The Lagoons

I visited one of the three or four lagoons along the north side of the estuary today. The trouble with them is that they are quite hard to access. I went to the Jack's Patch one which you can access via the track that goes down to Flow Point. Here's how it looks.

 

Looks promising for something good! Something other than three Teal and a Little Egret which were there today.
Now for a bit of spot the difference:

What it was

What I wish it was!

I used to catch the train to school every day, and saw Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Teal, and often lots of Little Egrets using the lagoons. It's pretty hard to identify small waders like these while travelling at 80mph though!!

I checked Passage House late afternoon over high tide and saw 29 Redshank, 34 Curlew (not long before we start to get some Whimbrel, maybe a week or so if the weather is nice), 15+ Oystercatcher, two Common Sandpipers, four Little Grebe, 8 Little Egret. Not much in the gulls, six Lesser Black-backs and 13 Greater Black-backs. I'd be happy with a Med, we haven't had one all winter! My heart did skip a beat though when I saw the leucistic Herring Gull which was found just over a month ago. I thought it had gone! Also on the estuary were three Great Crested Grebes and 19 Mergansers, one of which was attempting to swallow a flounder (I think that's what it was - I'm not very good on fish). Always amusing to watch!

Leucistic Herring Gull

Walking home through the farmland north of Passage House, there were still a few Redwings around. There were a few Siskins in the trees near the new footbridge and a Cetti's Warbler was singing there earlier in the day.