Plenty of waders today

Light overnight frost. A dry day with some sunshine, particularly in the morning. Light SE wind.

South shore (MD)

A walk on the shore out from the saltmarsh was more productive today. I knew it was going to be as these Knot and Bar-Tailed Godwit were arriving as I arrived at the saltmarsh.

10 wader species counted, these are the minimum numbers within the recording area, there were many more to the south and easily visible.

Oystercatcher c40

Redshank 5

Lapwing 1 (just a solitary bird flying south!)

Common Snipe 3 (lifted from marsh grass just south of the saltmarsh)

Ringed Plover 13

Dunlin c2,000

Knot c3,000

Grey Plover 45

Bar-Tailed Godwit 170

Curlew c40

These are Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot joining a mixed flock of Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Curlew.

Grey Plover, Knot and Bar-Tailed Godwit.

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover (bottom) and Knot (Top)

Not so frantic, but I like this clip of a Redshank picking up small invertebrates in the rising tide - ending with a reflection of the Power Station.

Shelduck c150 - the shot below shows where one has been feeding in the soft mud. You can see its webbed footprints and the shallow scollops in the mud where it has filtered out any invertebrates.

Evidence of Shelduck feeding

Wigeon 200+ Red Nab

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 44 Red Nab

Pink- Footed goose 123 north in 3 skeins between 11:05 and 11:40

Skylark 3 together low to north, a little later 1 flew high to south

Reed Bunting 5

Rock Pipit 4 (2 together on saltmarsh, 1 each on foreshore and Red Nab)

Raven 1 on pylons Heysham Nature Reserve this afternoon (ref Jean)