On Thursday morning at 0820, I sent a text to Ian from my Humber Estuary survey site, saying, "it's feckin' cold in this sh*te, birdless, northerly". And it was, both cold and birdless! It was a beautiful day, with clear skies and a moderate north-northwesterly wind. It was the NNW wind that was the problem.
As soon as I got out of my car on site, I could hear a Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs singing, but that would be it in terms of grounded migrants. Visible migration was similarly nearly non-existent with just three Woodpigeons, a Tree Sparrow (first site record), three Goldfinches and seven Linnets north.
Two Buzzards and a Kestrel were present on site, and the Marsh Harrier in my blog title made an appearance heading southwest. I am guessing that this cracking male bird had come 'in-off' and was heading inland to a breeding area.
In the field north of my survey site 31 Curlews were roosting over the high tide period, and a group of 32 Black-tailed Godwits, looking superb in their brick-red summer plumage, headed along the shore.
The site holds a number of breeding species, and over the coming weeks I expect to record a variety of warblers, but this morning the dawn chorus songsters included Great Tit, Skylarks (four singing), Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet and Reed Bunting.
I've got a ringing session in the morning, so I'll let you know how I get on with that.
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