200 up this morning!!

Over the last few days it has been frustrating sitting in the office listening to the radio crackling into life to report another good bird out on the reserve.
With 7 shorelark on the brackish marsh yesterday afternoon I decided to come in early to see it I could catch up with them. I was the first person on site so I headed straight down to the beach. After a few minutes I noticed 3 larks flying near the far creek but they were too far to tell which. I started to walk towards them and after about 100m flushed a bird that I hadn’t seen. It flew onto the strandline and was a cracking shorelark (199). Later in the day, all 7 were relocated feeding near the tanks but were very flighty.
As I walked back I decided to have a look through the gulls (someone has to!) on the fresh marsh and was very shocked to see a juvenile dotterel (200) on the edge of the golden plover flock. I managed to phone Dave but there was no-one else to tell. As one of the hide contractors drove along the edge of the fresh marsh, the plover flock took off and started to circle over the lagoons. A birder came out of Island Hide but hadn't seen the bird on the deck but he did manage to see it as it circled before heading inland. With no work being carried out on the hide this weekend, hopefully the flock will settle down.

The possible Caspian gull from the other evening was one after trawling books on gulls and the internet and Dave had two birds this evening including a bird that was also present briefly on Wednesday.

All I need to do now is see as many species as possible in the next few weeks.