An evening visit to Cresswell Pond revealed a good selection of waders. 2 Little Stints,a juvenile Little ringed Plover,7 Ruff, 4 Black tailed Godwits,3 Common Sandpipers,a Greenshank,Green Sandpiper,17 Dunlin and numerous Lapwings and Curlew all feeding on the mud. A juv. Med. Gull also present,with Yellow Wagtail,Sandwich and Common Terns with young, and a Little Egret .(A Spoonbill had been present in the morning). At Druridge,a second juv. Little ringed Plover seen . c 100 Swallows here feeding,then mobbing a Kestrel. A second Kestrel at Cresswell.
Down at Snab Point,in the fields, at least 400 Swallows and 50 House Martins feasted on a huge hatch of insects,and at Arcot Pond,on the way home, 100 Sand Martins were doing the same prior to their departure south.
Also at Snab was a high tide roost of Oystercatchers and Curlew and an unfortunate Cormorant with a fishing hook/line caught in it’s throat,attached to a large heavy weight which it dragged behind it as it fought to reach the shore,before drowning! I managed to grab it and freed the weight,avoiding being pecked,but it had swallowed the hook. At least,as it swam off it wouldn’t drown!
A.S Jack