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A really nice day to do a count for a change with frozen ground, bright, sunny and calm. However, I still managed to slip down a creek side one again and was once again refused entry at home until I stripped off and took the muddy clothes straight to the washing machine.
Skylark, at least 20 birds singing across the marsh today, which made for a very pleasant morning walk. Only about 150 skylarks counted, a typical number for this winter, but about half of the numbers over the past few years.
Twite, about 90 in 3 flocks but well dispersed. With the 120 off Brickyard Lane, c100 across Grainthorpe and 250 in the N. Cotes/Tetney areas, that's around 500+ in the NE corner of Lincs this winter.
Rock pipit, 15. This is a much lower number than previous winters.
Goldfinch, 32,
Reed bunting, 7
Merlin, 1
Pink-feet, the same birds recorded by John walker, 660 came over NW. The first flock of 400+ cut overland across the coast at Saltfleet, whilst the second flock kept to the coast. Mid to late February is always the time to see this return passage, with flocks presumably leaving Norfolk around dawn and then coming across our house at Brickyard Lane early to mid-morning. This year, there were several flocks heading the same way between 6th and 9th January, which was exceptionally early, but followed a mild period. A friend had several of these flocks continuing up the Humber past Hull. I've always understood they move across to the Lancashire coast.
Cormorant, 44 flighting out to the Saltfleet sand bars about 2 miles offshore to feed, returning to shore to dry off.
Red-throated diver, 32 off-shore and flighting south.
Common scoter, 2
Knot, 700+ were mainly in the low lying salt marsh with Brents and shelduck. Interestingly, they often move into the salt marsh at this stage of the winter.
Redshank, 180
Grey plover, 51
Dunlin, 76
Oyster catcher, 11. Missing around 250 normally resident birds this time.
Bar-tailed godwit, 53
Curlew, 26
Sanderling, 3
Turnstone, 1
Lapwing, 37. These birds were in the newly created ponds in the stewardship field just to the north of Saltfleet haven, which is still behind the safety barriers by the new sea bank.
Brent goose, 420+
Shelduck, 193
Little egret, 2
Regards
Cliff
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