The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Arriving at Gibraltar Point this morning (Fri), I made for the Wash viewpoint area where my target birds, Ring Ouzels and Black Redstarts, were reported recently.......I was not disappointed.

Paul Neale was watching an extensive area of scrub in which some Ring Ouzels were occasionally flying around. Paul and I spent the next 2 hours patrolling the area and we reckoned we saw :

4 Ring Ouzels - flying around from time to time, plus occasional harsh calling.....tac....tac.....tac. (Paul has posted photos)
3 Black Redstarts - 1 singleton and later a pair
c. 15 Lesser Redpolls
occasional Fieldfare and Redwing
2 Little Egrets (on the nearby marsh)
c250 Brent Geese (towards the sea)

plus I also saw later towards the West Dunes (including) - :

2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers
1 Sparrowhawk circling
........as the showers arrived.

Freddy

Hi Freddy

Good to hear someone was looking at the West Dunes.

I had a look around Mill Pond Road and out to the central East Dunes this morning

I saw another 10 ring ouzels and met some birders who had seen four further south.

There has obviously been a big departure of redwings and fieldfares.

Cheers

Kev

Morning and afternoon Sea watches from Mill Hill, totalling just over 6 hours

Brent Goose 33S 10N
Pinkfeet 38W
Whooper Swan 32S (groups of 11 and 21)
Gannet 317N 45S
Kittiwake 120N 11S
Little Gull 36N
Shag 1N
Common Scoter 211N 50 on sea
Pintail 1N
R B Merganser 1N
G C Grebe 1S
Teal 64N 4S
Wigeon 43N 25S
Eider 21N 6S
Mallard 11N
R T Diver 7N 12S
Guillemot 10N 3S
Auk sp 10N 1S
Bonxie 12N
Pom Skua 1N
Skua sp 2N
S E Owl 1 in/off
Swallow 5N 4S
Ring Ouzel 7
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1

Regards

Nige

Interesting that so many Fieldfares and Redwings have moved on inland but large numbers of Blackbirds have chosen to remain at Gibraltar Point.They were extremely vocal as well today as one passed near their chosen Hawthorn bush/berries.

Perhaps it is partly to do with Fieldfares and Redwings being 'flocking' birds (one group goes and others tend to follow), as opposed to the minor "groupie" tendencies of the Blackbirds. Some will move on but others won't necessarily follow.

Freddy