3 glossy ibis paid a short visit on Wednesday morning before heading off NE (Avalon Marshes anyone…?)

2-Oct-2023
1.5 hrs ‘scoping Otterhampton Marsh this morning from Quantock Hides: c.150 R Plover, c.40 Dunlin, Golden Plover, Green Sandpiper, 4 juv Little Stints & a Curlew Sandpiper.
At 11:15 hrs the Temminck’s Stint appeared along the back edge of a muddy bank looking W from the hides towards the car park; it had been reported here from the viewing platform for past 2-days.

2 Spoonbill present today, along with a single castle egret, viewable from the river bank.

Also, lots of dogs off of leads today, with one owner happy to let his 3 dogs enter the water near to otterhampton marsh in one of the pools/drains. A kind reminder about dogs on leads was met with claims that his dogs were under control. Sigh.

The JCBs were removed today, but still only 2 Greenshank & a Cattle Egret at back from Quantock Hide. Others reported 2 Wheatear there before I arrived & I saw 3 by Parrett Hide, 2 near Polden Hide & 1 at North Breach, with a Common Sandpiper the only wader on the pool (although someone else saw Redshank & a possible Curlew Sandpiper there earlier - mentioned before we confirmed that one had been on Wall Common recently). [Little Stint & several Whinchat were tweeted yesterday.] Biggest surprise was a Great Spotted Woodecker on telegraph pole by main car park (seems they have bred in the village this year), more expected was the flock of c.300 Goldfinch & another of 200 Starling

2 JCBs on Otterhampton this afternoon meant very few birds (little egret, grey heron & a couple of gulls), although 200 swallows / house martins were on the other side (& more family parties of swallow around several farms on the drive there / home). However, the lack of visitors encouraged 2 wheatear onto roof of Quantock Hides.

North Breach had Teal & lots of young Shelduck, with two whmbrel being the only waders (was good to see 6+ cattle egret back alongside Westhay to Wedmoe road again yesterday)

Otterhampton this am:  1 Wood Sand still, 6+ Green Sand, 3 juv Little Stint, 2 Greenshank, 1 or 2 Spotshank, c50 Redshank, 2 LRP, quite a few Yellow Wags with 7 together, 1 Hobby.

Breach lagoon:  9 Ringed Plover, c50 Blackwit, 6 Barwit, c20 Knot, a few Redshank, 1 Curlew.

Wall Common:  2 Whinchat, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Turnstone, c20 Ringed Plover.  Lots of Curlew, L Egret and BH Gull, maybe 1000 of the latter.

And a few Wheatear here and there.

Couple of hrs this evening…
70+ Blackwit, 15 Green Sand, 4 LRP, 2 Common Sand, 2 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel.
A juv Spoonbill and a 2nd very scruffy bird, presumably an adult, both only briefly.

Is there anywhere that news from Steart is posted regularly…?

Anyhoo, on Weds evening with the v high tide, the breach pool was great with 100+ each of Avocet, Curlew and Blackwit, plus 9 Whimbrel, a dozen Dunlin and a Redshank.  On Otterhampton, v small numbers of R and LR Plover, Common and Green Sand, and Greenshank to make up the numbers.

This morning, again on a v high tide, a circuit of Otterhampton gave a spangly juv Wood Sand from the south viewing screen, a Spotred with 50 Redshank on the east marsh, and an Egy Goose, 200+ Dunlin, 100+ R Plover, 2 Green, 1 Common Sand, 1 Turnstone and 1 Sanderling.

Less variety on the breach pool today but still plenty of Avocet.

Yellow Wags all over with 6 together near the breach lagoon, and a handful of Wheatears. Plenty of hirundines zipping about plus a couple of Swifts and all very birdy!

High tide at Wall Common on Sunday morning:  plenty of large waders, mainly Curlew, but almost impossible to check or count looking into the sun in the restricted zone.  Nice to have c100 Black-headed gulls to look through.  A sum plum Golden Plover dropped in and hunkered down amongst the pebbles and it proved to be ‘just’ European.

Otterhampton dry all over save for the western most pool.  Birdless even there.  And the tidal breach pool completely dry too…

Black winged stilt has been present for last 3 days (wonder if it is one of the offspring?), but proposed curlew sandpiper looks more like a large dunlin to me. Definitely still 2 spoonbill, male garganey & plenty of yellow wagtails about

My pic of the dunlin (curlew sand) - it’s a public group, so should be viewable:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10232613920915230&set=pcb.633829748195642

Andy - Dean & Karen may have found it again:
https://twitter.com/hobbylovinglife/status/1655623518350893056

5.5.23 (6-8:30pm)

14 golden plover
Spoonbill
Cuckoo pair
2 ruff
330 dunlin
Short-eared Owl

4.5.23

Grasshopper warbler
Cuckoo pair

So would I, but struggling to find it again (So presumably Facebook…)

Mike, would like to see any photos if you can point me in the right direction - thanks. (Sorry Mods, not a sighting, I know)