Barn Owl on the day shift

Overnight rain stopped just after dawn, then just the odd light shower. A southerly wind in the morning shifting to SW in the afternoon 

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

A Barn Owl was hunting over the central marshes. It couldn't have hunted during the overnight rain.

Hopefully it has some little beaks to feed

Kestrel also hunting 

Herring Gull with nesting material

This young Coot on the main pond seemed very independent 

Roe Deer 1

Heysham skear - Malcolm 16:30 - 18:00

Sanderling 80 minimum.

I started as soon as the first rocks were being exposed again. Things were looking promising as a flock of c50 Sanderling were milling around just offshore. Four then landed on the innermost rocks.

Three of the four early arrivals 

The location of the above shot is circled. This is only 50m from the promenade 

Unfortunately a Peregrine passed over and all the Sanderling were gone. Later, somewhat further out, I managed to count 80 in three main groups, but there were likely more scattered around, by this time it was a large skear.

Initially they were in smallish groups

But they merged into larger groups, scurrying around like mice.

Sanderling and a Herring gull (1 of c150)

I do look forward to the Spring Sanderling passage, they are my favourite wader!

Knot 16

Knot, plus 2 Sanderling (they get everywhere!)

The Knot landed in the shallows and began probing for food. They were too tightly packed to be after the invertebrates. They were finding small mussels. 

The Knot on the left is swallowing a small mussel. This isn't one of the
new crop of seed mussels, which are still tiny

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Curlew 5

Ringed Plover 1 flying purposefully north  

Eider 5 (3 male)

Great Crested Grebe 1

Herring gulls, Eider and Great Crested Grebe