An Easter Bonus

With Storm Katie well out of the way and the sun out, it seemed perfect weather to visit New Passage in the hope of adding a new species to my UK list. A bird I saw in Bahrain back in 1990 and one I hadn't seen in the UK, I was on the search for a Water Pipit. And I wasn't to be disappointed, though with over 40 Meadow Pipit to sift through it took a fair bit of time to pin one of the four reported being here this morning. And another big bonus was my first ever UK White Wagtail, with two seen in amongst the dozens and dozens of Pied Wagtails. What a great afternoon!

Other highlights to add to my ever growing year list were Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Curlew and Redshank. Not bad for an 55 minute drive from Swindon, an hour spent at the 1st Sentry Box and a 1½hr drive back. I forgot it was Easter Monday and the traffic coming back was horrendous, though I'm not complaining.

Here are a few images from this afternoon:

Looking north up the River Severn

The River Pill

The Pill heading out to sea

A pair of Mallard on the muddy banks of The Pill.

Looking across the salt marsh, where there were Meadow Pipits, a Water Pipit, a Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, a Little Ringed Plover, Pied Wagtail and 2 White Wagtail.

The 1st Sentry Box where the Water Pipit was seen on the salt marsh. 

A pair of Shelduck come into land on the Pilning

A Pied Wagtail

One of 5 Rabbits seen here.

The aftermath of Storm Katie

Birds Recorded: 2 Cormorant, 2 Mute Swan, 100+ Shelduck, Mallard, 20+ Teal, Moorhen, Coot, 5 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 3 Curlew, 60+ Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Swallow, 1 Water Pipit, 40+ Meadow Pipit, 30+ Pied Wagtail, 2 White Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Also 5 Rabbits

Note: Today's sightings on Severnside Birds Blog Here. Scroll down to 28 Mar where there is a photo of a Water Pipit.