29th Dec

Car Park Feeders:
Bullfinch (2) calling in the trees, Reed Bunting (1f)

Feeding Station:
Willow Tit (3), GS Woodpecker (1m), Pheasant (1m 2f), Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin (4), Blackbird, Dunnock (2), Chaffinch, Reed Bunting (1m)

Main Pool:
Little Grebe (1), Bullfinch (1m 1f), Grey Heron

The Scrape:
Grey Heron

Woods
Treecreeper (2)

The Flashes:
Meadow Pipit (2), Canada Goose (12), Corvids

It's Christmas day ....

... And so I snuck off to Whitty for a couple of hours in the morning. It was quiet in the car park and the paths were very wet & muddy - we really need some hardcore for the paths. So I just went to the Feeder Hide and there were the usual suspects.


Robin
Great, Blue and Willow tits
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Reed bunting
Treecreeper
Pheasant
Dunnock
Great spotted woodpecker


and best of all a Nuthatch so it looks as though they are back after the loss of one of the pair last year. Unfortunately the light was really poor and even with the camera set to ISO800 I couldn't get a really sharp photo but I'll be back.

One good thing about the cool damp weather, there's some nice fungi around at the moment

21st Dec

Nuthatch at feeding station (per D.Hutton)

19th Dec

siskin and lesser redpoll at feeding station (per Midlandbirder)

Saturday 6th December

Feeding Station: Willow Tit (3), Coal tit (1), GS Woodpecker (1m 1f), Siskin (1m 1f), Goldfinch (8)

Woods: Bullfinch (2), Redwind/Fieldfare (c.15 over), Sparrowhawk (1 over)

Main Pool: frozen

The scrape: Shoveler (2m 1f), Mallard (2)

Nyger feeder (on route to river pool): Willow Tit (1), Goldfinch (3), Bullfinch (2)

Saturday 22nd November

Feeding Station: Coal Tit (1), Willow Tit (2), Goldfinch (5), Robin (3), GS Woodpecker (1 male), Siskin (2), Lesser Redpoll (1), Chaffinch (20+), Goldcrest (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Jay (1), Buzzard (2 over), Redwing (over head), Long tailed Tits, Blue/Great tit (numerous)

The Scrape: Shoveler (5 male 1 female), Little Grebe (1), Water Rail (calling), Bullfinch

Main Pool: Little Grebe (3), Tufted Duck, Bullfinch

River Pool: Siskin (2 along path), Kestrel, Bullfinch (2), Shoveler (2)

The Flashes: Canada Geese, Buzzard (1)

Coal Tit

Coal Tit (1), Willow tit at feeding station.

Hats off to the two Johns who have installed some very nice new feeders,now can we please have some sunshine.

(per N.Kiteley)

2nd November

Ross's Field: Curlew (2), Kestrel (1)

Feeding Station: GS Woodpecker (1f), Goldcrest (1), Willow Tit (2), Chaffinch (6), Jay (1), Treecreeper (2), Pheasant (1m 1f)

The Scrape: Teal (2m 1f)

Main Pool: Buzzard (1), Little Grebe (1), Tufted Duck (3), Kingfisher (1)

Also Goldfinch (4), Redwing (6), Fieldfare (2)

22nd

Flashes:
Curlew (calling), Meadow Pipit (1)

Feeding station:
Willow Tit (2), Goldcrest (2), Treecreeper (1), GS Woodpecker (1 male), Goldfinch (2)

Log book record

18th: Stonechat (1 from the flashes hide), Redwing (c.15 in hedgerow along path to flashes hide)

Main pool

4 Little Grebe. A kingfisher in reeds opposite hide fishing and in same place for about 20 minutes.

Buzzard

Flashes/Ross's Rough: Curlew (4), Kestrel (1), Sparrowhawk (1), Meadow Pipit (1)

Woods: Willow Tit (2), Goldfinch (4), Green Woodpecker (2), GS Woodpecker (1 m)

Main Pool: Tufted Duck (5), Little Grebe (2), Water Rail (1 in the channel)

River Pool: Shoveler (4), Teal, Little Grebe (1)

The Scrape: Grey Wagtail (1), Buzzard (1)

Red Admiral (1)

Curlew

Flashes: Curlew (5), Meadow Pipit (3), Skylark (1), Buzzard (1), Green Woodpecker (1)

The scrape: Little Grebe (2), Buzzard (1), Grey Heron (1), Water Rail (1 calling), Grey Wagtail (along river)

River Pool: Little Grebe (2), Shoveler (2), Teal, Water Rail (1 calling)

Main Pool: Water Rail (1 calling), Little Grebe (2), Tufted Duck (3)

Feeding Station: Bullfinch (1m), Willow Tit (2), Goldfinch (1)

Woods: Goldcrest (4, at least 1 juv. still being fed by adult bird), Jay (3)

Nest Boxes

The Johns cleaned out the boxes last week and of the 30 we had put up 26 showed good signs of having been used. One at the feeding station had been used as a roost, 2 others had a little nest material but it was not a nest and a robin box somewhere near the car park is lost!
87% usage is the best year we have had.

Wet Wet Wet

Rain overnight has flooded the river.

Flashes: Teal (130), Wigeon (7), Curlew (calling, but grass too long to see), LBB Gull (1), Meadow Pipit (5), Grey Wagtail (1), Pied Wagtail (1), Buzzard (1), Kestrel (1) , Common Snipe (1)

Car Park: Meadow Pipit (7 in the field), Bullfinch (2)

Woods: GS Woodpecker (1 f), Goldfinch (2), LT Tit (12), Willow Tit (2)

Railway Bridge: Mute Swan (6), Lapwing (13), Canada Goose (69), Wigeon (5), House Martin (1)

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted flycatcher (1), Curlew (6), Siskin (2), Lesser Redpoll (1), Nuthatch (1), Buzzard (2), Sparrowhawk (1 f, almost had a green woodpecker), Goldcrest (1), Kestrel (1), GS Woodpecker (1), Bullfinch (3), Little Grebe (4 main pool, 1 river pool), Tufted Duck (4), Teal (1), Canada Goose (8), Mute Swan (2), Meadow Pipit (1), Stock Dove (2), Goldfinch (2), Willow Tit (2)

Migrant Hawker (2), Southern Hawker (1), Common Darter (4), Ruddy Darter (1)

Water Rail

The scrape: Water Rail (1)

The wood: Willow tit (2)

The flashes: Meadow Pipt (2), Buzzard (2)

Saturday 27th September

The scrape: Teal (1), Buzzard (2), Kestrel (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Little Grebe (1 juv), Coot, Moorhen (2), Kingfisher (1), Southern Hawker (1), Common Darter (3), Comma butterfly, Swallow (2)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (4), Tufted Duck (1), Bullfinch (2), Kingfisher (1), Gadwall (1)

The Flashes: Kestrel (1), Brimstone (1)

Rest of reserve: Comma (5), Speckled Wood (1), Peacock (1), Small Toirtoiseshell (1), Grass Snake (1 shedding skin), Meadow Pipit (1), Linnet (1), GS Woodpecker (2), Long tailed tit (8), Jay (collecting acorns)

Railway Bridge: Canada Goose (60), Buzzard (on fence post), Mute Swan, Wigeon (5)

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler ( 1 late evening), Linnet (4), Reed Bunting (2), Buzzard (4), Sparrowhawk (1), LT Tits (small flock), Grey Heron, various gulls over the reserve going to roost, Cormorant (30+ going to roost @ ladywalk?), GS Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker

Grey Wagtails

Flashes: Hobby (2), Buzzard (1), Kestrel (1), Stock Dove (1)

The scrape: Willow Tit (1), Grey Wagtail (2), Goldfinch (6), Long-tailed tit (8), Goldcrest (1)

Feeding station hide: Chaffinch, Great tit, Blue tit, Robin, Jay

Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Common Darter, Migrant Hawker, Grass Snake (2)

7th September 2008

Well, it's been a while since I contributed anything so after a quick dash to Shustoke Reservoir to see the Grey Phalarope, I didn't fancy going straight back ... I'd have had to do the washing up !! So I headed over to whitty figuring the rain would keep the midges down ... WRONG!!

Any way, tried to go to the Scrape Hide but the paths were flooded and it looks as though it was a lot worse yesterday. Heard Goldcrest singing but no sighting ( mind you it was raining heavy) so headed over to the flashes hide to be greeted a lake and 2 Wheatear






They were still there when we left ... oohhh for a longer lens!

Anyway we stayed for about an hour or so and added Sparrowhawk (2), Hobby (2), Lapwing (30+), Snipe (2), Cormorant, Gadwall, Mallard, Carrion Crow, Swallow, House Martin, Buzzard & Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Then back to the car and saw a Migrant Hawker in the car park ( I think it was trying to work out when the new pond had appeared in the car park !!)

Hobby

Railway Bridge: Curlew (5), Lapwing (10)

Flashes: Hobby (1), Kestrel (1), Stock Dove (10), Garden Warbler and Whitethroats (along path)

Scrape: Gadwall (8), Teal (5)

Woods: Green Woodpecker, GS Woodpecker, Chiffchaff

Car Park: Bullfinch (2)

Yellow Wagtails

Flashes: Yellow Wagtail (8), Hobby, Buzzard (3), Kestrel, Pheasant (4), Grass Snake (3)

Railway Bridge: Lapwing (8), Greylag Goose (3), Mute Swan (1)

Main Pool: Teal (6), Buzzard (3), Grass Snake (1)

River Pool: Little Grebe (2), Green Sandpiper (1 calling from other river pool)

The Scrape: Gadwall (2), Mallard (7), Grey Heron (1), Goldcrest (1)

Woods: Green Woodpecker (2), Chiffchaff (4)

Common Darter (3+), Meadow Brown (15), Speckled Wood (2)

Green Sandpiper

The Flashes: Green Sandpiper (2), Hobby (1), Buzzard (1)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (1), Grey Heron, Bullfinch (2), Reed Warblers

The Scrape: Sparrowhawk (1)

The wood: Great spotted woodpecker (1), Green Woodpecker (3), Goldfinch (2)

Brown Hawker (1), Southern Hawker (2), Emperor Dragonfly (1 ovipositing on scrape), Common Darter (2), Common Blue Damselflies

Meadow Brown, Small Toirtoiseshell (1), Peacock (4), Gatekeeper, GV White, Speckled Wood (4)

Curlew

Curlew (7 from railway bridge), Kingfisher (1 on main pool), Little Grebe (3), Bullfinch (2), Buzzard (1), Sparrowhawk (1), Kestrel (1), House Martin, Swift, Linnet (2)

Brown Hawker (5, 1 ovipositioning on the scrape), Common hawker (1), Black-tailed skimmer (2), Common Blue damselfly

Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Green-veined white, Large White, Comma butterflies

Friday 18th

The Johns visited on a dull, damp but warm afternoon. We noted many meadow browns, green veined white, the odd gatekeeper and a comma. The Sulphur Cinquefoil and a Skull Cap were photographed. These are firsts we think for the reserve.
We were pleased to reach the field hide before heavy rain. Swifts and Swallows were about in abundance, 3 Oyster Catchers flew from Ladywalk and landed on the scrape, we also had Heron, Reed bunting, White Throat.
Little more so we moved to the Lake Hide and there are at least 5 Little Grebe in adult plumage with 3 young, 2 families of Coot, Mallard, Teal and a Green Sandpiper which was reluctant to leave a coot nest site until the coot said go away, a Heron landed for a time.

Little Egret

Little Egret (1 flew over the flashes heading towards coton), Oystercatcher (3), Buzzard (2), Swift (2), House Martin (20+), Robin (juv), Song Thrush (juv), Green Woodpecker (2), Kingfisher (1 on main pool), Reed Bunting (several males), Reed Warbler, Mallard (+young), Little Grebe (4 + 2 young on main pool), Water Rail (1 calling in front on main pool hide)

Sulphur Cinquefoil, Small Toirtoiseshell, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Large White, Common Hawker (2), Common Blue Damselflies

Sulphur Cinquefoil

Common Spotted Orchid © P.Satch

Orchids

Quite a few orchids at Whitacre Heath today, common spotted and southern marsh.

Saw one dragonfly, too quick for me to see what it was, but good numbers of common blue, azure and blue-tailed damselflies around the reserve.

Woods and Open Area
Grass snake (2), Swallow (2), Swift (1), Buzzard (1), Green Woodpecker (1 feeding a youngster), GS Woodpecker, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting

The Scrape:
Kingfisher (1), Little Grebe (3), Mute Swan (2), Gadwall (2)

River Pool:
Coot + 4 young, Mallard + 4 young

Cuckoo

Cuckoo (2 males), Hobby (1), Oystercatcher (2), Buzzard (1), Kingfisher (several sightings), Little Grebe (main pool and the scrape), Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush (one doing very good nightingale imitation)

Common Blue Damselflies

21st May 2008

Once again I took advantage of some time off from work and went up to Whitacre. It's a funny time of year really not much happening as birds are sitting on the nest and the dragonflies & damselflies aren't really out yet so it was quiet - apart from the hum of the mozzies !

Somewhere between the River pool hide and the Scrape Hide there was a cuckoo calling but I didn't see it and the Greater spotted was calling as well.

First stop was the River pool hide - The Coots now have 5 chicks and were defending them against all comers including Grey Herons and Mallards. The one highlight for me was a pair of Bullfinches seemed to be nesting close by as the kept appearing carrying small twigs and lining material.



The only other bit of colour was provided by the Kingfisher.

The only other sightings were:-

Scrape Hide
2 coots, 2 Mallards and a pair of mating Gadwall.

Flashes Hide
Oystercatcher flying towards Coton Lakes
Buzzard,
Kestrel (a single one and then two others chasing one another)
Woodpigeon

Wednesday May 14th

Good views of Hobby hawking over river hide. 3 little grebe on pond.
Little in the field other than Canada with young and pair of lapwing.
The scrape had pair of Canada with 6 young and pair of Swan, a kingfisher was about for quite a time using the reeds for a perch. 1 Heron.
At the lake hide 3 heron, 2 little grebe and a pair of Swan. Mallard and Gadwall.

Common Terns

Quick visit today:

Shoveler (1 m), Gadwall (1m), Coot (+6 young), Little Grebe, Buzzard, Common Tern (3), LBB Gull (2), BH Gull (1), Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, GS Woodpecker, Reed Bunting, Whitethroat

Small White (15+), Large White (4), Peacock (4), Speckled Wood (1)

Spotted Flycatcher

Flashes: No sign of yesterdays whinchat, sky lark, Whitethroat, GS Woodpecker, Swift (20+)

Meadow: Linnet (2 m, 1f), Kestrel (1), Swallow (2)

Scrape: Little Grebe (2), Pied wagtail (1), Gadwall, Canada Goose (2)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (5), Coot (+ 1 young), Reed Warblers (n)

River Pool: Spotted flycatcher (1), Little Grebe (2), Swift (30+), Sand Martin (1)

All over: Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat

Today at Whitty ..

Well as the sun was still shining I thought I'd take myself of for a few hours. I didn't see much out of the ordinary but what I did see was good.

After a lot of s searching I finally nailed this little git ...



Then a bit further round from the Scrape Hide I saw this Whitethroat singing his head off for ages till I pressed the shutter ...


And from one of the other windows I got this Dabchick



Then finishing off at the field hide Nothing much was happening till this Kestrel landed with a Mole in it's talons

24th April

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker reported in wood, also whitethroat.

© P.Satch

Wednesday April24th

Common Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail from river bridge.
We have removed the nyger feeders from the site for repair due to squirrel damage. We hope to start feeding again in late October.

Little Egret

Little Egret by railway line (J.Harris)

Sunday 13th April

River Pool/Path: Little Grebe (2), Coot (pr nesting), Willow Warbler (3), Blackcap (2 singing males), Bullfinch (1 male), Chiffchaff (4), Song thrush, Goldfinch (4), GS Woodpecker (1)

Northern Pastures: Shelduck (1), Teal (6), Coot, Canada Goose (2)

Railway Bridge/Ingram's field: Oystercatcher (2), Lapwing (6), Sky Lark (4), Canada Goose (6)


Main Pool: Little Grebe (3), Blackcap (1 singing male), Coot (2 pr nesting)

The Scrape: Gadwall (pair), Canada Goose (1 pr nesting), Little Grebe (1), Muntjac deer (1 female), Buzzard (2), Willow Tit (1)


Feeding station: Lesser redpoll (1)

Car Park feeder: Willow Tit (1)

Frog Pool Feeder: Lesser redpoll (1), Goldfinch (4)

Flashes: Buzzard (4), Sky Lark (3)

Thursday 10th April 2008

I had a couple of hours to kill yesterday so I nipped up it the company of Richard Dawkins and Dave Hutton. A very pleasant time it was. The Flashes produced 4 curlew and 2 Oystercatchers and a few stick doves plus the usual suspects.


We then moved on to the Feeder hide. The Siskins and Bramblings have long gone as but it still produced a few Redpoll, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Reed Buntings plus the normal Tit families


Walking round the other hides didn't provide much in the way of exotic. But did manage to see a Blackcap but wasn't fast enough on the draw to get a shot off.

Let it snow....

A nice snowy morning at Whitacre Heath.



Feeding Station: Willow Tit (2), Lesser Redpoll (6), Siskin (1), Goldfinch (10), Reed Bunting (6), GS Woodpecker (2)

Flashes: Sky lark (2), Meadow Pipit (1), Buzzard (2), Mute Swan (2), Canada Goose (3)

Railway Bridge: Oystercatcher (1), Cormorant (1), Redshank (1)

2nd April 2008

I had sometime off yesterday and it turned out to be a good un! I nipped up to Whitty for 3 or 4 hours and although I didn't take many photo's I had one of the best days for some time. There were 6 cars on the car park so I didn't bother with the Feeder Hide but did the others. List as follows:-

Pool Hide
Moorhen
Coot (7)
Canada Goose (6)
Heron (1)
Chiffchaff (1)
Longtail tit (2)
Mallard (1)
Treecreeper (2)


Main Pool
Dabchick (2)
Coot(5) - 2 on nests
Teal (1)
Heron(1)
Woodpigeon (lots)
Buzzard being Mobbed


The Scrape
Pheasant (1)
Canada Goose (2)
Moorhen (2)
Reed Bunting (1)

and on the way to the Field Hide I spotted thiss little Beauty

The Flashes
Canada Goose (50+)
Curlew (6)
Avocet (1) - flying towards Furnace End
Oystercatcher (1) - flying towards Coton
Shelduck (2) - Flying towards Coton
Reedbunting
Woodpigeons (10+)

I think thats the best haul from the Field Hide!

Later Wednesday April 2nd

At lake pool, 4 little grebe, 2 teal, 4 coot, 2 mallard, 1 male bullfinch and muntjack in bushes opposite hide.
At feeding station 1 siskin, 2 redpoll, 4 goldfinch and probably 3 willowtit.

Wednesday 2nd April

Wheatear (1 female), Curlew (6), Little Egret (1), Oystercatcher (3), Redshank (2), Wigeon (1), Teal (4), Buzzard (2), Little Grebe (1), Grey Heron (4), Lesser Redpoll (1 on frog pool feeder) , Sand Martin (3)

The lock In

Quick walk round Whitacre today, feeling tired due to loss of a hour somewhere! Spent a little longer than usual as someone decided to lock us in to the reserve!!

Feeding station: Lesser Redpoll (8), Siskin (4), GS Woodpecker (1), Willow Tit (1), Treecreeper (2), Reed Bunting (8 male 1 female)

The scrape: Shoveler (2), Little Grebe (2), Teal (2), Canada Goose (2), Buzzard (1), Mute Swan (1), Coot (2)

The Wood: Lesser spotted woodpecker (calling, too tired to go looking for it), Treecreeper (2), Redwing (1)

The Flashes: Buzzard (2), Skylark (2), Sparrowhawk (1), Canada Goose (41), Reed Bunting (1 male) , Red fox (1)

from the bridge: Oystercatcher (2 in Severn Trent field), Curlew (1), Shelduck (2), Chiffchaff (1 singing)

Also a comma butterfly along the flood bank

Little Egret

Little Egret again from the railway bridge this morning (S.Seal)

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (2), Siskin (12), Lesser Redpoll (9), Willow Tit (2), Treecreeper (1), Green Sandpiper (1 over heading towards flashes), Wheatear (1 male), Redshank (2), Common Snipe (1), Fieldfare (60+), Redwing (10+), Buzzard (2), Little Grebe (1), Curlew (1), Starling (150+), Greylag (1), Canada Goose (c.40), Pied Wagtail (2), Oystercatcher (2)

Brambling (1 female in the afternoon) (Nick.T)

Sunday 23rd March

River Pool: Wigeon (30+), Little Grebe (2, 1 eating a newt), Teal, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Coot, Buzzard (1), Chiffchaff (1), Willow Tit (1)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (1)

The Scrape: Shoveler (4), Teal (2), Mute Swan (2), Canada Goose (2), Chiffchaff (1)

The Flashes: Curlew (5), Oystercatcher (2), Sky Lark (1), Meadow Pipit (1), Canada Goose (9), Sand Martin (1), Buzzard (5), Bullfinch (1), Long-tailed tit (4), Green Woodpecker (1)

The Feeding Station: Brambling (1 female), Siskin (9), Lesser Redpoll (11), Willow Tit (2), Reed Bunting (10+ ), Lesser spotted woodpecker calling

Siskin (32 at the feeding station early morning) (S.Seal/D.Hutton)

©Midland Bird Images

The Woods: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (1), Chiffchaff (4 singing), Long-tailed tit (8), Treecreeper (1) , Redwing (6)

Railway Bridge: Little Egret (1), Curlew (3), Shelduck (1), Gadwall (6), Lapwing (6), Wigeon (34), Oystercatcher (2), Chiffchaff (1)

While Steve Seal was in the Feeder hide ...

I spent a couple of hours with Steve but thought I'd take a walk around the rest of the site. !st port of call was the "Kingfisher" hide. The wind was really bad and was shaking the hide. I thought it was going to blow it off the legs! But a few minutes there revealed Shovellers sheltering in the reeds on the far side with Mallard, a couple of coots were doing the rounds. A solitary Dabchick was doing battle with the strong wind and spent a lot of time under the water out the way.

Also a pair of Mute swans were hunkering down out of the wind in the shelter of some bushes.


On to the next pool and it was a lot more sheltered but there still wasn't much around, just a few Tufted duck, Coot and Dabchick. The Coots were particularly feisty.


On the way back to the car park there were Chiffchaff singing but they were well hidden. My List for the day ... well Half day was

Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll, Great tit, Blue tit, Willow tit, Long tail tit, Mute swan, Dabchick, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted duck, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Reed bunting Greater spotted woodpecker, Dunnock and the Chiffchaff singing so 22 species in 3 hours, not bad for a beginner ...

Feeding Station

8:00am - 1:00pm

© Midland Bird Images

Siskin (14), L.Redpoll (11), Willow Tit (2), Brambling (1 female, no sign of the male), GS Woodpecker (2), Jay (1), Sparrowhawk (3), Buzzard (1), Little Egret (1 from railway bridge) (S.Seal)

© Midland Bird Images

The first singing Chiffchaff of the year

Work force present all day doing repairs to most of the hides.

Before 10:30

Feeding Station: Brambling (1 male, 1 female early morning) (P.Satch)

© P.Satch

17:00
Feeding Station: Brambling (1 male), Siskin (3), Redpoll (6), Willow Tit (2), GS Woodpecker, LT Tit (1), Chaffinch (40+), Reed Bunting (10+), Jay (1), Goldfinch (8+)

© J.Wesson

Woods: Chiffchaff (1 singing)

Main Pool: Little Grebe (2), Water Rail (1)

Flashes: Along the path, Green Woodpecker (2)

Railway Bridge: Curlew (2), Shelduck (1), small wader couldn't quite make out with bins, prob. common Sandpiper but not 100% sure.