Not really safe to venture far today

Freezing rain overnight left conditions treacherous. Some sunshine in the morning then mainly overcast. The light east breeze continues.

South shore (MD)

This was my only outing today. The mid morning walk out along the sea wall had to be along the raised section as the lower wall was a sheet of ice. Not so bad on the way back, as it had clouded over and a thaw had started.

Saltmarsh:

Reed Bunting 3

Blackbird 3

Common Snipe 1

Shelduck 73 out from the foreshore and on Red Nab

Wigeon 80+ around Red Nab

Greenfinch 2 Red Nab

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1

Heron, just before it decided that enough was enough

Kingfisher 2 (probably). There was one feeding on Red Nab on the way out. Apologies for the unsteadiness of this clip, but I was trying my best not to slip!

As I approached the end of the wall, what I took to be a second bird flew past me and out to sea, possibly to wooden jetty. When I returned to Red Nab the original bird was still around. There wasn't much else of note so I thought I would try some "action shots"

Rock Pipit 1 on wall near No.1 outflow - the shot below is from where the pipit was, but this shot is just to demonstrate the "steam bath" effect, where yesterday's Grey Seal was feeding.

And that's about it, I don't think, anyone else was daft enough to venture out.

Don't kick the birds!

Another freezing night plenty of sun during the day, but cloudy spells too. A very light breeze from the east.

South shore (MD)

A mid morning walk on the rising tide

There were a few passerines around the saltmarsh, most with their feathers fluffed out.

Blackbird 1 

First winter male Blackbird 

Reed Bunting 3

Reed Bunting 

Greenfinch 2

Male Greenfinch 

I'd walked around the saltmarsh edge, and had stopped at some ground water seeping out to check the Reed Buntings in the brambles above (not a coincidence that they were near unfrozen water). As I set off again my foot caught something. I don't know if I actually kicked it or it flew into my boot, but it was a Jack Snipe 

Jack Snipe

I don't like accidentally flushing birds, but particularly so in such harsh conditions. Fortunately it just did a short circuit of the saltmarsh and returned from whence it came.

Common Snipe 1 on foreshore rocks

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 on foreshore, 1 on Red Nab and this one along the sea wall. Totally oblivious to me and presumably finding recently deceased invertebrates blown into the wall edge.

Kingfisher 1 was resting on the sloping sea wall. It headed towards the wooden jetty

Shelduck 170

Wigeon c80

Little Egret 3 on Red Nab

Great White Egret 2 together heading west out from the wooden jetty.

Distant Great White Egret

Grey Seal 1 female was feeding in No.2 outflow. Unfortunately there was lots of water vapour rising off the warmer water, so I kept losing her in the mist, plus she kept diving, first to feed then to avoid the gulls when she caught a Bass. In this clip she has a Bass and the gulls start gathering.

I left her to her meal, as I continued my walk I thought that of all the creatures that I had seen today, this was the least, if at all, affected by the cold. Here she was swimming in what was effectively a sauna surrounded by sluggish fish (Bass are a warm water species). My speculation was borne out on my return. She had finished her meal and looked very content and relaxed.

Yesterday evening, Janet reported that the Pinkfoot in the fields beyond Meldon Rd were feeding well after dark. Today they must have fed better and began leaving just as it was getting dark. These are some passing into the recording area as they make their way to their overnight roost.

Knot......a lot more

Another freezing night followed by a clear still day. What little air movement there was came from the east.

South shore (MD)

I checked as the tide was covering the shore out from the saltmarsh 

Wigeon c60 arriving at Red Nab as I passed

Shelduck 150 counted but more arrived later

Lapwing 112

Not so many waders on the tideline today although plenty just beyond the recording area.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 10. These had been feeding on the tideline well within the recording area, but as they fly away, you can see the wader numbers increasing the further south they go.

I could have counted the more distant waders as "seen from" the recording area, but the tide was making quickly, so I just had a quick scan to check there was nothing different amongst them - couldn't see anything.

Other waders close in:

Ringed Plover 30 in small resting groups (14, 6, 7 and 3)

Dunlin c250

Grey Plover 5 (3 singles plus 2)

Grey Plover

Curlew 7

Oystercatcher 3 (unusually low number for here)

Redshank 80+

Common Snipe 12 - 5 were flushed as I walked around the edge of the saltmarsh, ground water seeps out here preventing it from completely freezing. The other 7 were feeding at the edge of the saltmarsh where the rising tide was thawing the mud.

Common Snipe behind Lapwing

You can see all 7 feeding snipe in this clip.

Reed Bunting 1

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I went to see if any darvic ringed Black-Headed gulls were resting on the ice. There were lots of gulls but no rings. It is worth checking here in these conditions as there is often at least one colour ringed bird.

The Mute Swan family have maintained an open patch of water at the main pond feeding area. As well as them there were another two adult keeping their distance on the ice, plus another adult on the completely frozen "no swimming" pond (definitely no swimming today!).

Eight Mallard plus two Moorhen made up the current wildfowl total.

The mainly frozen main pond at Middleton 

Near Naze and old Heliport 

Howard did very well again today in conditions that don't always allow a clear view of the birds, he managed to read a further eight colour ringed Knot. These are a few of today's birds.

They roosted first on the Near Naze
This one was ringed in Lincolnshire 

Then moved to the Heliport wall, fortunately some along the top

The older flags can be quite worn, by the rough terrain that they often feed over

Howard's excellent pictures make reading these rings look a lot easier than it actually is. If you go for a look please make sure that you do not spook the birds. Apart from the bird's need to conserve energy at this time of year, there may also be someone else watching from another vantage point. 

Common Snipe 30+ on the old heliport field

This clip from this morning is a bit different. It's on the shore out from the saltmarsh. The beach is very flat here, which means two things, first seawater is trapped between the ripples, which today had frozen between the tides. Secondly, the water come in very quickly. In this clip you can see the rising tide lifting the ice that formed between the ripples. They looked quite spectacular as most were invisible till they caught the sunlight. Still reasonably impressive as a clip, but it was much, much better in real time.

.......but, it was time to leave!

Colour ring day - well, yesterday actually

Another frosty night followed by a sunny day. Very light variable breeze.

Howard went down to the skear yesterday afternoon, to try and locate any colour ringed Knot. He did extremely well, managing to read and photograph eight birds. These are just some examples. You will need to open these images to clearly see the rings.

These orange flagged birds are from a scheme
based at Ainsdale beach Merseyside 

These unmarked flags with four colour rings are part of a scheme 
based in the Netherlands 

They are all, and probably more, in this flock

Coincidentally, I managed to spot a colour ringed Grey wagtail on Middleton Nature Reserve yesterday afternoon  (see scheme details on sidebar). This bird was ringed at Middleton last year and has already been seen once previously in the area this winter, so possibly going to hang around a while. It's always worth checking any Grey Wagtails for colour rings. It seems to be finding food very readily here, but these remnants of a shallow puddle would have been frozen over in the morning, presumably killing the various larvae that it is now picking up. A feast, but soon to be followed by a famine?

Today's records are from the north shore

Pete had a scan on the dropping tide from Knowlys Rd

Red-Throated Diver 1 (on sea and diving at Kent Channel range)

Great Crested Grebe 10 inshore 

David Kaye checked from Heysham Head late afternoon 

Red-Throated Diver 1 in (possibly same as Pete's)

Plenty of Knot (if you open this shot you can see one of the birds - bottom left - is ringed. Looks like the Merseyside scheme).

Knot with a few Dunlin

I managed the last hour of daylight on the skear (MD)

Eider 45 at least

Red-breasted Merganser 3 - this male was having a washing frenzy!

Shag at least 1

Cormorant, as well as the 5-6 normally feeding here, this flock of 16 were heading north.

It was a lovely evening, but it was time to leave!

Several shades of grey

The wind remains light and mainly from the north. A light overnight frost - my weather alert warns of an "unseasonably cold spell". I know the climate is changing but I still thought winter was the season to expect cold spells!

Report from Pete:

Hard work checking dropping tide channels off Heysham - just 

Red-Throated Diver 2 and flock of 5 Common Scoter in Kent channel area. 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult  Red nab 

plus two darvic ringed Shelduck - quite a few of these around.

Chiffchaff (collybita) ringed HNR - caught in feeder net, probably wintering around pond above office

South shore - high water 10:00 (MD)

I went on the shore out from the saltmarsh as the tide was covering it. Originally filled with waders, but the inevitable  Peregrine attacks quickly flushed most.

Shelduck 200+ these are some of them moving in with the tide. Unfortunately all either distant or in the water, so no chance of seeing any darvic ringed birds.

It was hard keeping track of the waders as they were constantly on the move, the larger ones not always returning. These are minimum numbers.

Lapwing 180 

Lapwing looking splendid in the sunshine

Common Snipe 6 (on saltmarsh)

Curlew 15

Ringed Plover 3

Dunlin 350

Knot 500

Grey Plover 16

Bar-Tailed Godwit 50

Redshank 120

This is what today's title refers to. When I check the waders here as they return from breeding they are a striking mixture of summer, winter and juvenile colours. Today they were all, just shades of grey!

These are Grey Plovers with some Bar-Tailed Godwit in the background 

These are Knot and Dunlin with a few more Grey Plover

Grey Plover showing its characteristic dark underwing patch

Also:

Rock Pipit 3 together 

Reed Bunting 4

Song Thrush 1

Greenfinch 2

All above on saltmarsh 

On Red Nab

Kingfisher 1

Wigeon c80

There was some more colour today, but I'm saving pictures for tomorrow's post, as I may not get a chance for a walk tomorrow.

Godwitless

A slightly fresher northeast breeze. Some occasional sunshine.

South shore - high water 09:20 (MD)

Just a quick check from Red Nab to saltmarsh 

Shag 1 - looked to be a juvenile, sharing a rock with a cormorant on Red Nab.

Immature Shag on Red Nab, they are not often seen here.
Pete says that the recent storms may have blown more than one juvenile into the area.

I like this clip, the Shag shows the Cormorant how to shake any water off really quickly!

Wigeon c150

Shelduck 125

Around saltmarsh:

Song Thrush 1

Reed Bunting 2

Reed Bunting 

Heysham skear - low water 16:00 (MD)

I managed an hour's walk just before it became dark. No sign of any Godwit or Brent geese today.

Great Crested Grebe 3

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Eider 6

Shag - at least two immature. I saw one feeding and two were resting on reefs, possibly one was the earlier feeding bird. I took this one to be a juvenile, as much by its lack of finesse as anything else (not that Shag are renown for their elegance at the best of times). This clip shows it taking off, just, and a short flight to where it began feeding.

Waders pretty much as yesterday apart from the Godwit. A Peregrine was trying its best to reduce the Knot count. It flew low across the skear to spook them all, then gained height before dropping on them. In this clip it manages to separate an individual bird, but it didn't quite catch it.

Godwits again

Just enough breeze to ruffle the sea again, mainly from NE. Plenty of sunshine in the morning.

Pale-bellied Brent geese - a quick check on both the north and south side feeding areas at high water (08:30) found none. The afternoon check of Heysham skear located 4 feeding quite a way up the beach from the SE skear corner. Another single bird on the water further out probably a different bird.

Pale-bellied Brent goose on western edge of skear, 
a bit unusual just seeing a lone bird.

South shore just after high water (MD)

Linnet 3 on saltmarsh 

Greenfinch 2 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 1 along the sea wall and 1 between waterfall and lighthouse.

Shelduck c60 - this one appears to be drinking sea water, and indeed is drinking water from the sea, but this is just out from the foreshore and a surface water drain isn't far away. Even so the water will still be brackish.

Grey Plover 1 at the Red Nab end of the foreshore. They are not often seen here. It seems to find something to eat easily enough.

Peregrine Falcon 1. It came from over the Power Station and dived down to Red Nab, not a stoop but still very quick. It managed to grab a bird, but it managed to break free.

Peregrine with would be breakfast 

This is it just afterwards. It was soaring to gain height, the next attack would be faster, but the birds had already flown. I didn't see it attack again.

Kittiwake 2 - an adult plus a 2nd calendar year, feeding around the dredger that was operating in the outflows water intake area.

Two Kittiwake above the dredger

Their technique was to wait on the wall till they spotted a tit bit.

Heysham skear - low water 15:20 (MD)

Even less visible on the sea today

Great Crested Grebe 1

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Eider 3

Brent goose - see above

Shag 1 - an immature bird had been resting on a honeycomb worm reef, it must have already fed as it flew back towards the wooden jetty.

Immature Shag

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Dunlin a few flying around

Knot c400

Bar-Tailed Godwit 110 at least (I managed a high count of 130, but couldn't be certain they were all Godwit). There were three flocks flying around. These are some of them, with some quite distinctive landmarks in the background.

Some of them landed just north of the green marker post, but they didn't stay long.

Just out of the recording area - Angela reported large numbers of Pink-Footed geese feeding in the fields adjacent to Oxcliffe Rd.

Good Godwit day

A NE breeze at least moved the wind turbines and ruffled the sea. Plenty of sunshine, particularly in the afternoon.

Heysham skear - low water 14:20 (MD)

Not so much seen on the sea today

Great Crested Grebe 5

Red-Breasted Merganser 2

Eider 4

Pale-bellied Brent goose 4 feeding in SE skear corner

Shag 2 immature. It was the juvenile's turn to rest on conger rock today. It then dropped into the sea below, as it became shallow, and began snorkelling again. Meanwhile the 2nd calendar year bird was waiting on a reef on the north side till the tide stopped ebbing.

Little Egret 5

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Knot c500

Dunlin - just a few singles flying around

Ringed Plover 8

Ringed Plover with three Turnstone 

Bar-Tailed Godwit a flock of 80 flew south. Unfortunately I didn't spot them till they were already flying into the sun, so didn't see where they came from or where they went.

Some of the Godwit with a likely Knot

Black-Tailed Godwit 1 followed them a few minutes later, at least I saw this earlier and suspect it had been feeding on the north side.

Black-Tailed Godwit

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check on the way home found the wildfowl pretty much unchanged, except no sign of the Wigeon.

Jackdaw 46 (37 + 9). It was only 15:00 but this seemed to be the beginning of a pre roost gathering.

Stuck in the doldrums......day 5......running short of supplies...

The calm weather continues, very low cloud in the morning resulting in mist, cleared by the afternoon. What slight air movement there was came from the east.

Heysham skear - low water 13:10 (MD)

Red-breasted Merganser 6

Great Crested Grebe 8

Eider 10

Male Eider on a becalmed sea

Little Egret 8

Shag - the 2nd calendar year bird was resting on conger rock on the ebbing tide before leaving to feed. It returned to the rock 10 minutes later, presumably well fed.

2cy Shag (left) sharing conger rock with two cormorants. One taking a plunge.

Pale-bellied Brent geese 9 - two were on the north side and seven landed on the sea at the south side before swimming to the SE corner to feed.

Pale-bellied Brent on their way to the skear corner

South shore

Mark Jones had a walk along the sea wall and took these shots:

Little Egret on Red Nab

Kingfisher on Red Nab

2cy Kittiwake below the harbour waterfall 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Little change other that a pair of Wigeon has joined the Gadwall on the "no swimming" pond. This is the third consecutive winter that first, just a female, then a pair of Wigeon have been in association with the Gadwall here.

Still becalmed

Another almost breathless day with just a slight east breeze. The clouds were quite low again.

Heysham skear - low water 12:00

I checked at low water (MD), although the tide doesn't go out so far on these neap tides.

Great Crested Grebe 9

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Eider 7

Shag 1 immature on Conger Rock on the ebbing tide.

Little Egret 6

Knot c150

Dunlin 20

Common Snipe 3

There was a small duck, tantalisingly distant. I couldn't make out any features but suspected it may be a Teal. I waited till the tide started coming in hoping it would bring it closer. It did drift in, but further out. Fortunately my shots were just good enough to confirm a female Teal, when viewed on large screen and zoomed in. Not much to see on this clip, but if you've ever wondered about the size comparison of a Great Crested Grebe and a Teal (and who hasn't!) here you are.

A little later when Pete checked:

Pale-bellied Brent 2 flew in from the south

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a brief check of the two main ponds.

Tufted duck now back to 3 males plus a female

Gadwall 24, but predominantly male. Finding a mate is becoming more intense, the time for eye rolling is over (see posts 6th and 7th November), it's  now time for action! 

Female Gadwall surrounded by suitors, most unwelcome!

Other wildfowl remains unchanged. No warblers heard.