Steart Marshes - 31 December 2014 (0900 - 1500 hours)
2 Merlin - adult female hunting Meadow Pipit near main entrance before moving West. Returned three hours later and remained for 100 minutes, resting, bathing in a pool and preening. Began hunting again and moved away across the marshes. Second individual seen high in the sky above Wall Common beach chasing Dunlin unsuccessfully.
1 Peregrine (adult male) - ranging around above the marshes and seen to fly 100m fast and direct to intercept a Kestrel but did not try to catch it. Perched up on a pylon.
5 Kestrel - loafing on posts and trees, and hover-hunting.
1 Sparrowhawk (juvenile) - perched for 15 minutes on the top of a Viewing Screen before flying off low and fast.
8+ Common Buzzards - 3 soaring low in sunshine (separately) and the rest loafing about on low perches and on the ground.
Also:
2 Raven
1,000+ Golden Plover
10+ Mute Swan including one colour-ringed individual (Right Leg: white Darvic ring, black text ULB. Left Leg: metal BTO ring) and one freshly dead juvenile (unringed), apparently killed by flying into overhead powerlines.
5,000+ Dunlin
25+ Common Snipe
10+ Redshank
8+ Little Egret
8+ Grey Heron
20+ Mallard
30+ Shoveler
150+ Wigeon
85+ Teal
4 Gadwall
6 Stonechat
40+ Meadow Pipit
15+ Skylark
10+ Song Thrush
5 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
