An Hour on the Estuary

I popped out for an hour before starting work this morning and headed to the estuary. As it has been of late it was full sunshine and calm. At 5:30 a.m. it was just pleasant heading down there in shirt sleeves.

Even though it was fairly quiet it was nevertheless enjoyable. Walking through the scrub and past the reeds a few warblers were still singing including Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Reed Warbler. In fact I had a Sedge Warbler carrying food, presumably to a second brood at this time of year.

Down at the estuary I had a few waders in the form of a Whimbrel, fifteen Redshanks, a Snipe, 16 Black-tailed Godwits and seven Curlew. Also feeding out on one of the wide shallow creeks were seven Grey Herons and I had another on the pool. I also had two Common Sandpipers on the pool with a supporting cast of ten Shelducks, two Little Grebes, 32 Mallards and seven Tufted Ducks.

 Grey Heron

After watching a Sparrowhawk giving chase to a few Greenfinches and Goldfinches through the Sycamores it was time to head home and chain myself to my desk. That's me until weekend now, when hopefully I'll be out ringing Saturday morning in the reedbed.