Saturday, 1 January 2011

Dingle Marshes and Minsmere

First bird of the year was a Tawny Owl shortly after midnight; the first bird seen was a male Blackbird; both from my parent’s garden. Started the year proper (later than I wanted) where I left off at Dingle Marshes…

Snow Bunting x c. 30
Bar-tailed Godwit
Eider – female.
Shore Lark x 11
Twite x 3 in flight.
Spotted Redshank

I then spent the afternoon at Minsmere. Quieter than usual (particularly Passerines), with highlights being the following…

Smew – drake and redhead.
Green-winged Teal
Marsh Harrier
x 4
Bewick’s Swan x c. 10 over when nearly dark.

Other species recorded during the course of the day…

Green-winged Teal (digiscoped)Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Brent Goose
Greylag
Shelduck
Mallard
Gadwall
Pintail
Shoveller
Wigeon
Teal
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Pheasant
Moorhen
Grey Plover
Lapwing
Turnstone
Dunlin
Redshank
Curlew
Common Gull
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Dunnock
Robin
Redwing
Fieldfare
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Marsh Tit
– heard.
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Starling
Chaffinch
Linnet
Goldfinch