My Hook/Sprinkle Pill WeBS count did not begin well this afternoon, firstly the heavens opened just as I reached the first count point d/s of Little Milford, and I then proceeded to slip over on a wet rock and went down scope first into some nice mud! The first stretch along the W Cleddau to Fowborough was uneventful after this and relatively quiet birdwise. All that changed at the mouth of Sprinkle Pill where there were ducks and waders by the score and a great range too. Rarest goes to the drake Green-winged Teal (possibly the Gann bird from 25th December?) which was in one of the channels to the south of the main Sprinkle Pill channel (SM 997 107). There were so many birds, and so mobile, that it was difficult to count accurately. Highlights on the duck front included 59 Pintail, a Pochard, 8 Tufted Duck, 32 Shoveler, 350 Teal & 13o Wigeon (all minimum numbers) and on the wader front 625 Dunlin, 460 Lapwing, 11 Grey Plover, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 116 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 4 Golden Plover and 2 Ringed Plover. An adult Med Gull was also present. Total count was 2,187 birds of 30 species (for WeBS). An added distraction (for the birds) were two foxes asleep on the saltmarsh - one at least seemed to have made an effort to conceal itself, if it was hoping for a snack at high tide!
Finally, a quick look at Guildford Pill, Llangwm, revealed the single Spotted Redshank - the only one in the County this winter?
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