A Bird Stroll...on the Patch

Woke up early on Wednesday, felt good, so decided to have a mooch around the Patch to kick start the Year's Birding. No planning...just "go for it"...at a leisurely pace of course!

I made it down to Welwick pre-dawn. No Harriers or SEO's but a Barn Owl quartering the Marsh was a nice start. Sparrowhawk was also added. I tried Skeffling but still no significant additions.

Next I had a drive down at Spurn passing the Whoopers and lone White-front on the way. I also saw my only Buzzard of the day. On the way out I had a quick look from the Crown and Anchor and got lucky with a couple of Turnstones.

Onto Withernsea...and Couplands! I enjoyed my lunch on the ramp by the flood gate. The hoped for LBB Gull wasn't seen BUT I did get lucky with Ringed Plover and Sanderling. I also had a couple of Gannets in a token sea watch. A quick visit to the Sewage added Pied Wagtail, a bonus Song Thrush and Skylark.

I then returned to Holmpton to check around the Cottage. My feeding station is bare at the moment (soon to be replenished) but I managed to add Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Tree Sparrow.

All site were visited on a whim with no particular strategy in force.

Down to Stone Creek but still no Harriers or SEO's. However, there in the middle of a large arable field was this...

Peregrine

I drove past the bird to the end of the straight and then retraced my course picking up my only Fieldfare of the day in a bush by the road. There was also a large flock of Lapwings present. The Peregrine was on the move as I passed it again...

I worked my way back through Sunk Island to Patrington Haven. I checked yet another ditch for Kingfisher to no avail, then had a last scan to the East. There just above the tree line for a few seconds...was a Marsh Harrier!

A quick pass on Snakey gave me my second Peregrine of the day, this time a young bird powering low North. No Partridges though.

Back to Spurn and more precisely Kilnsea Wetlands and Beacon Ponds (it was gone 3pm now). I didn't have time to grill the ducks but I did add Wigeon, Teal and Goldeneye.

Could I make it back to Welwick in time?

I arrived at 3.55 and made my way to the flood bank. The sun had set but there was still enough light to view...nothing! Then at 4.16...

4.21...

I had my Hen Harrier/s. I also saw 2 Short-eared Owls. A nice finish to proceedings... except for the Tawny Owl (heard) as I unpacked the car.

My List

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)
European White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Brent Goose (Branta bernicla)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
European Teal (Anas crecca)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)
Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus argentatus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
Great Tit (Parus major major)
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniculus)

67 Species