Knot not so accessible today

A largely sunny dry day. A light SE wind

Near Naze

Malcolm 09:45

There were 1000 Knot on the rocks, but only three flagged birds could be seen. At least 1000 more were flying around.

Shag 2 juveniles were fishing. This is one of them searching under the wrack covered rocks. I presumed looking for Common Blennies

My presumption was correct. It caught one

Juvenile Shag and a Common Blenny 

Howard checked a little later. One Shag was still around 

.....but not for long

By this time all the Knot were in the air

Just a few of the c3000 Knot, they then flew off to the north

They settled on the groyne at Sunnyslopes with Redshank.
Unfortunately beyond flag spotting range

Male Red-breasted Merganser out from the groyne 

South shore - Janet

Wigeon on the saltmarsh 

Curlew on the saltmarsh 

It did some shouting as it flew off...

Red Nab at high water

Turnstones

Goldfinch 

Moorhen flying back to the Nature Park pond

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

Two Stonechats. This female was seen first, I knew immediately that it was the one regularly seen with the male

Female Stonechat 

Sure enough, she was soon joined by the male

Water Rail 1 calling

Kestrel 2

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:00 15:30

I went down very early in the ebbing tide, partly hoping, in vein, that the Knot would still be on the groyne, but mainly as the light wasn't going to last long.

The Knot were feeding and a few flags were seen, then it felt like someone had turned the lights out and it wasn't possible to read any more flags.

Eider 6

Little Egret 4 - they were fishing at the pool edges as the water quickly drained from them. Somewhat surprisingly they were out performed by this Herring gull.

The gull has a Whitebait in its bill and a second is dropping back into 
the water. It didn't escape!

Shag at least 2 juveniles 

Cormorant and Shag

Pink-Footed goose 183 SE in two skeins this is the largest

Pink-Footed geese silhouetted against the setting sun

You can't really make anything out of the birds, but I find this clip quite therapeutic 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 4 flew north

Brent geese - Quite a day for goose silhouettes