29 December 2011

Magor Pill and Marsh

A half-hearted, semi-coordinated search for yesterday's putative Black Brant saw me heading eastwards this morning. Unfortunately, thanks to the usual level of disturbance along the Severn Estuary SPA (e.g. two dog-walkers exercising their walkees on the limited areas of uncovered saltmarsh at high tide), Magor Pill only produced wheeling masses of calidrids wasting their energy supplies out over the water; the small, breakaway parties that did briefly settle only contained Dunlin and soon skittered off again. At one point I counted a flock of 1,600 birds but there were probably nearer 3,000 present in total. Wildfowl were dominated by Shelduck, certainly no geese around, and apart from a female Merlin it was all rather tedious.

A potter around Magor Marsh produced three Cetti's Warbler (including two singing males) and 1 Water Rail. Couldn't muster so much as a Chiffchaff amongst the tit flock, let alone a Firecrest,... or better. Cut my losses, buggered off home.

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