Ruff day at WOW

Switched from Thursday to Monday this week as they were short of volunteers. This proved a good move as it was very quiet and I had time to count and bird rather than inform and educate. There were over 770 black headed gulls, 440 + common terns, at least one arctic tern and possibly two if they are breeding. There were some more interesting birds as well with a curlew  and a redshank dropping in. There was also a juvenile ringed plover a greenshank and three ruff - male and two female. The male still had remnants of his breeding finery.  The mute swan's family is down to three and there are four separate mallard broods. The shelduck family is still at seven. I had 27 species in all despite not seeing a swallow, you usually get one or two in a three and a half hour stint, but not on Monday. Interesting that the lone male wigeon was not in view at all yet was seen in the afternoon along with a roseate tern. There was a buzzard attack which resulted in a chick being lifted but no herons were on view.Water levels are still dropping and the tern island is, as predicted, a tern platform.

3 ruff and an inconvenient passing tern

Male ruff

Greenshank

Falling water levels

Arctic tern

Had a late walk along the coastal path this evening at sunset, not much in the way of birds,  but a stunningly beautiful walk in 20 degrees at ten o' clock at night. If we had this sort of weather for six weeks in summer there would be no need to travel anywhere else. It is light again by 4.30, I am led to believe!!