Last few Days on the Marshes

Lots of bird movement at the moment. Pete Lambert gives a report of his sightings of the last few days:

Thursday 7 October.
Short walk round Wild Marsh East and up and down towpath produced my largest ever movement of jackdaws.
7.58 27 jackdaws SW calling over houses east of Marsh and on
8.12 About 45 jackdaws S over WMEast
8.17 26 jackdaws S over WME
8.24 27 jackdaws S over WME
(Total of 125 in 30 minutes!)
9.23 5 jackdaws SW WME
9.38 11 jackdaws SW over houses east of WME
9.45 33 jackdaws SW over houses and Lockwood Res and on to Marsh.
Total of 174.
Otherwise 3 little egrets in channel at East Bridge, WMEast, 4 little grebes on Lee near Chalk Bridge. Lbb gull flew down to Lee Navigation and came up with crab in beak! Had one long claw on RHS of body (crab that is) – mitten crab?

Sat 9 October
While walking round Lockwood Res in morning I had my first redwings of the autumn going W and over WM West. Then flock of about 40 calling redwings came down into trees on WM East (11.25am).

Sun 10 October
Before survey, 2 green sandpipers up from channel east of WM East (from East Bridge), 2 jackdaws W and 2 male pheasants on WM East together – one with white neck ring one with all dark neck. First brambling of autumn calling overhead (not seen) and 2 skylarks west calling.
After survey, first siskin of the autumn E over WM East.

Mon 11 October
7.54am Huge flock of calling jackdaws over houses east of Marsh – estimated about 150 birds! Flew SW over Lockwood Res and then over Tot Marsh in distance.
8.12am About 25 jackdaws SW in same direction. Possibly more birds in total than on Thursday!
Brambling calling again over WME but not seen. 3 redwings W.
At Clendish Marsh 8 skylarks NW at 8.45 calling.
9.17, 6 more skylarks high NW at WMWest (where David Cottridge saw redstart 15min later!)
Crest calling at Lee near firecrest site, but sounded like goldcrest – vanished.
9.45, single redpoll (first of autumn) flew east calling over WME.

DMC