12 Wednesday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
A single Dunlin, which appeared to fly in to the rocks at Newton Point with a flock of Ringed plovers, was my first sighting of this handsome wader species this year. Though initially standing alone on the quickly disappearing patch of sand at the base of the rocks, it soon moved on to a large rock to hunker down with the other roosting waders, the Turnstones, Ringed plovers and Sanderlings.
11 Tuesday Oct 2022
Posted in birds
Sanderlings are stunning small waders, usually hyperactive sand scurriers, though these particular beauties were trying to settle in for a night’s sleep. When splashed by a high wave from the incoming tide, they seemed almost to mutter crossly and fluttered forward to the next dry spot.
These were my first Sanderling sightings for the year and an absolute joy to be near as they settled to roost, some just closing their eyes and hunching down, others tucking their heads under one wing. Watching these little waders winding down made me feel quite sleepy too.
10 Monday Oct 2022
Posted in nature
Tags
birding, birdwatching, British birds, British waders, coastal birding, Newton Point birding, watching waders
My Saturday was wonderful, a day’s birding along the Vale of Glamorgan coastline with my friend Della, checking clifftops for Choughs (unsuccessfully), stumbling over Stonechats along shorelines, scanning blue skies for Kestrels and Fulmar (the latter also unsuccessfully), hoping for (but not finding) the gold nuggets of Yellowhammers in hedgerows, nabbing a snippet of a Little owl in a crumbing barn roof.
We wound down by watching waders settling in for the night at Newton Point. Arriving about two hours before high tide, we were able to find a couple of spots amongst the rocks where we could sit quietly, almost obscured from the birds, and watch their antics, listen to their chatter as the encroaching tide pushed the birds closer to us. It was the perfect end to a magical day (and I’ll share more about the birds tomorrow and Wednesday).
earthstar 
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