Friday 8 September 2017

Ynyslas high tide

I started at the tern posts on the rising tide.  Scanning up the estuary I could see around 25 Curlews and a Marsh Harrier on the saltmarsh.  It took wing and headed towards the boatyard, having a brief skirmish with a Peregrine before another Marsh Harrier got up to greet it before going their separate ways.  Both juvs.
John and Bob then turned up.  Still no waders so we went to the point where the wind wasn't as bad as expected and the waders were nicely scattered for scrutiny.  John soon found three juv Knot (+ an adult later) and the first of two juv Curlew Sandpipers.
Otherwise, still good numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover, at least 17 Sanderling, again mostly juvs, and a Turnstone completed the line-up.
Odds and ends:  ca35 Sandwich Terns, about 30 Linnets and a light passage of Swallows.

Note the very white-headed Sanderling