Tuesday 4 June 2024

Another Skua, Scoters, Kittiwakes, Canadas and a boat.

A strong SW wind freshened further as it drifted to NW. showers, some very heavy in the afternoon. Sunny spells by evening.

Seawatch from North wall - Mark Prestwood
c90 plus c55 plus 5 Common scoter in
flock of 50 kittiwake out
dark morph Arctic skua in at 0825, 
12 plus four Canada Geese north

South wall (Malcolm)
I managed a dry walk in the morning
The flock of 12 Canada geese were on Red Nab till moved on by the rising tide.

Canada geese

Another flock of 5 came in and landed on the sea, so at least 21 through this morning

There were lots of gulls feeding on the outflows and they appeared to be finding plenty to eat.

The young Herring gull's feeding technique isn't exactly graceful........
.....but it got what it was after. Only a small titbit, possibly a shrimp

This Peregrine falcon was just hanging on the wind high above the sea wall

Occasionally it got too close to the nesting gulls and was chased off.

Peregrine Falcon being seen off

By mid afternoon the rain had "stopped", and the wind stronger and still not yet from the north, so I went out to see if the outflows had anything more interesting feeding on them.
As I was walking out the skies ahead were black and getting blacker and closer quickly. I needed to get to the shelter of the lighthouse before the rain! But I stopped to take this short clip of the dredger heading to the Lune deeps to dump its load. It seemed very low in the water for such rough seas, and seas that were about to get much rougher. It made my risk of getting wet seem insignificant.


I just reached the lighthouse in time, the rain was heavy and almost horizontal 

As the squall eased, a very wet looking Rock Pipit turned up above the nest site,
with quite a large morsel

There was still nothing but the regular gulls on the outflows.
Curlew 3

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
These shots from yesterday 
Carrion Crow with a looted fat ball

Mallard getting in a flap!

Cormorant feeding on the main pond today.