Today was blissfully windless here at Land’s End, and the perfect day for a long traverse around Cape Island-naturally that’s just what I did.

Concerned about why Gadwall seemed to outnumber Mallards yesterday, I set about to rectify that, and found that by checking a few spots, like the little duck pond on Madison ave. that situation was duly amended!

A lone Meadowlark, and a fine selection of Waterfowl-including the 7 Snow Geese- were in the Meadows, as well as two Western Palm Warblers on the dike (one of whom was already sporting a few chestnut feathers on the fore-crown). An immature, and a handsome adult White-crown were hanging around with the House Sparrows in the hedge along Sunset, though I could not squeak up a Dickcissel.

Here I would just like to acknowledge that wonderful sound anatids make while breasting their way through a film of ice. I don’t know how many times that sent me looking for some unknown call-note today…

Eight or nine Tree Swallows were hanging around the Meadows, but there were again about thirty in the Bunker Pond, in just about the same place as yesterday.

Now, yesterday, I spied a lone duck which, sans bins, I almost thought was a hen pochard- she had a rich brown head, indeed was rather uniform chocolately brown, a bit warmer on the flank, and had a blue bill. She flew from the one Plover Pond to the next-and once I looked at her, I thought oh, a dull Wigeon. It wasn’t until much later that I had the “doht” moment…Now this afternoon, in the second plover pond, I again saw a lone hen duck, all by herself at the far end of the pond. Initially, and naked eye, I thought it again to be a hen pochard- rich brown, with a blue bill. I quickly realized it was the same Wigeon as the day before-Now why is that uniform, brown-headed Wigeon all by herself, and not even hanging with the other dabblers (a collection of Mallards and Blacks, with a handsome drake MallardxBlack hybrid at the east end of the pond), I thought- there are dozens of Wigeon on every other pond, yet this bird is all by its lonesome…This time I went to check her out…

Yup- she had no black border on her bill- just a black tip and a little bit of a black line on the distal end of the tomium, and sure as shootin- her chin was pale, and her head was a rich chocolatey brown, just like the colour of her breast. In other words, her head and breast were concolourous, and she was indeed a fine female Eurasian Wigeon. All of the other little features, like tertial and covert edges, also lined up just nicely-although I never did get to see if her axillaries were grey as opposed to whitish, and given the light, overcast sky, and how quickly a Wigeon flaps its wings, seriously doubt if I would’ve been able to gauge anyway!

Just past the Eurasian Wigeon, on the second path, I inadvertently flushed a small brace of Mallards to the left of the path- no biggee. However, just in front and from the right, the huge and brown morph female Cooper’s who lives at South Cape May made a furious bee, and perpendicular, line in front of me. In the instant before an impressive event, I just thought I flushed her too…

Who knew she was waiting for the ducks to make a wrong move-which inevitably I caused?

Well, damn, if she didn’t hit one of the Mallards smack dab in mid air. With a horrible sound, and a fluff of feathers, the two promptly fell in the drink just near the newly dug out channel, just to the left of one of the awful new metal foot-bridges.

Like watching an Osprey with a big fish, or Deagol the proto-hobbit in the River Anduin- the Mallard dragged the Coop into the middle of the channel. Just the Coop’s head, nape, and shoulders were above water, and yet she did not release her grip. The duck did manage to drag her quite far out into deep water-though it never surfaced. I suppose it was trying to dive in a last ditch effort to get the reaper off its back.

For what seemed like an eternity, I watched what was visible of the hawk, and then she began to inch towards the shore, unable to bring her wings out of the water even. She got to shallow enough water where her wrists and the drake’s rear-end emerged from the water. She remained in this state for a good ten minute, before clearly overcome by uncontrollable shivers, she used all her might to get her wings out of the water, and rowed into the reeds a bit. There she sat for another ten minutes, and once again, when she began to tremor with chill all over, used a super-raptorial effort to haul the now quite dead-duck a bit further up onto the “shore”. Here she was more or less half out of water, her tail finally emerging, but a good third of her was still in the ice-rimmed water.

At this point I decided, though I was well hidden, that I wasn’t going to be able to see much more for some time, so I went for a walk around the pine grove. By the time I got back- the hawk and her quarry were nowhere to be seen. I can only surmise that she dragged it to a slightly drier place and proceeded to pluck it-I hate to think that after deftly snatching a far heavier, highly manouverable and adept aerialist out of mid-air, and nearly drowning in the process of bagging it, she didn’t even get a couple of day’s worth of calories out of the ordeal!

After that, a traipse through the point and over to Pond Creek could only have been soothing by comparison! A lone Sapsucker, and a White-breasted Nuthatch were on Lake Drive; and a D.C. Cormorant along with the usual waterfowl were on Lily Lake. However, Pond Creek at Sunset was very birdy:

Two adult Peregrines tormented the Harriers for a bit, and in peace-time, the poignant, nearly echolocatory squeals of the Harriers were clearly audible on the windless eve. Most interesting, however, were 6 Sanderling feeding with a small flock of Dunlin on the brackish mudflat. These were more Sanderling than I had seen on the beach, in more appropriate Sanderling habitat, all day!

And finally, along Sunset blvd, just after sunset, near the shops, along the left side of the road, a dark little cock-tailed rail suddenly came running towards me. In the gloaming, I could make out its long bill, and thanks to the wonder of fine german optics, even below focus range, could see it was a handsome little Virginia Rail, clearly intent on crossing over to the Meadows Property just by the pizza parlor. I was absolutely tickled, and due to the on-coming headlights, quickly shoo-ed it back into the phrags.

With luck, it chose a more oppurtune moment to cross the road- so many rails end up as road kill…

One good turn I guess- since I had flushed a Mallard into death’s hand, and may very well have been responsible for a Cooper’s hawk catching its death of cold in the bargain- shooing a Virginia Rail away from traffic seemed a paltry bit of karmic repair!

The inch of soaking rain which was forecast never materialized and the result was a wonderfully overcast and balmy, (albeit a bit windy and fog-shrouded at times) afternoon to go look for birds.

An imm. Little Blue Heron was in the creek just by Two-mile Landing, and surprisingly, was the only “white egret” I could squeak up.

The beach at Two-mile was awash with beach-pipers, though the jetty was a bit disappointing.

The gang of shorebirds was almost entirely made-up of Red Knot. I kind of had to do a little eye rub and double take. From a long way off, I just kind of assumed the couple of hundred dark grey shorebirds were Dunlin, especially since the beach was socked in with fog at points.

The schlepp to get closer revealed no, they were all Knot, so I counted them three times:246 was what I came up with. The tide was low, and the Knot were actively feeding, thigh deep, or digging, and not at all that concerned by my presence.

Now, most winters there is a flock of Knot which seems to go between Wildwood and Hereford Inlet (the ten miles, as the Knot flies being negligible) but its presence is largely ignored by researchers who’ve made careers out of studying Knots, largely in NJ.

There were a surprising number of Turnstones around as well, and disproportionately few Dunlin. Sanderling numbers were no great shakes really, and as far as lingerers go, 4 Semipalmated Plovers were the best I could do. I could find nary a Western or Least, or Black-bellied Plover among the other expected wintering shorebirds. Though there was a nice gang of Purples on the Jetty itself.

Otherwise, ten Great Cormorants were hanging around the inlet, and the coast guard ponds were full of brant, but surprisngly few other waterfowl.

The most bizarre thing a quick turn around Hidden valley turned up was an albino Starling in a large flock of Starlings taking advantage of the recently mown fields.

What was interesting about it was how it stood out from its brethren, and how it appeared significantly larger than its normally coloured chums. If I were an Accipiter (and most days I’m rather glad I’m not, actually!) I could see how it would be an unavoidable target. Poor thing might as well be tatooed in concentric rings of blue, yellow, and red.

A couple of Rusty Blackbirds and some seemingly quite agitated Hairy Woodpeckers were among the other more interesting birds at Hidden Valley.

I do not know whether it was a result of the stiff northerly blow we recentlyhad, or the mowing of the habitat, but Hermit Thrushes, Fox Sparrows, and even White-throats seem to be harder to find than they were not long ago, and unseasonably so, at least to my mind.

Inspired by a recent posting on NJbirds regarding a large number of salt-sparrows on Nummy’s Island, and some musings regarding the true numbers of Ammodramus in the Great Salt Marsh with a friend while driving up the parkway recently, I decided to conduct a more or less systematic search for them in the most accesible of places-the salt creek behind my house. The damp, foggy, and windless conditions seemed perfect, for actually seeing Salt Sparrows, and I was blown away by just how many, and how easy the outrageously handsome buntings were to see. Some at distances of no more than a meter.

I walked all along Cape Island Creek, and in the taller, seedier patches of Spartina alteniflora which grows immediately along the more regularly innundated, or “permanent” channels came up with, in the end 14 Saltmarsh Sharp-tails, with their bold breast streaks, white throats, and bright ochrely bordered cheeks, and superciliaries; 2 adult Seasides, and 9 Nelson’s Sharp-taileds.

The Nelson’s were most interesting. Six were the glaucous, guaouchey pale grey and washed out, nearly stripe-free “subvirgatus’ subspecies which hails from the Maritimes (or at least north of Scarborough Marsh in Maine) A bird I grew up calling the Acadian Sharptailed as it was identified in the old Peterson Guide. Only three were the intensely orange, buffy-throated, Leconte’s-like, interior nelsoni/alterus form. The subvirgatus, or Acadian Sharp-tailed are a truly beautiful and bizarre-looking sparrow, even more “phantasmal” for lack of a better word, and chalky than many popular illustrations would lead us to believe. I could see how they may be confused, by the unititiated or unfamiliar, with illustrations of juv Seasides even.

(The two Seasides were both in excellent and crisp plumage by the way, and not at all like the haggard and worn local breeders in summertime)

For birds which are allegedly secretive, it has always been my experience that these birds are not at all shy, and are about as responsive to spishing as, well chickadees. Once up in the reeds they pose, and show no flightyness. Perhaps it was a result of the sort of foggy, still and quiet day, but they were confiding enough to sit up and strip Spartina seeds as I watched, completely unconcerned that a lone and quietly drab human was watching. They were less nervous and wary than say, Goldfinches for example. In any event, I was most tickled by the results of a good long slogg in wellies, and four forms/phylospecies of Ammodramus within spitting sistance of my back-porch was totally cool.

Even more surprising than the Salt-sparrow convocation was a White-rumped Sandpiper on the mud of the creek on an outgoing tide. Most interestingly, it had a bum-leg, and I would bet my bottom dollar that it was the bum-legged bird which was hanging out on the bunker pond earlier in the fall.

A long walk around Hidden Valley this fine foggy yet balmy november day turned up a couple of birds of note, namely a Blackpoll a the base of the first field, a Baltimore Oriole and a White-crowned Sparrow in the southern end of the second field, and more Whitethroats than even the biggest stick should be shaken at in the the base of the third.

The Hidden Valley Extension (that spot on Bayshore Rd. where an adult male Bullock’s Oriole spent a good portion of last late fall) turned up two more Baltimores, and two more Blackpolls. The railroad-tracks at Cape Island Creek turned up still another Baltimore Oriole, and another Blackpoll. Porcelain berry swaths seem to be key to finding both Blackpolls and Baltimores around cape Island in November.

I also managed between the two spots to turn up more Fox Sparrows than I have yet seen this fall, and Field Sparrows are getting to near wintering numbers as well. Some of the Foxes were still singing, one of the loveliest sounds to be heard on a November day, and nonetheless so for being remarkably like an R-2 unit questioning a protocol droid…

Goldfinches were still about in impressive, nervous foraging flocks in many quarters, though Siskins were far fewer than the last week or so. And a lone Vesper Sparrow which flushed with a bunch of Savannahs was a nice addition to the day’s list. The size difference of a Vesper at a distance is almost, but not quite, akin to that of a Fox Sparrow- though a distant slihouetted Fox is mush more fore heavy and bull-headed than a Vesper, even.

In any event, this beautiful, warm, still, humid, and foggy grey day was a a fabulous one for birding in Cape May-and any day with four Ammodramus Sparrows, is a red-letter one. The sheer biomass of Fiddler Crabs still active and out and about in mid-November was kind of overwhelming as well. Regrettably it is difficult to walk without crushing at least some of our crustacean friends-no doubt there will be a karmic whiplash for the fiddler’s whose lives I…finalized…in my Sparrow Quest today…

The morning flight at Higbee’s Beach was most remarkable today for the lack of “redetermined” migrants, and the volume and homogeneity of the southbound flight.

There were about ten-thousand all told, or so I hear, Butterbutts, and each and every last one were heading south. The flight was comprised of next to nothing else. Also of interest were a Rusty Blackbird or two at Higbee’s, eight Stilt Sandpipers heading south, a couple of Chipping Sparrows, one very grey Baltimore Oriole, and an autumnal-looking adult Great Cormorant. A long slow walk around Higbee’s revealed next to nothing in terms of Parulid diversity. Though there were fair numbers of butterbutts which were not flying over, other than Palms, a couple of Black-throated Blues and a Black-poll or two there were no other wood Warblers. House Finches also seem to be on the move, with at least sixty hurtling on south with the butterbutts.

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo which flushed from the ground while feeding upon Crickets was about the last thing I expected to see on the mud of the Dike this morning. For some reason (availability of a meal, I suppose…) Late Cuckoos more often than not are to be found grubbing for crickets on sun-warmed patches of earth.

What was most impressive about the Dike Flight, was that there were thousands, nay, tens of thousands of birds heading past that spot this morning, and barely a birder there to see them. Ten-thousand Yellow-rumps, and not one of the pining-to-be-famous Cape May “power-birders” could have given a rats spherical sphincter. Love it.

Hereford Inlet on a lowering tide produced a fine number of shorebirds, including, among others, substantial flocks of Knot, Western Sandpipers, and most notably one Hudsonian Godwit, and two Marbled. The bulk of the Shorebirds, godwits included, were on the exposed sandbars, mussel beds and lettuce flats of Great Channel, to the NW of the “free Bridge” to Nummmy’s Island. The Hudsonian was a real treat, and at first a rather far away, but, with every other shorebird on the flats- and there were thousands-afforded great views upon being flushed by a Peregrine. Two blue (not purple) adult, and one chestnut and teal juv. Tricolored Heron were also in that neighborhood this afternoon.

And finally, obliging Parasitic Jaegers remained easy enough to see from the Point today.

When I got out today, I just knew it had to be a good one for southbound birds, and it was.

THe most interesting thing I found at the Dike this morning was an adult Myrtle Warbler. While the ninth is not the earliest date ever for a migrant butterbutt in Cape May, it is a personal early date.

Otherwise, though I hear a nice Gnatcatcher flight occured today, largely after I left, Higbee’s held too many people, and not enough birds for my tastes, so I went to Hidden Valley-where there were no cars in the parking lot-this proved to be a very good idea.

There were several decent flocks of Orchard Orioles, clearly still in family groups (one juv was still begging from mum in a flock of nine birds just near the car-park.

A gorgeous little Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was abotu three quarters of the way down the first field, and later a picture perfect, long winged, broad and apricot-based billed Acadian was in the Northwest corner of the third field-the one formerly known as the “Vesper SParrow Field”. Least and Traills were also well represented there, as they were in the State Park. Wood-Peewees were also in both of those spots in greater numbers than they have been in some time.

I find it most interesting that single representatives of two species of bird who nest in spruce-woods of the boreal block both turned up on the same day, in very nearly the same place in Jersey today.

There were also a few very nice mixed Flocks there, one of which contained an ad. male Hooded Warbler, and no fewer than 4 ad. Male Redstarts.

One of the coolest things at Hidden Valley though, in addition to a first year Bald Eagle, was a Laughing Gull which was fluttering/sitting in the top of Choke-cherries plucking the ripe little fruits. Prothonoataries and Orchard Orioles snacking on Choke-cherries is one thing- Seagulls are a bit more unexpected cherry enthusiasts! At one poitn it dropped a cherry while in flight, and being a Laughing Gull was proficiently dexterous enough to catch it before it hit the road.

The other cool thing I found today, and was generous enough to call local birders about, (sorry I have to be that immodest, but I am sick and tired of the continuous lies & half-tuths of Pete Dunne’s Mafia- but then, the director’s lies are what makes CMBO great, aren’t they?) was an adult Baird’s Sandpiper on the Bunker Pond. Very nice bird and just about when they started turning up there last year I recall. at one point it was standing next to a Least and a semi, and I got to show a pair of enthusiastic novices the readily apparent differences-which we all greatly enjoyed.

It is worth mentioning that House Wrens have greatly increased, while White-eyed Vireos have, like Orchard Orioles, largely flown the coop. Most of the Wrens are scaly breasted juveniles, which is neat. Also- Robins have gotten scarcer than they have been, but Waxwings have increased by an order of magnitude. The first juvie Waxwings I’ve seen this year were mixed in with the flocks, and Eastern Kingbirds are heading for the Southern Hemisphere in ever increasing flocks. Their behaviour already switching from tyrannical to something more akin to their Bombycillid chums.

That’s all for now, and tomorrow we shall see what other avian delights occur in Cape May.

The first Wilson’s Snipe I’ve seen this year was in the Meadows this evening, also, the first juvenile Least Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, and Great Black-backed Gulls were around Cape Island today.

On the other end of avian maturity, the first adult male Yellow Warblers have begun to turn up in the flocks of those striking little, Amazon-bound, flavistic gems.

Well over a thousand Semi-sanpipers were in Pond Creek, as was a lovely White-rump.

A Black-billed Cuckoo, and a nice smattering of Warblers were at Higbee’s this morning. Wormeatings outnumbered Blue-wings 5-1 today, which is pretty much inverse from the ration of recent days.

most surprisingly though, was the bathing Great Horned Owl I flushed with my BArred Owl imitation today. The thing flushed from the pond edge just behind me, and sat, drying its wings for some time in a little tree, much to the consternation of every song-bird in the neighborhood. I then apparently joined its parents, and the three kept up a conversation of muffled hoots for some time in the depths of a huge White Oak.

21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls continue on the beach at South Cape May, and a Black Tern or two were also hanging out in that area. Also, there are now two broods of 4 Gaducklings in the Meadows, nice to see that Gadwalls were a successful nester on Cape Island this year.

unfortunately, I am pressed for time these days, and have to leave it at that!

Migrants were downright abundant in Cape May today. From Warblers to Shorebirds, there was certainly no lack of birds in neighbourhood today. The Season of blooming Mallows, abundant Shorebirds, and Wood-warblers is very much here.

Between Higbee’s Beach and the State Park, I managed no fewer than 47 Yellow Warblers. 27 were at Higbees. Most in one flock of 12 or so, the rest at the State Park (more or less) with 15 in one group there. Each and every last one was a young of the year.

Redstarts also noticably increased today, there were 7 at Higbee’s and 4 at the State Park. Likewise, all were young of the year.

The first adult Black & White I’ve seen was in the Park today.

Four Northern Waterthrushes are just a hint at the floods to come in the next few weeks. One was just near the Dike, two were a complete surprise in the Ivy-dark thickets at the end of the third field, and the fourth was in the Mallows at the Lighthouse Pond. The two together at Higbee’s were very cool- they just popped up, inprompted by pishing, and bobbed, Spotted Sanpiper like on a low vine about 3 yards away for what seemed like a very long time. In an instant they gave up the ghost and chased each other around like proper Waterthrushes. (Waterthrushes are one passerine which holds and defends feeding territories while actually on migration.)

There was a very nice push of Swallows along the Beach-freont in Cape May today. The first swirling maelstroms of Tree Swallow were flying about the as yet, unripe Bayberries, and settling down on the sand. There were hundreds of Tree, and a lesser number of Barns. Banks numbered over fifty. Also in Hirundine news, Purple Martins are rapidly departing the nesting territories for staging areas.

Today also had the good fortune of having a Shorebirding “triple-Witch”. High tide, Sunset, and the turn of July into August all contrived to happen this evening at Stone Harbor Point.

In addition to a beautiful walk on the beach (though the water really is still rather cold for my taste) the result was:

187 Whimbrel-the herd of Whimbrel which congregated on the west side of the point in a seetting sun, with more flying in on bowed, duck-wings, was just a bit picturesque.

over 50 Western Willets.

1 alternate Dunlin

85 Red Knot, 22 Piping Plovers, and thousands of Peep, Sanderling, and Semi-plovers, hundreds of Herring and Black Backed Gulls, nearly 2000 Skimmers, several hundred Royal Terns, and-judgeing from the number of juvenile Laughers compared to the last two years- what was clearly a very good year for the largest Laughing Gull colony on Earth, all contributed to the mix. Merely enumerating the number is a grave disservice to the sound, the sights, the breeze, and the ineffeble which is Stone Harbor, at Sunset, at High Tide, during the peak of Shorebird Migration.

Viva migration.

Where to start…?

There were impressive numbers of Shorebirds and such around Stone Harbor Pt.

I think I wound up with 26 piping Plovers all told, a flock of 19 were foraging on a receding tide near the tip of Stone Harbor Pt.

30 western Willets were roosting on the north end of Nummy’s Isl. and another 8 or so were in the surf.

Just about 1000 Sanderling seem to have arrived out of nowhere, and there were likewise more than a few (ie 35 at Higbee’s Beach, 40 at South Cape May)Sanderling around Cape May Point, where yesterday, numbers were unimpressive.

Peep were very well represented at Stone Harbor, too- there were just about 2000 of the smaller three.

15 Red Knot, some breeding plumaged, others first years were also there, as well as, lots and lots of Semipalmated Plovers, but not quite the numbers of either soon to be bourne by August yet to come…

Juvenile Laughing Gulls seem to be around in abundance-which is excellent to see, they have had bum years the last two at least. Interestingly, the very first juv. Laugher I’ve seen was at Cape Island, today too.

On the breeding larid note, there were just shy of 400 Royal Terns on Champagne Island, and at least 18 gingery downy babies are being “creched”. Very cool. There were also over 1500 Black Skimmers there, as well as two Sandwich Terns. A third Sandwich was at the pond at the base of the Point. The first juv/fledgeling Common Tern I’ve seen this year was also following the rents at Stone Harbor Pt. today.

Otherwise,

there were no fewer than 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the beach in South Cape May this evening, and there were exceptional numbers of foaraging Larids in the rips. To the tune of more than a thousand Laughing Gulls, and nearly 200 Least Terns alone. 3 Black Terns, one in the Meadows, and two heading east with the other terns this evening were also very good to see.

There was also a noteworthy flock of nearly 40 Killdeer on recently tilled fields on Bayshore Rd.

2 Prothonotaries still begging, yet a bit yellower were in the wet woods at Higbee’s. Wonder if they are a family from that very spot, or one nearby?

4 Downy Gadwall are still accompanying their mother in the Meadows, though I’ve yet to see another brood.

Yellow-breasted Chats seem to be going through a second round of song-flights of late, and it seems like local Orchard Orioles have, well, gone south, so to say.

CJV

The most noteworthy bird I happened upon was again an Ibis at South Cape May, this time though, it was a White-faced.

The bird flew from the central pool and dropped down again in the western one. Otherwise there was a nice and steady push of Glossies overhead today.

The first baby Gadwall (4) I’ve see were with their mother in the central pool at the Meadows as well. It should also be mentioned that there are three or four unexpectedly late broods of newbie Mallards about.

There were also notably more Least Terns around today. eg, there were 60 just sitting on the newly exposed mudflats in the second plover pond at the state park, in addition to the usual number of nesting birds and foraging birds (including a couple of very sweet nestlings being fed).

Shorebirds continue to please, and are very easy to see in numbers around Cape May point.

CJV

Today was largely underwhelming bird-wise in Cape May, at least as far as I could tell.

That being said, I did manage to find:

5 or six Gannets
1 Light-morph Parasitic Jaeger
1 Black-billed Cuckoo-which was fliying directly and like a bat out of hell down the length of Higbee’s Beach, just over tree-top level.
10 Yellow Warblers- more or less.
and a fine bunch of migrant shorebirds, including a couple of Pectorals, and a few more Juvenile Spotteds.

Gnatcatcher numbers were no great shakes today, however, juvenile Yellow-breasted Chats were seen about as easily as Chats can be.

Also worth noting were some lovely red-scapulared adult Western Sandpipers at the overflow pond at the base of Stone Harbor Point.

CJV

keep looking »

Recently Written

• Excellent Bayshore Birding: Lots of Shorebirds, Gulls, Silly numbers of Turkeys, and a Vesper Sparrow
• Dolphins, a Brown Pelican, A Cape Island Yellow-throated Warbler and a nice little “fall” around the point in the mist
• Some Eagle notes, etc.
• LAGU in Cape May, and a few other early spring notes
• After the snow in Cape May
• Lots and lots of ducks around Cape May
• Flowering Maples
• News and Notes from Cape May; Black-headed Gull, White-winged Crossbills, continuing Eurasian Wigeon, etc.
• Some nice looks at Short-eared Owls, etc.
• A seal, a balmy day, and the colour of a randy Mallards feet

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