Monday 2nd April

The combination of a high spring tide swollen by the overnight rain meant areas for roosting waders were at a premium. This may have been the reason a flock of c260 Black-tailed Godwit were displaced from further up the estuary. They didn't linger though and headed back up the estuary. Unfortunately all three wader roosts were disturbed and the birds eventually displaced by a thoughtless kitesurfer sailed back and forth the lower estuary even using the Bight.

 Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Dunlin - Alan Keatley

Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher - Alan Keatley

Before this there was a hint of wader passage with an increase to 51 Bar-tailed Godwit and 35 Dunlin, including birds in breeding plumage. Other counts included 39 Knot, 34 Turnstone, 26 Sanderling, 26 Grey and 10 Ringed Plover, two Greenshank and the immature Eider.

Elsewhere migrants were limited to a Willow Warbler by the Main Pond and fly through Swallow, 24 Sandwich Tern and two Eider were offshore and a Scandinavian Rock Pipit was in front of the hide.