Trip reports

Bowling Green Marsh - 7 October 2008

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

First impression was of a huge gathering of black-tailed godwits sheltering from the wind by the reed beds, but on closer examination many other species were revealed including whimbrel, a few greenshank and redshank, plus a group of avocets, lapwing, dunlin, a couple of snipe and a grey heron. Among the wildfowl, there were lots of wigeon, teal, mallard, shoveler and Canada and greylag geese. Other species noted included several gulls, moorhen, little egret, little grebe, long-tailed tit, buzzard, kestrel, pied wagtail, rook, crow, jackdaw, and a great-spotted woodpecker.
A bonus was a wonderful view of a water rail that emerged from the thick reed reeds and waded in the shallows.
The party then moved to the estuary lookout site where more birds were added to the list including oystercatcher, golden plover, a female sparrowhawk, goldfinch, dunnock, great and blue tit, wren, as well as jay, cormorant, common gull and magpie. Most surprising however, was a sandwich tern resting on the mud.
Some of the party then went on to Exmouth to look over Pole Sands. A good number of scoters were seen well out at sea with others flying low over the waves. Also a single eider duck. Lots of gannets were passing through and several shags were fishing in the estuary.