Scoter dropped in

Just one heavy shower mid morning. Otherwise dry with sunny spells. The early west wind shifting to SW during the day

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 08:45 - 09:00

Wood Pigeon 25

Water Rail 2 squealing 

Cetti's Warbler 1 singing 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I checked at 09:10 (Malcolm)

Tufted Duck 9

Gadwall 8

Teal 1 on the "no swimming" pond

Little Grebe 4 (2 on each of the two main ponds)

Little Grebe

Grey Heron 1

Heron having a nap in the trees by the "no swimming" pond

Cetti's warbler 1 singing 

Janet checked this afternoon - one of the Tufted Ducks was close to where the Mallard and Mute are regularly fed.

Male Common Darter

South shore (Malcolm) 09:45 - 11:15

I walked out to the waterline from the saltmarsh 

Pink-Footed Goose 41 SE

Shelduck 35

Wigeon 80 (around Red Nab later)

Little Egret 5, including 2 singles flying south

Oystercatcher 45

Curlew 15

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4

Lapwing 18 near the saltmarsh 

Grey Plover 23 - 15 near the saltmarsh plus 8 along the waterline

Redshank 60 near the saltmarsh 

Dunlin 180 initially along the waterline before 140 flew off to the south

Sanderling 1 along the waterline

Ringed Plover 9 near the saltmarsh 

Lapwings and Ringed Plover, with the foreshore in the mid ground

Grey Plover near the saltmarsh 

Sanderling with two Dunlin

The wet mud was reflecting the blue of the sky (it didn't stay blue for much longer!). These are Grey Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling 

Dark clouds were moving in quickly, the mud turned grey! This clip has the same mix of birds and shows just how quickly these spring tides cover the shore here.

The waders headed south, time to leave

Dunlin, Sanderling and a Grey Plover

It lashed it down all the way back to the saltmarsh 

On the saltmarsh 

Linnet 25

Greenfinch 3

Meadow Pipits 2 looking exceedingly wet, presumably grounded by the downpour 

One wet Meadow Pipit

Common Scoter 1 male was on the sea just out from the foreshore, presumably also the result of the recent downpour.

Common Scoter

It had a few dives, one in this clip,  but there is unlikely to be any potential food for it here and it drifted off to the south.

Kingfisher 1 flying around Red Nab