A Change in the Weather

With the forecast predicting one, maybe two, sub-zero nights this week, I wonder if the brief chill will be enough to stir things up a bit? Golden Plover perhaps? Woodcock? A massive influx of Smew at least? I must get around to fleshing out the PWC 2023 page on this blog, but the current tallies are 60 species (73 points) on the West Bay & Eype patch, and 41 species (43 points) for Bridport North. Apart from the West Bay Leach's Petrel, nothing too unexpected. An afternoon walk around Bridport North today added Bullfinch, Dunnock (must have missed that off by accident previously), Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest and Sparrowhawk. One of the Bradpole Firecrests showed nicely too...

Eye candy.

On Friday I happened to be working near the Axe Estuary when two Avocets turned up at Colyford Marsh. A quick look from the Axmouth road, and some classy pics from 600m...

Avocets on the Colyford Marsh scrape.

When it comes to waders the Axe is in a different league to the Bridport recording area, which apparently has a wader list of about 26. And at least one of those (Stone-curlew) has occurred only as noc-mig records. All I've managed so far in 2023 are Snipe and Lapwing. Meanwhile, the Axe wader list stands at 44, I think. Not jealous. Not frustrated that the Brit Valley at West Bay is a load of scrape-less fields and wasted potential. No, of course not.

On the other hand, I am beginning to wonder if the seawatching on offer at West Bay might turn out to be much better than I expected. Time will tell.

So much to learn.

In the meantime, better wrap up warm this week...