Freshwater Bay & Western Yar Valley - week beginning 24th September 2012

 After a fortnight in France, it's been great to get back to the local patch though I shall miss the flora & fauna of the Loire!

Monday - rain first thing; very strong winds; sunshine later.
Tuesday - Heavy showers & sunny intervals.
Wednesday - Heavy showers & sunny intervals. 
Thursday - Sunny & warm when not cloudy & cool! :)
Friday - Overcast with warm sunny intervals later on.

Mute Swan - (Family of 2 adults & 5 juveniles at Yarmouth)

Canada Goose
Eurasian Wigeon (3 males) (7) (10 at Kingfisher Bridge)
Eurasian Teal (148)
Mallard (73: 43 males & 30 females)
*Tufted Duck (4 females on Station Pool - NEW RECORD FOR LIST)

Pheasant (27)
Little Grebe (8: 2 on Station Pool; 6 together on estuary)
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Northern Gannet (3 at Freshwater Bay)
Cormorant
Sparrowhawk (Female soaring low over Estuary and putting up various birds)
Buzzard (3)
Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon (Large individual in dead oak opposite Kingfisher Bridge) (1 on yacht yard-arm)

Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher (2) (4)
Ringed Plover (11) (15) (15)

Grey Plover (2)
Northern Lapwing (50) (25) (31)

Dunlin (2)
* Sanderling (Yarmouth Harbour - NEW RECORD FOR LIST) 
Common Snipe (Flying across Station Pool)

Black-tailed Godwit (122) (100) (107)
Eurasian Curlew (10) (17) (10)
Common Sandpiper
Common Redshank (40)

Greenshank
Turnstone (25) (2)
Black-headed Gull (404 in evening roost in Yarmouth Mill Pool)
Mediterranean Gull (4 with Black-headed Gulls) 
Great Black-backed Gull (3)
Herring Gull

Sandwich Tern (2 roosting with Black-headed Gulls) (1)
* Guillemot (On water off Norton Spit - NEW RECORD FOR LIST)

Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Kingfisher (Mill Copse scrape)
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker 
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin (Significant numbers in Estuary)
Long-tailed Tit
Common Chiffchaff (singing in Mill Copse)
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap
Goldcrest 
Treecreeper

Starling

Blackbird
Robin
Wheatear (Norton Spit)
House Sparrow

Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit (2)
Rock Pipit (2 at Freshwater Bay)

Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Linnet 

71 species.

Other:

Mammals - Common Shrew; Rabbit.
Dragonflies - Migrant Hawker; Common Darter.
Butterflies - Red Admiral; Small White; Comma.
Hoverflies - Helophilus pendulus; Helophilus trivittatus.