Bonaparte's Gull, Oare Marshes

We spent the morning at Oare Marshes today, hoping to connect with the returning Bonaparte's Gull for another year.

We headed up the ramp and walked along the footpath towards Uplees. A Hoopoe had spent the previous day in the area, but there was no sign of it this morning. The walk back did produce our first Whinchats of the year along with a young Cuckoo busily feeding on caterpillars. A Sparrowhawk, Yellow Wagtail four  Ringed Plovers, and several Curlews were the only other highlights.

We returned to the slipway and began searching for the Bonaparte's Gull. Luckily another birder was already watching it feeding out on the mud.

The rising tide pushed the feeding waders closer inshore and a Curlew Sandpiper was found among them for another year tick.  

The water levels remain high on East Flood, resulting in few wader species being able to land. Only Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, and Ruff were seen.  During the morning we managed to see eleven species of wader, most were on the mudflats before high tide.