Dodging the showers, or at least trying to!

Very heavy showers in the morning , but at least there were some short dry spells in between. It managed to not rain in the afternoon. A west wind.

These shots of Knot and Oystercatcher on the Near Naze rocks are by Howard earlier this week.

These Knot didn't move for an hour. When they rest like this the only chance
of seeing any flagged birds, is if they around the edge of the group

These are the Near Naze rocks. The stone structure is the base of an old
lighthouse. An iron lattice was above the stone base, resulting in the name
Skeleton Lighthouse 

Kevin Singleton saw this flagged Knot on the Heliport today

North shore (Malcolm) 09:00 - 09:20

I walked out as the tide was covering the skear. Just one smallish (c500) flock of Knot were flying around.

Shag 2 juveniles seen flying towards the wooden jetty

Shag

Pale-bellied Brent goose 45 out from the play area.

You can see the gutweed growing on the rocks here

The tide was coming in quickly, some were already feeding in the water

They then moved further up the shore, and later likely to have moved to Red Nab

Then the heavens opened! Fortunately, the wind was driving the rain and hail onto my back as I walked back to my car.

Middleton Nature Reserve - main pond (Malcolm)

The rain was easing on my way home so I called in for a look. The Swans, Ducks, Coot and Moorhen seemed to be as late. Not seen a Little Grebe since it froze over. I had 3 minutes of glorious sunshine, then the heavens opened again. 

Gadwalls and Tufted Ducks

This Tufted Duck was diving in the feeding area

Mallard and Black-Headed gull

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 

Just a passing check this afternoon as the light was fading

Cetti's warbler 1 seen briefly 

Grey Heron 1

Common Buzzard 1

Kestrel 1

Searching under floodlight. This is 15:25!

As gloomy days go, it wasn't too bad

Overnight rain reduced to light showers in the morning, but rain threatened all day and it never really seemed to get light! A light SE breeze.

South shore (Malcolm) 09:00 - 10:20

A solitary Starling was the only bird seen around the saltmarsh.
Looking fine in winter plumage 

Rock Pipit on the foreshore 

Curlew having a stretch

One of seven Shelduck out from the foreshore 

Little Egret 4

Wigeon 230 around the outfalls waiting for the sea to reach Red Nab. 

Wigeon

Some were feeding on what little gutweed there is on the sloping sea wall, they are not eating the brown wrack, but grazing the short green fibres of gutweed.

You can see wisps of gutweed in the bills of the two rear Wigeon

I don't really know why the Wigeon wait for the tide to reach Red Nab before
feeding there. This shot was on the way back, many of the Wigeon are feeding
high above the waterline. Presumably they feel safer when surrounded by water.

Shag 1 juvenile was on the wooden jetty when I reached the end of the sea wall.

Juvenile Shag with Cormorants 

When I returned from the harbour, it had left the wooden jetty and was 
out from the sea wall

I was almost back at Red Nab, miraculously it had stayed dry so far, but that was obviously about to change!

It doesn't get much gloomier than this!

I was expecting any Brent Geese that had been feeding out from the play area on the north side to arrive at Red Nab at any moment. I feared that the rain would arrive first, but it didn't!

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 34 arriving at Red Nab (also to feed on the gutweed)

And then the rain arrived!

Chiffchaff one calling in the Nature Park

Water Rail 1 calling near the yellow barrier at Middleton Nature Reserve (Alison and Kevin)

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I called in on my way home this morning, it was still raining and I saw or heard nothing.

I called in again this afternoon, dry this time but I still couldn't relocate the Stonechats. 

Kestrel 1

Roe Deer 4. An adult female with two youngsters plus an adult buck

This clip starts on the antlered buck, then the two youngsters then the adult female. Not the most salubrious of surroundings but they clearly feel safe.

Just out of the recording area - Mark Jones

Rooks and juvenile jackdaws still visiting my (empty) feeders (just south of the recording area)

I did notice on the way here on the bay gateway that the rookery has gone, I wonder if the wind removed the nests? (Just east of the recording area)

Brent numbers increasing

Freezing overnight (-2.4°C) followed by a sunny day till showers began in the afternoon. Almost calm till mid morning, then a light SE breeze.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 10:00 - 10:30

It didn't take long to find the two Stonechats this morning, they were where I left them yesterday. Today both the male and female were scrutinising the crevices on the pylon.

Male Stonechat

Both birds in this shot, the female on the right

This is the area they were in yesterday and today. The bypass is just beyond 
the trees in the background. The pylon they were on to the left of the picture,
they were also foraging around the bush and brambles mid frame

They both escorted me back to my car, hoping I would flush something.
But the ground was covered in frost and ice, nothing was moving.

No Buzzards today, but a female Kestrel was also using the pylon as a lookout post.

Kestrel, would be very happy to have a Stonechat on the menu.

Stock Dove 1

Stock Dove

Water Rail at least one squealing

Common Snipe 1

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond (Malcolm) 10:40

The main pond was frozen and there were 120 Black-Headed gulls stood on the ice. Unfortunately, none with colour rings.

Black-Headed gulls on ice

The Mallard also chose to stand on the ice, while the 12 Gadwall remained 
in the pool of water preserved by the reunited Swan family. Also 4 Tufted Duck

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 14:00 - 15:00

Very frustrating, it had been sunny all day, but the clouds were now gathering quickly, it was already quite dark, then rain started just as 1,500 Knot began feeding. I only managed to read two previously seen flagged birds, before having to stash my camera.

Little Egret 3

Little Egret

Shag at least two juveniles 

Juvenile Shag

Great Crested Grebe 2

Great Crested Grebes

Eider 13

Pale-bellied Brent goose 31

25 Pale-bellied Brent geese arrived from the west and settled on the sea out
from the play area. This is 14:30, look how bright the light in the harbour is!

They then flew to the rocks just out from the play area to feed on the gutweed 

Five minutes later, another 6 arrived from the north.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

14:35 and it looks like sunset! Well it was the last of the sun for the day

Cold weather affecting behaviour

A colder night resulting in ice on ground water, but the ponds remained ice free. Another sunny day bit it barely got above 5°C with the cool NW breeze

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

Buzzards here have been notable for their absence since spring, but today there were two constantly calling and flying around.

One coming in to land besides a calling bird

These are the trees along the edge of the bypass 

Common Buzzard

Water Rail at least 2 squealing and making contact calls

Cetti's warbler 1 

Cetti's warbler 

Wren

I was here longer than usual this morning as I couldn't relocate the Stonechats. I had almost given up when I located both of them close to the bypass

The male was feeding low down amongst the bushes and brambles 

The female was checking out all the crevices in the pylon.
It is difficult for insect eaters to find enough to eat in cold conditions 

Middleton Nature Reserve

Green Woodpecker- Kevin Eaves 

Green Woodpecker 

I checked the two main ponds at 10:00 (Malcolm)

The female Mute Swan was on the "no swimming" pond with 2 of her cygnets. The other 4 were on the main pond. 

No other wildfowl on the "no swimming" pond.

Main Pond

Tufted Duck 6

Gadwall 10

Mallard c30

Coot 14

Moorhen 4

Black-Headed gulls 110

Some of the Black-Headed gulls on the main pond. The current cold spell
ends tomorrow, but this pond is always worth checking if it ever freezes over,
the gull numbers seem to increase here and they stand on the ice, revealing if
any have coded rings.

Redwing 1 glimpsed

This Robin was eating Hawthorn berries. It is difficult for insect eaters,
in cold weather!

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 13:00 - 14:45

I didn't have much time this afternoon so I went very early as the tide was ebbing. It was interesting watching the waders arriving.

Redshank 170

134 Redshank on this groyne were joined by others that arrived as mainly
single birds from the south

Oystercatcher 800+ were constantly arriving in groups of around 30 from the south

Knot 3,000 - several small flocks arrived totalling 500, then later than usual in the tide, a large flock of 2,500 also arrived from the south

Curlew not seen 

Turnstone 30 arrived from the north and south

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 10 out from the play area

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Eider 28

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Shag 3 juveniles 

Shag and Eider

All three Shag in this shot

Little Egret 4

Little Egret with muddy feet

There were an awful lot of Black-Headed gulls drifting out with the tide.

Nature Park (Janet)

One large Roe deer just ran out in front of me and my dog, it was followed by a Cocker Spaniel which ran in the opposite direction!!!