richards’s Pipit. Very few pipits at all in fact. A cold wind was blowing in from the south east. Hmm.
Should have posted this earlier, click on this link to my 2-min video of the juv Am Golden Plover…
American appears not to have been seen for a couple of days, but c.1000 Goldens were on Otterhampton side of Marsh (mostly closest to the viewing platform). Also male Ruff, Spot Red & merlin from hide. Greenshank at North Breach & 9 Spoonbill along South.
American golden plover showing from Quantock hide this morning, separate from the main golden plover flock. Also female merlin perched on the stockade in the middle of the marsh and spotted redshank feeding in front of the hide.