Birdwatching Trip Report - 02/08/25

It was a lovely evening as we set out - dry and warm, with a lot of sunshine. The light was perfect for watching birds on the estuary. There was a great selection of waders here, with excellent views of regulars like Curlew, Oystercatcher and Redshank, as well as passage migrants such as Common Sandpiper and Greenshank. A few Black-tailed Godwits too, though more were on Black Hole Marsh, along with a number of Dunlin.

It was interesting to see a colour-ringed Curlew on the estuary, and photos made it possible to confirm the exact arrangement of colour-rings involved. This bird turned out to have been ringed near Ysbyty Ifan in North Wales on 18th April 2019 as part of a project for Natural Resources Wales to study Curlew breeding in North Wales. The bird originally carried a GPS device for a few months to allow the researchers to see what habitats she used during the breeding season, plus a tiny geolocator which was still attached to a ring on the left tibia. There have been a number of sightings in the subsequent six years, including some on the Axe, and we have been promised a full list in due course.

Although Buzzard and Kestrel are generally seen on our trips, Sparrowhawk is never guaranteed, so it was great to have at least two sightings. Another treat was an especially confiding male Stonechat. One or two Water Rails squealed at us from deep within the reeds, and one showed very briefly and distantly across the river. Stock Doves are always great to see, and several showed very well this evening.

At this time of year, our Kingfishers are always hoped for, but sometimes give us no more than a brief view as they flash past like a turquoise bullet. So it was a real treat to see three together over the far side of the river, two of them perched close together on the water's edge. Another a little later gave us a total of at least four different birds seen.

Non-avian interest was provided by a magnificent Roe buck which emerged from cover on the far side of the estuary before splashing its way across the river toward us and vanishing into reeds on the near bank.

The final tally of species seen and/or heard was 51 - all listed below.