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Wetland Birds Survey for September 2020

  • 23/09/2020
  • Nature Notes

A very large high tide and calm, hot day gave good afternoon count conditions for this months survey. Dry conditions have likely reduced number of waders and some duck but highlights are the return of wintering birds like wigeon, and waders like snipe on the hide pools. Lovely to note 3 wood sandpipers. In addition to the count we have spotted returning Short Eared Owls along the sea walls, Merlin near the entry gate and a large raft of Great Crested Grebes on the Swale from the viewing screen.

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ELMLEY NNR
Elmley Main Marsh Spitend Total
Avocet 58 58
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 1
Black-headed Gull 0
Black-tailed Godwit 4 4
Brent Goose (Dark-bellied - bernicla) 0
Canada Goose 36 36
Cattle Egret 0
Common Gull 0
Common Sandpiper 0
Common Tern 0
Coot 12 12
Cormorant 2 2 4
Curlew 250 30 280
Dunlin 10 10
Eider 0
Golden Plover 276 276
Great Black-backed Gull 0
Great Crested Grebe 32 3 35
Green Sandpiper 0
Greenshank 1 1
Grey Heron 57 4 61
Grey Plover 21 30 51
Greylag Goose 57 42 99
Herring Gull 0
Knot 0
Lapwing 413 212 625
Lesser Black-backed Gull 0
Little Egret 38 6 44
Little Grebe 6 8 14
Little Stint 0
Mallard 524 438 962
Moorhen 6 6
Mute Swan 20 17 37
Oystercatcher 120 120
Pintail 0
Redshank 1 18 19
Ringed Plover 21 21
Ruff 0
Sandwich Tern 0
Shelduck 1 202 203
Snipe 1 1
Teal 46 323 369
Turnstone 0
Water Rail 0
Whimbrel 0
Wigeon 710 240 950
Wood Sandpiper 3 3
Grand Total 2647 1655 4302
Orange tulips