A dozen Coastwise members had an enjoyable mid-January visit to RSPB Isley Marsh Reserve organised by John Broomhead and Rob Jutsum. The weather was ideal, dull but calm and dry, when the birds, though not very numerous, showed well.
In particular we had good views of 6 Spoonbills and one Little Egret resting together in the saltmarsh. Behind them a Peregrine, seen earlier in flight by Jan Whittington, tackled some prey. In flight we saw many of the 3000 Golden Plover known to be on the estuary and rather fewer Lapwing both in flight and resting on the shore.
The visit ended on a high note, as a kingfisher perched, dived and finally successfully caught a fish not a hundred yards away on the pier.
Birds seen:
Black-backed Gull
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Cormorant
Crow
Curlew
Dunlin
Dunnock
Golden Plover
Great Black-backed Gull
Grey Heron
Grey Plover
Herring Gull
Kingfisher
Lapwing
Linnet
Little Egret
Magpie
Mallard
Meadow Pipit
Oystercatcher
Peregrine Falcon
Pintail
Raven
Redshank
Robin
Shellduck
Spoonbills
Teal
Widgeon