Wednesday 29 August 2018

Goring

I thought yesterday's count of Little Egrets was good, but I was amazed to rack up a total of 64 feeding along the beach this morning. With them were two Grey Herons, 41 Ringed Plovers, a Sanderling, five Turnstones, a Redshank and an adult Mediterranean Gull. Eight Sandwich Terns ventured into the roost field. I started to walk the Gap but it wasn't long before the rain set in. This didn't put off a male Firecrest from calling and eventually bursting into song near the playing field though, nor did it deter me from trying to cover some ground. This produced five Whinchats, four Wheatears, a female Redstart, two Whitethroats and two Willow Warblers. Three of the Whinchats, the Redstart and two of the Wheatears formed an entertaining flock feeding right out in one of the fields in the rain. 23 Yellow Wagtails flew overhead, as did a Pied Wagtail and four Sand Martins and several Swallows. Eventually I got soaked through and domestic duties called anyway, so called it a day before I'd managed to complete the circuit.

Whinchats