A compilation of 3 visits to the local birding patch at East Halton/Goxhill,with some pretty decent sightings adding 5 species to the year list.The following is what i observed with a selection of photos from my visits.
29th August
The visit began in usual style today,parking at Winter's Pond and after getting the gear together a quick scan of the pit revealed singles of Common and Green Sandpipers feeding around the margins and 73 Black-tailed Godwit feeding and roosting on the grassland.
Because of the northerly element to the wind today,i thought i would put some time in looking at the river,with highlights including the immature Spoonbill from previous visits,a Peregrine and a stunning adult Mediterranean Gull flying slowly north along the Estuary.Sadly it was very disappointing for seabirds,but one first for the year was added with a flock of 8 Common Tern being seen and also a single Arctic Tern.
Wildfowl were on the move also,with 23 Wigeon and 232 Teal being logged and a prolonged watch at the Skitter as the tide dropped saw a lovely flock of 6 juvenile Curlew Sandpiper being seen along with 3 Common Sands,39 Knot,6 Sanderling and 3 Ruff.
A couple of nice mammal highlights included some lovely views of a Harbour Porpoise and a Grey Seal was also seen.
5th September
A full walk around the patch today taking in the East Halton Beck,Goxhill Haven and Dawson City and back up to Winter's saw some great birds being seen,with 11 hours out in the field and 14 miles walked it was great to be out.
Winter's first thing held the usual suspects,with singles of Common and Green Sandpiper,103 Mallard,321 Greylag,37 Black-tailed Godwit and 8 Wigeon,with a Kingfisher being seen adding some interest.
A Grey Wagtail was seen flying north along the estuary and became the first record of the year for the patch.Other passerines seen included 2 Lesser Throat,4 Chiffs and 9 Willow Warbler.
A walk along the approach road to Winter's up to Skitter Road saw 4 Whinchat being seen in the rough Thistle field,a nice sight to see and a good autumn for this species.
The beck saw another Grey Wagtail being logged and could have conceivably been the same bird i saw earlier.
Between the Beck and Goxhill Haven,some decent numbers of common birds included 24 Tree Sparrow,350 Starling and 160 Rook.
Goxhill Haven to Dawson City on the dropping tide saw some waders on the move up the Estuary and included 4 Sanderling,,8 Knot,2 Black-tailed Godwit and on the fields 215 Curlew,10 Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 more Black-tailed Godwit roosted and fed.
A concentrated effort at the Skitter,saw a good sized flock of 1351 Black-tailed Godwit being counted,with 2 colour ringed birds from Welwick Saltmarsh being seen,also here,135 Knot,2 Avocet,1 Common Sandpiper and a single Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper were logged.
Finally,a walk along the mitigation area saw a good sized flock of at least 120 Goldfinch and another Whinchat added to the 4 seen earlier in the day.
11th September
After getting a few hours of sleep after my nightshift,i was on the patch,albeit a little later than normal,but this didn't matter as it was a cracking visit.Winter's was the place again,with me adding 3 new species to my patch year list.
The first was a total surprise as a Bittern landed in the reeds at the eastern end of the lake,before flying over onto the rear pond.This is the first sighting of the species for myself here and was a nice surprise.
Next was a Spotted Redshank which flew south towards Killingholme,another nice wader to be added and finally a 'Hweet Tic' call alerted me to a lovely female Redstart watched in the hedgerow were i found the Bluethroat in April 2018.This latter species completes 5 species of Chat for the patch this year,which is pretty impressive and was a lovely surprise.
The rest of the visit was a more relaxed affair,with 2 Wheatear between Winter's and the Skitter,with 7 Avocet at the Skitter itself.
A lovely few visits to this brilliant little patch of mine and it just goes to show what can be seen when some effort is put in,onwards and upwards to 160 species.
Bittern,Winter's Pond,11th September. 
Bittern,Winter's Pond,11th September. 
Bittern,Winter's Pond,11th September. 
The Mitigation Site,5th September. 
Ross's Goose x Canada Goose Hybrid,Winter's Pond,5th September. 
Ross's Goose x Canada Goose Hybrid,Winter's Pond,5th September. 
Goxhill Marsh,5th September. 
Dawson City,5th September. 
Phone Image Of A Devil's Coach Horse Beetle,Goxhill Marsh,5th September. 
East Halton Beck,5th September. 
Winter's Pond And The Humber,5th September. 
Winter's Pond At Dawn On The 5th September.
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