A variety of bits!

A dry day with sunny spells. A light NE wind freshened after lunch and swung round to the west.

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

Two visits again, first this morning as the tide covered the skear and again this afternoon when it uncovered.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 19 this morning, none this afternoon 

Pink-Footed goose 12 to NW

Pink-Footed geese this morning 

Eider 25

Shoveler 3 males drifted in with the tide this morning.

Shoveler

Red-breasted Merganser 11

Great Crested Grebe 6

Many of the grebes now in summer plumage

Oystercatcher 1,500

Curlew 30

Redshank 250

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 6

Ringed Plover 4

Two Ringed Plover here

Knot 2,500 - this morning there were 2,000 resting on the outer skear before being moved on by the tide, some stopped briefly on the shore and I managed to read a few flags. This evening was a bonus, the unexpectedly (unexpected by me at least) fresh west wind stirred up the shallows and brought the shrimps in. 2,500 Knot arrived as soon as the skear was exposed.

Some of this afternoon's Knot with a nice view of the Lake District 

Feeding was frantic and the tide was ebbing quickly, making for difficult viewing. Still some more flags were read.

Even when you manage a clear view, you can't always read the flag
this one has acquired a blob of something on both sides of its flag

All the more rewarding when you do get a clear reading.
This is another Merseyside flagged bird. It was seen here in December 
hopefully it has also been recorded somewhere else in between 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The female Mute Swan has almost finished nest building 

South shore

Janet checked early in the tide there was little happening.
Little Egret out from the foreshore 

I checked just before high water (Malcolm)

The tide had almost covered Red Nab but still plenty of wildfowl.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 22 - probably including this morning's 19

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Wigeon 220

Shelduck 4

This female Great Spotted Woodpecker had just come in/off the sea.
She rested in the trees behind Red Nab a while before continuing north