A slightly warmer south wind freshened throughout the day. Dry till mid afternoon then showers.
Half-Moon Bay (Malcolm)
I escorted a school outing from the Cafe to the high cliffs at Heysham Head along the shoreline. The pile of wrack below the cafe was still providing easy pickings of Kelp fly maggots, but today it was mainly "feed yourself". These are male and female/immature House Sparrows.
Also seen feeding hereRock Pipits 2
Pied Wagtail 1 juvenile
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| Juvenile Pied Wagtail |
Rock Pipit there were at least 5 along the foreshore below Heysham Head, possibly including the 2 feeding near the Cafe. This one looks fluffy, but they are difficult to age.
Canada Goose 73. First a flock of 59 flew north at 09:40.
At 10:30 this flock of 14 came in on the sea. They are not drifting in with the tide, the tide is going out. They are swimming in against the tide.
For information regarding these geese likely destinations see post 09/06/24
Just a vey brief check.
A flock of 14 Canada geese flew north from the skear as I was walking out, almost certainly the same 14 seen earlier on the sea.
Eider 3
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Great Crested Grebe 1
No egrets today, but I was there before the tide started making.
Oystercatcher 500
Curlew 6 were the only waders.
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| Curlew flying over the lush green centre of the middle skear (gutweed) |
Herring Gulls 450 mainly immature, feeding on the seed mussels towards the western edge of the middle skear, although there are now seed mussels forming closer in, but not where the gutweed has a foothold. Interestingly, a few Lesser Black-Backed were feeding with them today. There is no reason why this source of food is not as beneficial to them as it is to the Herring gulls, but swallowing a small mussel whole won't be much different to swallowing a small pebble. Presumably tasteless, and requiring a leap of faith that they will sustain you. There are two Lesser Black-Backed with this feeding group.
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
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| Grass Vaneer - Thanks to Jean for the Identification |
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| No Burnet seen on the wing here yet, but their cocoons are showing |
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| Pheasant, with just about enough feathers to fly away |
