I decided on a change today, so time to get out the thermal and check the Ferry Road area. In the end I located just one Common Snipe and one Jack Snipe, which spooked just as I approached for a photo. Then I walked down from Rope Walk to the river mouth, which produced nothing beyond the regular gulls. Next I checked all the Dunes, which was also negative, but there were a lot of waders roosting and feeding on the shoreline/beach, consisting of 53 Grey Plover, 50+ Ringed Plover, 70 Sanderlings and 120+ Turnstones. Then onto the muddy footpath down the side of the golf course, until eventually returning to Rope walk, adding 90+ Stock Doves, 6 Yellowhammers, 4 Reed Buntings, 120+ Linnets and 15+ Skylarks.

At the Poole Place end there were 170+ Brents feeding in the field on the Elmer side, which they have been doing all week. They all gather on the sea in the area before flying into the fields. (OM)

Grey Plover West Beach

Brent Geese Elmer

Loads going on offshore this morning but unfortunately all very distant. Clouds of Gull's feeding west of the Weather station and again from Poole Place. 

Great-northern Diver - 1w

Red-throated Diver - 3e

Great-crested Grebe - 5os 1w

Red-breasted Merganser - 30

Common Scoter - 2w 5e

Auk sp - c70e 30w

Wigeon - 27w 15e

Brent Gesse - 12w 24e

Med Gull - 25

Gannet - 45e 30w

Kingfisher - 1w

Sanderling - 25

Turnstone - c75

Ringed Plover - 2

Oystercatcher - 9

Skylark - 40

Meadow Pipit - 17

Yellowhammer - 2

Stonechat - 3

Pied Wagtail - 5

Jack Snipe - 1

Out with the thermal this afternoon and eventually turned up one Jack Snipe, no other Snipe seen after checking several fields.

Jack Snipe

A Merlin, sitting in the field south of Poole Place was the undoubted highlight of the morning, also a Dartford Warbler in the horse paddock was a nice surprise. 

Red-throated Diver - 1e

Red-breasted Merganser - 3

Brent Geese - 27

Med Gull - c60

Gannet - 9 offshore

Turnstone - 30

Sanderling - 11

Grey Plover - 5

Oystercatcher - 17

Little Egret - 1

Skylark - 25

Meadow Pipit - 9

Song Thrush - 5

Green Woodpecker - 4

Buzzard - 1

Kestrel - 1

Grey Seal - 1 

Brent Geese