It's Grim Up North

I don’t know about you, but I am seriously considering stuffing my face with McDonalds three times a day (grim, I know, but theses are desperate times) and then finding the nearest cave where I will hunker down and set the alarm clock for April.

Despite the minging weather at Inner Marsh Farm this afternoon, I did at least enjoy an excellent hour and a half at lunchtime over at Connah’s Quay with thousands of waders feeding very close to the west hide on an advancing tide.

The numbers of shorebirds at Connah’s Quay has been fairly modest over recent weeks, so it was a real treat to see big flocks of Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit probing, prodding and drilling their way through the gloriously gloopy mud.

Interestingly, at least twenty Bar-tailed Godwits were mixed in with their taller and drabber brothers. Given that they favour hanging with Grey Plovers and Sanderling on sandy shores they are fairly unusual on the muddier flats off Oakenholt – I can’t recall seeing more than the odd one or two before.

I just had enough time left to squeeze in a visit to Inner Marsh Farm where again there was plenty of wildfowl on the reserve, but with very few birds on the hide pool. With the sleet driving through the windows I didn’t hang around long, but I was cheered slightly by the appearance of a few snowdrops near the car park – spring can’t to be too far away now…..surely!

It was interesting to note two more Sparrowhawks today; just based on my observations, I wager these efficient little hunting machines have been filling their boots this winter. They seem to be very conspicuous at the moment and I wonder if the weakened state of many songbirds during the freezing temperatures has increased hunting success and reduced the hawk’s attrition rate?

Anyway, I’m off to find a cave. Nothing on the websites of Rightmove or Beresford Adams…..perhaps I should try Cave-ndish Ikin.

Connah’s Quay 03.02.10

2,000 Dunlin
1,000 Black-tailed Godwit
300 Oystercatcher
200 Knot
50 Redshank
20 Bar-tailed Godwit
2 Sparrowhawk

Until later.