We didn't expect much because of the wind direction, and as such we weren't disappointed, but the morning did have some interest. One of the most interesting/unusual sightings was that of five Little Egrets heading west out to sea and flying between the wave troughs. I have said it several times on here before that being a birder of a certain generation I always delight in seeing Little Egrets, but when they are heading west out to see it is quite spectacular. Where were they going? That is a good question, but as there are so many breeding in the UK now they are probably establishing migratory patterns from breeding to wintering grounds, and I guess that these were some local/northerly breeding birds heading to their wintering area. We later had another individual drop in and feed in a tidal pool on the shore.
Little Egret
In addition to the 'Seagrets' we had moving at sea 23 Common Scoters, two Auk sp., six Sandwich Terns, ten Red-breasted Mergansers, a close in Manx Shearwater, two Kittiwakes, three male Eiders, a female Pintail, a Gannet, two Guillemots and a Razorbill.
Waders as the tide ran were restricted to 223 Oystercatchers, 121 Sanderlings and two Curlews. There was even a bit of vis this morning and Meadow Pipits were heading southwest out to sea and we had about fifty. A few Pink-footed Geese came in from the north and they too headed southwest, all 85 of them.
Towards the end of our watch a female Merlin headed west at sea and a short while later she was low over the beach in front of us with a prey item, probably a Meadow Pipit, and I guess she was probably a migrant as well following the Meadow Pipits.
It was forecast to be wet tomorrow, but now that's changed and it's looking like a reasonable morning with the possibility of some decent vis. Even though I will be up very early on Monday to start a series of wintering bird surveys in Cheshire I'll be up and out in the morning. It's September and as a birder you're duty bound to be out this month!
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