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Wednesday 29 April 2009

First Whimbrel

Just a quick posting as I had a wonderful early morning stroll along my local patch, Sand Bay

I only ever seem to go down there when the tide is somewhere between Cardiff and the east coast of America. No matter how much I look at tide tables or throw a cod into the wind or rub two bits of seaweed together, or whatever one needs to do to predict high tide, when I have time to go, I can't see the sea. I can hear it, but it's not there.

But that doesn't matter, I love this place for it's rugged and messy charm. Recently someone has been creating driftwood shelters along the beach, if I'd had my camera with me you'd have had a nice photo. As it was I didn't so the photo above was taken in March, before the driftwood works of art appeared.

Today's bird count was meagre, but noteworthy. First off a Little Egret in a pool, then a fair number of Curlew and Shelduck, but then faffing about at the edge of the marsh, 3 Whimbrel, my first such birds this spring. Watched them for a bit, plus a fair number of Swallows which were skimming the marsh. Time to walk back, when I heard a cronk cronk... but couldn't see anything. There is was again a cronk cronk at which point I did indeed see the Raven flying along the coast, being harried by a Carrion Crow. Just made my morning. That and a cackling Green Woodpecker in the woods, which I think is the first one I've heard in the Bay.

Finally, to close this posting, a spot of blatant advertising for the Avon Wildlife Trust. One of the Trustees has spent a year getting a live feed from a Blue Tit nest box onto the web. So if you wish to view live Blue Tit's doing what live Blue Tits do in a nest box, click here.

1 comment:

  1. You live in such a wonderful part of the world Andrew and Whimbrel - I've gone a funny shade of green.

    One day you and high tide will coincide!

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