Spring-like sounds
To the existing chorus is now added the wild squealing of Common Gulls on the back field and wheezing of Greenfinches in the front garden. On the marsh, Skylarks are singing and Little Grebes trilling at the Pools. Shelducks are displaying in urgent flights above the pastures and Goldcrests in Toot Rock pines.
What I took to be fox-shooting between the pools had crowded all the birds out to the sides and the geese into a dense pack over towards 3 Gates: 164 Canadas, 119 Greylags, 10 Whitefronts, 4 Pinkfeet, 1 Bar-headed (HD) and the big white one which I’m told is a farmyard goose (the code for which seems to be ZL). While I was counting these, something kept putting up the waders further over, including c20 Golden Plovers & c50 Dunlin. Later, I had a look at the end field where there were 42 Grey Plovers, a Ruff and a Knot with the Dunlin, but no sign by then of the GPs.
The culprit could have been a Sparrowhawk, for otherwise the Kestrel, Buzzard and Marsh Harrier cruising about were unlikely to spread such alarm. Or it could have been the Peregrine which the other day had been patrolling the cliffs past comfortably installed Fulmars.
There have been more Tufted Ducks at the Pools than usual – this morning there were 51. And a Water Rail screaming but no sound of Cetti’s Warbler. Most of the Wigeon were once more out at sea where, in fairly good conditions I could make out several Gannets on the horizon but hardly any GC Grebes until I got back to Cliff End, when I could see a raft of c100 further out as I tracked a flock of 30 Red-throated Divers flying west. A deep croak behind me denoted the passing of a Raven.
I missed quite a few common birds so was quite surprised to discover I’d seen 78 species in 2 and a half hours.
