RXwildlife Sightings

0900-1230: 54 sp

An overdue addition to the Doleham Bird List this morning was a Cetti’s Warbler, which rattled at me from a scrubby ditch alongside the railway line. This once-rare bird has very much consolidated its position on recent years and has begun to spread away from long-held strongholds but, as far as I know, all sites have hitherto remained within 2km of the coast.

Duck numbers continue to rise and although the nature of the site makes accurate counts difficult it also minimises the effects of disturbance, since flocks can quickly drop down out of sight. Counts of birds all in the air at once were: Mallard 150, Teal 150, Wigeon 100, Shoveler 100, Gadwall 6. In addition, hundreds of Lapwings, Black-headed & Common Gulls and Starlings were commuting between open lagoons by the Brede, nearby waterlogged pasture and the muddy acres of keep at Doleham Farm, where they were menaced by a circling Peregrine.
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Once again, smew (five red heads and two males) and goosander (four females) were showing well from Scott hide, a kingfisher was also reported there.  A yellow-legged gull and a ruff were seen at the ARC pits and a white-fronted goose was seen amongst a group of canada geese from Denge Marsh Hide. Two marsh harriers were reported.

A few Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda) can still be found popping up amongst the leaf litter in sheltered places, the one pictured was near the hide.

Highlights this morning, 82 Corn Bunting and 50+ Linnet inflight over Lime Kiln Cottage heading for nearby fields, 5 Pintail, 10 Brent Geese and 18 Golden Plover were on Flat Beach Level. A Merlin continues to frequent Ternery Pool and Flat Beach Ridges, often giving good views perched on fence posts.