TIME: 13:55 - 16:30
WEATHER: Cold but not unbearably so
COMPANY: Met Phil Hyde and Paul Sullivan.
HIGH TIDE: Very good visibility of birds on Wash circa 15:45 onwards
LIFER: - GOOSANDER on the Wash!!!! Life List now 162. Possible TWITE near classrooms but not confident enough in the ID to bump the list up to 163. Pipit-like body but with Finch/Bunting-type bill.
HOOT: - BARN OWL three times, once directly outside the bird hide sitting on the post!!! Started with the 'Oh my Goodness Me' stuff when I saw it!!!
And the rest of the Sunday birdwatching 'Hit Parade':
Mute Swan - 3
Great Crested Grebe - 4
Little Grebe - 3 on lagoon
Cormorant - 1 on metal frame near sea
Coot - 1 Juv on lagoon
Moorhen - 1 calling
Canada Goose - about 200 on lagoon
Brent Goose - many on Wash shoreline
Greylag Goose - about 20 mixed in with Canadas
Barnacle goose - 1 with Canadas
Mallard - usual
Gadwall - 2 on lagoon
Shelduck - Many out on Wash
Wigeon - Many out on Wash
Eider - Female out on Wash
Teal - few out on Wash
Red-breasted Merganser - 4 females
Kestrel - 1 at very end of day hovering over lagoon
Oystercatcher - many on shoreline
Lapwing - circa 200
Curlew - several calling and many on high tide
Redshank - usuals on lagoon
Greenshank - 1 (Identified by another birdwatcher called Alex)
Ringed Plover - 2
Dunlin - 1 large flock on lagoon at high tide
Knot - few mixed in with Dunlin
Turnstone - 1
Black-tailed Godwit - many at various places
Grey Plover - On shoreline
Golden Plover - enormous flock flew directly above my head and I could hear the wingbeats as they did so..... ooh the goosebumps!
Herring Gull - many flying over to roosting sites on car journey back
Black-headed Gull - usual everywhere
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 on reserve
Common Tern - 1 on Wash
Little Tern - 1 on Wash (seen by Phil and Paul)
Pied Wagtail - many
Rock Pipit - 1
Great Tit - 2
Tree Sparrow - 10
House Sparrow - 15
Goldfinch - numerous everywhere
Chaffinch - 1 on wires near classrooms
Goldcrest - 3 calling
Wren - on pathway on the way back to the car park
Mistle Thrush - 1 near classrooms
Song Thrush - 1 on house on journey back
Starling - usual
Blackbird - usual
Robin - 1 giving me threat calls on way to reservoir
Jackdaw - 1 over Sleaford road on the way
Magpie - 3 at reserve, 2 on way
Collared Dove - usual
Woodpigeon - usual
'Feral' pigeons - usual at reserve
Pheasant - few males & females in fields
North wind forecast for tomorrow, which I know is good for birds. I would like to add Redwing and Brambling to my list - whereabouts should I head for to get the best chance of seeing some? Should I return to Frampton / Freiston or would the walk to Witham Mouth be better for those and the rarer seabirds such as the Pom Skua seen last month?
Autumnwatch tomorrow - lots of Simon King swooning coming up!
