Barking Outfall December 11th

Early a.m visit, some numbers of wildfowl and waders still relatively high despite the slight thaw in the weather, above freezing now with a massive 3 degrees showing in the car, almost feels like spring with the sub zero temperatures of late.

Some of the Wildfowl

 Undoubted highlight of the morning was a flock of 6 Waxwings flying north @8.55am, the benefits of being a Raptor nut is that you are always looking up in the air, otherwise would have very likely missed these as there was a lot happening on the river with wildfowl. As it was I did not get onto them until late and could not get a ‘ lock’ on them with the camera being so small and crap light, pity would have been good to get a photo. Site record so I am not grumbling.

Cormorant

Black Tailed Godwit

 Other species of note seen or heard were –

Jack Snipe – one flushed at my feet on the sea wall and pitched into some saltings about 10 meters away.

Cettis Warbler – 1 calling from vegetation along the Creek

Black Tailed Godwit – 2 in with the hordes of Redshank

Dunlin – 1 with Redshank – a year tick

Green Sandpiper – 3 together buzzing around the sewage works.

Wildfowl numbers have dropped for some and in the case of Tufted Duck, they have risen slightly.

Tufties – 560 birds as near as dammit, counted once hoping again for Scaup, Pintail or possibly Goldeneye.

Pochard – 19 birds, slight decrease

Teal – rough count of around 600, did not count the creek

Shoveler – 273, a decrease but birds were still arriving in 10s and 20s, most arrivals were from the north, possibly the Reservoirs.

Gadwall – 146, as with Shoveler, birds were coming in from the north.

Shelduck – 50, birds up and down from Barking Bay.

Common Snipe – 4 foreshore

Redshank – 273, a big increase, probably from Barking Bay.

Curlew – 1 on the foreshore

Lapwing – 23 overhead

Rock Pipit – 3 on the saltings and rocks

Pipit sp - got a quick view of this on the sewage works, very pale on the underside , possibly a Water.

Of the 2 Black Tailed Godwits, one was carrying leg rings, big red on the left and smaller orange on the right, photo below. Will be interesting to see where it hails from.

Colour ringed Black Tailed Godwit