Our Tuesday group this morning met at the top of Middlebere track, a pleasant sunny autumn morning. Meadow Pipits called and flitted around us as we walked up to look over the Wytch Channel. In the gorse a Stonechat posed briefly, then our first Dartford Warbler popped up, followed by a second giving us some lovely views, a third was seen a little further on. A few Swallows were seen flying in small numbers, then a Skylark gave a flight call and it was Anne that spotted it first as it flew on its way over the harbour. Another call, this time of Pied Wagtail and then I heard another call, this time from a group of six Crossbills flying very purposefully north.
As we came back down to the path we started to hear Goldcrests, they seemed to be in every bush and we had some lovely views. In Sika Copse, four Mistle Thrush and Clive pointed out a Treecreeper, it took a while to relocate as it was rather elusive but most of us saw it in the end. Further down by the cottages we had three Blackcaps.
We then settled ourselves down in the hide looking over a lowering tide with many waders still sat up along the banks. Though we could see they were mainly Black-tailed Godwits and Avocet it wasn't until a Marsh Harrier came by that we were able to see just how many there were, with about 300 Black-tailed Godwit and 200 Avocets! With them were 40 Lapwing, 10 Dunlin, Redshanks and a few Curlews. As the Marsh Harrier disappeared Helen said "I have another bird of prey" this one was causing havoc the other end of the channel, this time it was a Peregrine. We certainly got a close up view of this bird as it flew very fast past the hide at eye level! It took a while for everything to settle down again, once they had all the waders congregated in the middle of the channel sticking very close together, but gradually they started feeding again. Just before we left the hide, ten Pintail floated by, including two very smart looking drakes which ended our morning very nicely.
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