Brian and Heather arrived at our house at 9.30 and we were soon on the road to Gibraltar Point. Just past Louth before the village of Burwell we were delighted to see 3 red kite in the air over the same field. What a privilege! These magnificent raptors are gradually becoming more common in Lincolnshshire.
After parking up at Gib, Brian and I set off to visit the hides while the Heathers headed over to the Haven to draw and paint. As we left the car park I was pleased to first hear and then see a flock of whooper swans fly over. Unfortunately we saw no more of them. Pink-footed geese were flying around and I later found out that there had been a count of 1500. What a magnificent sight they make during the winter as they fly backwards and forwards from feeding to roosting sites, their calls reminiscent of a distant pack of hounds. We had an excellent session in the hides, the highlight being a pair of spotted redshank close enough to the hide for photography.
We met up with the ladies in the visitor centre for lunch before heading down to the dunes and the beach where we walked out to end of the old spit, again appreciating the sea holly now past its flowering period. Out over the was by the meandering River Steeping we had good views of several groups of seals as well brent geese. In the distance were large numbers of waders but out of binocular range while nearer to on a marsh pool were a pair of grey plovers, one flying off and nicely displaying its black armpit. The calls of curlew echoed over the mudflats making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up; my favourite bird call.
Canada Goose Wood Pigeon Whooper Swan Pinkfeet Greylag Geese Teal Mallard Shoveler Herring Gull Coot Pied Wagtail Crow Little Egret Dabchick Moorhen Redshank Lapwing Avocet Gadwall Goldfinch Spotted Redshank Black Headed Gull Kestrel Brent Goose Curlew Linnet Great Black Backed Gull Grey Plover Pheasant
Grey Seal Common Darter dragonfly
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