Up with the larks

Or more accurately up before the dog walkers! The safari’s morning Patch 2 watch started just as the light was becoming ‘useable’. We noticed a good many waders still asleep roosting on the beach and hordes of gulls looking for something for breakfast nibbles left behind by the receding tide.
70+ Redshank were counted, a very good total for this stretch of the beach, we got to exactly 70 when the first dogger appeared on the beach and scattered the birds in all directions. We had just about got to the end of the flock and there weren’t that many more. A lone Ringed Plover and three Turnstones made up the pick of the rest. Thirty odd Oystercatchers were not particularly well counted and there were many more further to the south. As per usual nothing of note was found in the gull line. A fierce looking Great Black Back with a beak like a Viking’s war axe kept a watchful eye on proceedings just in case one of the many Herrings, Commons, or Black Heads came up with something worth stealing.
Earlier, Patch 1 produced the Peregrine, again on his usual ledge on the water tower. But more interesting was the apparent increase in the number of Robins singing, unfortunately a full Patch 1 visit isn’t on the cards until the weekend to find out how many there are in the park proper.
A short lunchtime shopping trip for yet more Christmas thingamajigs saw a pair of Black Headed Gulls on the roadside verge giving it all the spring courtship welly, all drooped wings puffed out chests and Ministry of Silly Walks dance steps…and not even got their ‘black’ heads yet…A Forsythia bush near Base Camp has a few horribly early flowers on it – it’s three months to March!
Where to next? Peregrine spotting on Patch 1 later tonight is likely to be the next ‘big’ trip!
In the meantime let us know what’s apparently on the increase in your outback. And we need our wellies tomorrow 'cos there's a huge piece of marine litter - a large chunk of trawler's fishing net - caught up on the Mussels that encrust the storm water pipe right where the Turnstones rosst and the Oystercatchers feed as well as being a danger to any fish that might be wandering up and down the side of the pipe at high tide - needs to be cut off and removed.
Thought you might like to see one of our Blue Tits at Base Camp that has been eating all the pies…and the sunny seeds…and the peanuts…and the fat balls…

and no that’s not a ringer’s mist net its caught up in.

PS. Just seen it confirmed that there are now 4 Long Eared Owls at the nature reserve...sorted...any one for five?