Brents increase, and increasingly flighty

The SE winds continue although not as fresh today. At 15:00 it swung briefly to SW, but then returned SE. Dry all day with occasional sun.

Heysham skear - low water 10:25

Pale-bellied Brent 28 scattered around the skear, mainly at rest - more on Brent later.

Eider c100 close in plus a similar number feeding further out

Still no sign of Great Crested Grebe

Red-breasted Merganser 5 (pair plus individual 2 males and a female)

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Both myself (MD) and Kevin Singleton checked out the two main ponds today.

Mute Swan 7 adult plus 7 juvenile on main pond. 2 adult on "no swimming" pond

Mallard 8

Gadwall 8

Moorhen 6

Coot 1 

Little grebe 2 - both on main pond, one trilling.

Chiffchaff 1 near main pond car park.

South shore mid afternoon 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 65 at least, almost certainly including this morning's birds. There were at least 13 already feeding on Red Nab, when another 50 arrived and landed on the sea. Later 2 more flew in. All the birds were flighty and most remained on the water, rather than feed.

Shelduck 40

Wigeon c150

Shag 1 2nd calendar year flew into the harbour 

Possibly more to come