waders, ducks and other things

At Ynyslas at high-tide there was the usual gathering of waders. Some 260 ringed plover, 2 knot, 750 dunlin and 16 sanderling were present. Later, at Ynys-hir when the tide had dropped exposing the sand and mud I counted 530 ringed plover, 1100 dunlin, 2 greenshank, 7 turnstone, 22 knot and 17 black-tailed godwit so it seems that some of the small waders are roosting at high-tide away from Ynyslas (probably the Leri at the pill box). There were also 580 oystercatchers and 640 curlew. Duck numbers on the reserve have increased with over 200 wigeon, 500 mallard and 700 teal on the pools and estuary with 25 barnacle geese on the edge of the salt marsh. A juvenile marsh harrier drifting by was rather special too.