Weather: Sunny and clear, particularly warm
My first visit to Gibraltar Point and a very enjoyable experience.
Key highlights: Seawatching at high tide provided views of Arctic and Great Skuas, a few Northern Gannets, 2 Red-throated Divers, c.30 Common Scoter, a small number of Brent Geese, and a single Merlin as well as the usual gulls and terns.
The wading flocks at high tide were impressive including c20,000 Knot (incredible!), 1000's of Oystercatcher and Grey Plover, 100's of Bar-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Sanderling and Ringed Plovers. Little Egrets, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Dunlin and Turnstone were all present.
Early morning walks provided a single confirmed view of a Barn Owl, warblers on the second morning included Greater Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow, Blackcap as well as Reed later in the day. A large fall of Goldcrest were evident as were flocks of Siskin.
On the various spits around the reserve Greenshank were seen in small numbers as well as c5 Curlew Sandpipers, occasional Common Snipe, 2 Avocets and a Little Stint. Little Grebe were well represented, whilst single Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese provided questions around their origin. The surprise of the Friday was a female Goosander.
Around the reserve there were healthy numbers of Northern Wheatear, Stonechat and Whinchat. A female / juvenile Common Redstart showed well over the weekend as did a Spotted Flycatcher from the car park. A couple of Yellow Wagtails were seen in flight. Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen regularly.
Hobbies, Common Kestrel and Sparrowhawks were seen intermittently over the 3 days.
I stopped off at Freiston Shore on the way home to catch excellent views of my first Red-necked Phalarope showing extremely well and accompanied by 4 Little Stint.
A great end to the weekend.
105 species
* On route
** Freiston Shore only
Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus
Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata
Common Teal - Anas crecca
Eurasian Wigeon - Anas penelope
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
Gadwall - Anas strepera
Greylag Goose - Anser anser
Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus
Common Pochard - Aythya ferina
Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula
Brent Goose - Branta bernicla
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis
Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
Black Scoter - Melanitta nigra
Common Merganser - Mergus merganser
Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major
Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis
Barn Owl - Tyto alba
Rock Dove (Feral) - Columba livia
Stock Pigeon - Columba oenas
Common Wood-Pigeon - Columba palumbus
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto *
Common Coot - Fulica atra
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
Sanderling - Calidris alba
Dunlin - Calidris alpina
Red Knot - Calidris canutus
Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea
Little Stint - Calidris minuta
Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago
Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica
Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa
Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata
Red-necked Phalarope - Phalaropus lobatus **
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Common Redshank - Tringa totanus
Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula
Eurasian Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus
Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta
Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
Common Gull - Larus canus
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus
Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus
Parasitic Jaeger - Stercorarius parasiticus
Great Jaeger - Stercorarius skua
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus
Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo *
Western Marsh-Harrier - Circus aeruginosus
Red Kite - Milvus milvus *
Merlin - Falco columbarius
Eurasian Hobby - Falco subbuteo
Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus
Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus
Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis
Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus
Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
Red-throated Loon - Gavia stellata
Carrion Crow - Corvus corone
Rook - Corvus frugilegus
Eurasian Jackdaw - Corvus monedula
Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius *
Black-billed Magpie - Pica pica
European Robin - Erithacus rubecula
Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata
Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe
Common Redstart - Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Whinchat - Saxicola rubetra
Common Stonechat - Saxicola torquata
Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula
Common Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
Winter Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes
European Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus
Great Tit - Parus major
Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus
Northern House-Martin - Delichon urbica
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
Goldcrest - Regulus regulus
Eurasian Reed-Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Eurasian Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita
Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus
Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla
Greater Whitethroat - Sylvia communis
Meadow Pipit - Anthus pratensis
White Wagtail - Motacilla alba
Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
Hedge Accentor - Prunella modularis
Eurasian Linnet - Carduelis cannabina
European Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis
European Greenfinch - Carduelis chloris
Eurasian Siskin - Carduelis spinus
Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus
Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs