Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets on the reserve - better context in the short video, below
We've been conducting day-long, multi-count wader surveys along the south bank of the Humber for many years now (lucky us!), and my patch is a stretch of heavily-industrialised and yet remarkably peaceful estuary bank at North Killingholme; fortunately for me it also includes Killingholme Haven LWT reserve, which can sometimes be productive for roosting flocks:
Today was such a day, and (even though the tide was low and the mud was exposed) just shy of 5000 Black-tailed Godwits and 478 Avocets packed onto a small area of the reserve to roost; 180 Redshank, a dozen Curlews, a couple of Ruff and a Greenshank completed the large wader contingent.
Long-tailed Tits on the factory fence
It was a cold, clear, bright morning more akin to December here, but the vismig was very much September-themed, with good numbers of Swallows and Meadow Pipits heading north-west along the bankside, as well as a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs (below), and Lesser and Common Whitethroat in the bushes...
... while a small skein of Pink-feet also flew through, and an early afternoon pulse of raptors included 10 Common Buzzards, a Red Kite and a Kestrel, all north-west.
Long-tailed Tits on the factory fence
