Gibraltar Point

Sunday 11th October 2015
One of many Goldcrests seen
I visited Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, on Sunday with the Birmingham branch of the West Midlands Bird Club. This was a new site for me and I was keen to explore the reserve.
The new visitor centre under construction
Arty shot looking towards the east dunes
The saltmarsh and the North Sea beyond
Sea Buckthorn is a feature of the local coastal flora
News on arrival of a Rustic Bunting created much excitement. For me and many others, however, the hoped for tick remained out of reach. After showing to several lucky birders late morning I spent a lot of time hoping it would reappear. It didn't. The cycle track it had been seen on, adjacent to Jackson's Marsh, was too regularly disturbed. The end result was a frustrating dip leaving not enough time to explore other parts of the reserve - but that's birding!
Smart male Brambling
There are worse ways of spending a sunny Sunday afternoon, and I was pleased to see my first Redwings (40), Fieldfares (2) and Bramblings (m & f) of the autumn, all fresh in from the continent. There had been also been a large fall of Goldcrests in the morning - over 200 we were told - and they were everywhere. Fifty-odd Pink-footed Geese dropped in to Jackson's Marsh and a visit to the hide overlooking Tennyson's Sands produced two Spotted Redshanks, two Greenshanks, two Snipe, a Little Grebe, a Little Egret, and a good range of duck.
Pink-feet coming in to land
Spotted Redshank with a fish
And posing nicely
Tennyson's Sands
Insect interest was provided by a Speckled Wood, and several Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers.
Common Darter
Migrant Hawker

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