18.06.15. Birdlog
Stepping out down to the river bank overlooking the Weaver Estuary and the place was wall to wall with Common Swift. I estimated that there were c 2500 birds hawking high over the Blue-topped chimney at Weston Point, the Weaver Estuary all the down to the Weaver Bend and beyond.
Down on the Weaver Bend were 37 Mute and a pair of Black Swan. Shorebirds included 43 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher and a single Ringed Plover. Ducks were again in good numbers with Tufted being the most abundant species. Several Great Crested Grebe 2 Great Black-backed and 300 Black-headed Gull.
A Peregrine was sat on top of its usual power station perch and, it or another (adult male) was hunting the Starling flocks feeding over at Weston Marsh lagoon.
Just to give a flavour of the Swifts this evening a short video taken looking across to the Weaver Estuary here: https://vimeo.com/131132564
Observer and video/images: WSM.
BBC Newsround birding Redwall reed bed with Findlay: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05y6855/newsround-19062015