More Poms and more

The day got off to a good start with a Great Egret on Ferry and within five minutes of arriving at the Bill three gorgeous Poms flew fairly close by. There were a few other interesting bits on the seawatch including 4 Arctic Skua, 6 Little Gulls, 1 Black Tern and a summer plumage Black-throated Diver. My seawatch list HERE .

I then decided to spend the day checking out all suitable local wader habitats as there had been some good wader passage recently and a few scarcities in the region (including Kentish Plover and American Golden Plover in Hampshire and Wood Sands and Ruffs elsewhere). I went back to Ferry for a proper look- 2 Greenshanks were the best on offer there. Then I went to East Side where there were a few Barwits and Whimbrels but not too much else. Ebird list HERE.

After lunch it was over to Snowshill Marsh where the best thing there was 38 Whimbrel out on East Head and then for the rest of the day I did Medmerry from Earnley Car Park to the Breach and back. Highlights there included Short-eared Owl, Dartford Warbler, an adult Little Gull off shore,  12 Sanderling with a nice flock of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Turnstone, Common Sandpiper and a couple of Wheatear. Ebird list HERE. 

So basically it went down hill after the first ten minutes of the day but it was a beautiful Spring day (record breaking temperatures in the UK for May 1st) and was great to see so many Whimbrel around and some great views of summer plumage waders.

Poms- two pale phase and one dark phase (above and below) 

Great Egret

Black-throated Diver

Male Dartford Warbler

Greenshank

Sanderlings

Little Terns

Short-eared Owl

Dunlins, Ringed Plovers and Sanderling at the Breach

Whimbrels at East Head

Had a few of these micros along East Side- one to identify later . Update 200525 coming in with feedback suggesting Aster Straw Phalonidia affinitana.