From the other side of Fenham Flats

Conditions were good for counting waders and waterfowl from the Fenham le Moor area yesterday.  Geese and swans were scarce with only 4 light-bellied and 2 dark-bellied brent being counted.  There were good counts of other waterfowl including 487 shelduck, 254 wigeon, 67 pintail, 51 mallard, 208 eider, 10 long-tailed duck and 8 goldeneye.  Waders included 169 lapwing, 652 curlew, 440 dunlin, 310 bar-tailed godwit as well as smaller number of knot, redshank, grey plover, turnstone and oystercatcher.  There were 2 slavonian grebes just offshore, 2 peregrines (adult female and 1st winter) and a female/1st winter merlin.  A brambling and 2 rock pipits were at Fenham Mill.