Partially cloudy, morning SW F5 to F6, afternoon SSW F4 to F5, 15C to 17C, rain showers.
Today was the RSPB WeBS count so I started at the eastern end of ARC and New Diggings, working my way round to the Tower Pits, the Pines Inlet and finally Hanson Hide. With the exception of Shoveler duck numbers are much lower than in July and August. Shoveler must go through their moult a month later than Pochard and Gadwall.
I then covered Boulderwall and finally looked on Burrowes although this pit would have been already counted. On Burrowes I had three Greenshank and a single Common Sandpiper. Martin radioed through that two Spotted Redshanks had appeared on ARC so I then headed back there and whilst watching the two a third flew in calling and joined them. The adult Glossy Ibis seems to have taken up residency on ARC. No sign of any Garganey though.
In the late afternoon I did my Littlestone survey. I fear for the small wader roost using the beach, they already have a tough time trying to rest with walkers and dogs off-lead disturbing them. However, I think the planned building of a watersports centre at the Greatstone car park will be the end of the roost at the RNLI station unless there is a planning condition not allowing watersports during the winter period. During the survey I had at least 107w Sandwich Terns along the shoreline and 20 roosting Mediterranean Gulls on the shingle with 91 offshore. Roosting waders comprised 35 Ringed Plovers, 53 Dunlin, seven Turnstone and four Sanderling.
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