Tuesday 03 December – Uphill Leader: Jane Cumming

As the tide rose to its mid-morning high, 31 members met on the beach at Uphill on a fine morning with a light westerly wind. This being a neap tide, there was plenty of exposed beach even at high water, and today there were fewer dog walkers causing disturbance along the tideline than is often the case so the waders were able to feed on the Weston side, giving us the opportunity to count them and search for anything unusual. Counts of Oystercatcher (48) and Curlew (33) were lower than I expected, but we found four Knot amongst some 250 Dunlin spread out across the mud, and picked up an Avocet sailing serenely amongst Shelducks through the grasses and shallow water off the Brean shore. A Marsh Harrier floated northwards over the marsh, flushing about 400 Lapwings off the fields, came closer to us for a great fly-by and then rose to disappear out over the estuary. Redshanks were well scattered but there were probably about 200 in total. One sharp-eyed member picked up two Snipe crouching in the marsh grass, and we noted duck counts of 65 Shelducks, 50 Mallards, 40 Wigeons and 200 Teal. A walk out across the marsh yielded very little, so we checked the pool by the marina, which had two Little Grebes on it (and on the return walk, a Kingfisher), then we headed out along the cliff face to look for a reported Black Redstart. Sure enough it was soon picked up flitting about amongst the sheep on the grassy section, being harried constantly by an energetic and indignant Robin. On to Walborough Hill for the views down the estuary and the chance to find a Little Egret, a few Canada Geese and 54 Mute Swans along the river, as well as four Roe Deer lying quietly in long grass. We added to the list all five of the commoner gull species, along with a selection of such land birds as Buzzard, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest, various thrushes and a Raven, to reach a total of at least 46 species during a satisfyingly bird filled morning. (Many thanks Jane.) Jane Cumming