Friday 24 November 2017

Goring, 24th November 2017

Cycling to the patch this morning, it was a relatively quieter session and I am beginning to realise the regular frustration that I am bound to experience at the sheer level of disturbance burdoned upon this precious relic of green space. The waders feeding on the low tide must contend with endless dog-walkers and it seems that operators of both model aircraft and drones either feel their machines take priority over these birds seeking vital refuge in the fields at high tide or, more likely, play with their toys in ignorance. It truly seems that the only spaces not already razed by humans and free from their blundering indifference to nature are indeed nature reserves.

At low tide, I counted 29 Grey Plovers, 33 Ringed Plovers, 67 Turnstones, four Sanderlings and 27 Oystercatchers foraging, as well as a Little Egret. I postponed counting Dunlin till high tide but this was probably a mistake as only 93 appeared and very few other waders braved the roost site. Gulls included five Mediterranean, 110 Common and 35 Great Black-backed. Little was moving over or feeding on the calm sea, with seven Common Scoters, a Red-throated Diver, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Razorbill, 13 Great Crested Grebes and 22 Cormorants noted.

A Treecreeper, a Fieldfare, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Green Woodpecker and a Stock Dove provided patch ticks, the two Stonechats lingered and other bits included a Chiffchaff, seven Skylarks, three Meadow Pipits, 13 Goldcrests, two Linnets, three Song Thrushes, nine Jays, 25 Blackbirds and 11 Pied Wagtails.

Dunlin
Treecreeper
♀ Stonechat