WeBS

Totals between Passage House and Salcombe Dip this morning included 55 Canada Geese, 22 Mute Swans, 21 Mallards, four immature Shelducks, five Little Grebes, 10 Shags, 27 Little Egrets, 61 Curlew, six Greenshanks, six Common Sandpipers, five Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, three Redshanks and singles of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit. Only 78 Oystercatchers were noted; presumably the rest had chosen to roost elsewhere, possible due to disturbance or the very high tide.

Yesterday morning a juvenile Whinchat was on the central barriers on the racecourse.

Osprey

Bundle Head was pretty quiet this morning; 10+ Blackcaps, 7+ Chiffchaffs and a couple of Whitethroats in the hedges, two vocal Kestrels and two Grey Wagtails south. On the way back I stopped at Passage House and noted 25 Little Egrets, and a check of Birdguides revealed an Osprey reported between Wear Farm and Coombe Cellars. I got round to the latter at 10:45 where there were a couple of other birders searching but after half an hour there was no further sign, possibly because most of the estuary was now covered by dinghies, jet skis and other watercraft. Ten Wigeon circling overhead were evidently struggling to find somewhere quiet to land.