A bright and sunny morning on the Spit.

I was greeted by Shelducks this morning with a pair on the Little Lagoon and another pair on the main path to the hide.

You need to be up early to see these birds on the path....before the dog walkers!

They are quite skittish birds always on the lookout...

...and soon made off

...allowing a couple of close flypasts!

An Egret was on the Little Lagoon...

and a Grey Heron flew over..

whilst a Meadow Pipit fed in the grass.

The Ringed Plover is still sitting on her nest although the growth has partly obscured her and makes it difficult to see ...

Part of the 27+ non breeding Mute Swans loafing in the shallows

A striking male Linnet sang from a branch near his nest

..and then I came face to face with a female Blackbird intent on building her nest despite my presence!

 Birds are busy at present!

A quick check on the Ringed Plovers nest first thing this morning and I was dismayed to find that a bonfire /barbeque had obviously been set up last evening with remains of a fire and empty food containers spread out by the Spit hide.

However the Ringed Plover was still sitting!

It can't be many days before the eggs hatch.

A Whimbrel was feeding along the shore line but soon made off at my approach

...but soon settled down a few yards further along.

 A pair of Spoonbills were preening a long way off...

...and the cuckoo was still present

 Both photos heavily cropped!

Shelducks hang around the rabbit holes at this time every year but due to disturbance they have never nested on the Spit to my knowledge...certainly not in the past 30 years.

 After the early morning inspection on the Spit  I made my way to the North Wall at a little before 8.00am.
  The water level in Breach Pool is virtually non existent so wildfowl are a having a tough time..

 Both the Shelduck and the Mallard family  are groping about in the mud!

A Heron had found a patch of water and presumably it was proving a good feeding ground for the fish were now concentrated in a very small area.

There were several singing Reed Warblers but mostly  keeping well down in the reed bed.

 Perhaps the highlight of the morning was this single Common Tern which suddenly turned up over the pool  but just as quickly returned to the harbour

I love watching these graceful birds as they hover over the water looking for prey...just superb!

A Cuckoo on the Spit

This Cuckoo has been on and off the spit most of last week ...I have heard him from the garden  but I had not seen him until this morning and then at a considerable distance...hence a heavy crop!

Little Terns Return

It is really good to see that the Little Terns have returned on the Spit and soon they'll be staking out their breeding sites. I have tried to get some decent photos of them but their movements are very jerky and it is difficult to follow them in the viewfinder as they constantly  search for food...nevertheless they are beautiful birds. Here's a first attempt...

I was pleased to note that the Ringed Plover is still sitting on the nest...

...and there is now a second bird nesting on the beach...lets hope they escape the ravages of the local Corvids and the unleashed dogs.