Whimbrel

Another afternoon stint on the patch today with more showers pushing through from the south-west. The hirundine flock on Alton Water was still in excess of 500, with Swallows and House Martins to the fore and just the odd Sand Martin. I didn't notice any swifts.

Once the rain had cleared, I biked down to Holbrook Bay in search of Whimbrel.

 



The bay is a reliable spring spot on the estuary for this species. At high tide they can often be found probing the sheepfields just inside the borrowdyke which are overlooked by the Royal Hospital School.

Sure enough, the first scan of the field and one was doing just that. Over the next hour two spent their time commuting between field and estuary, allowing me to expand my album of abject record shots.

Out in the bay a flock of 300+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese were still shuffling around the entrance to Holbrook marina, whilst in the main channel, 50 Great Crested Grebes and seven Red-breasted Mergansers were loafing.