Honeycomb worms have an Achilles' heel!

A mainly dry day with just the odd light shower. The SW wind was still quite fresh.

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 09:00 - 09:45

I've never known the skear to provide such little diversity! No Gulls at all, nothing on the sea except a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers. The only waders were Oystercatcher, Curlew, Turnstone and 24 Ringed Plover high up the shore.

South shore

I checked along the sea wall this morning and returned after lunch as the tide was reaching Red Nab (Malcolm)

Kingfisher 1 flew out from the freshwater culvert on Red Nab this morning.

Nothing of note on the outfalls 

Plenty of young Herring Gulls. None of the ones ringed at the Power Station
this spring seemed to have stayed in the area. Some have been seen elsewhere
including Manchester and Merseyside 

These are the Honeycomb worm beds at the end of the sea wall. These are the
only ones that I am aware of on the south side of the harbour. Last night's storm
has removed a layer of mud from the base of the beds.

I have never seen anything trying to extract a worm. They are only small and
the clumps of Honeycomb are quite strong, despite being made of no more
 than grit and spit.

But this Turnstone saw an opportunity today......

........and extracted this worm from the newly exposed base of its tube.

Wigeon 146

This morning the Wigeon were strung out along the waterline

This afternoon they were on Red Nab

Pale-bellied Brent goose 82. They arrived in three groups from the north side, 64, 13 and 5 about 90 minutes before high water.

This is the first and largest group arriving, flying unusually high over
the top of No.2 outfall superstructure 

These were the last to arrive

Janet checked later as the tide was covering Red Nab

The Brent geese were still feeding

But not for long

Oystercatcher 

Turnstone 

Curlew

This Cormorant was the last to leave.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I looked in twice, this morning I saw or heard nothing, it was the same this afternoon at first, then the two Stonechats turned up. I think it was more a case of them finding me, rather than me finding them.

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Both in this shot

Wind blown warmth!

Showers, some very heavy throughout the day, but at least there were some dry spells in between. A very strong SSE wind which was moving to SW by evening. It was unseasonably warm, Kevin's weather station records an overnight low of 9.7°C and the temperature peaked this afternoon at 14.7°C!

Just my stuff so far (Malcolm)

South shore 11:15 - 12:00

Just a quick walk along the sea wall and back. The rain held off as I walked out, but I got a soaking on the way back.

Wigeon 134 - most resting in the lee of the outfalls until the tide reached Red Nab.

Wigeon

Redshank 48 in one flock along the wall.

Redshank

Shag 2 juveniles were in the harbour, 1 was feeding around the fisherman's wharf on the far side of the harbour, and was out of sight for most of the time.

The other had presumably done feeding and was having, what can only be described as, a thorough spruce up!

One spruced up Shag

Middleton Nature Reserve - main pond

There was an increase in ducks 

Gadwall 18

Tufted Duck 12

Mallard 25

Imperial Rd

I couldn't see the Stonechats looking from the road.

Kestrel 1

The waterlogged fields to the east of the road were bringing the worms to the surface, which attracts the gulls. Mainly Herring.

Not a Knot to be seen!

A dry and largely sunny day after overnight rain. A light southish breeze, very mild again.

North shore (Malcolm) 09:30 - 10:30

A check as the rising tide was covering the skear saw no Shag, Eider, Grebes or Knot

Red-Breasted Merganser 2

Male Red-breasted Merganser

Pale-bellied Brent goose 28 at least on the rocks out from the play area.

These are the Brent geese looking from Knowlys Rd as I was heading home

I don't know if everyone has a favourite moon phase name. Perhaps not.
But I do, and this is it. A waning gibbous. Although I do like the name, this
phase indicates that we are past the peak of spring tides and are moving back
to neap tides, which tend to provide fewer viewing options. So my actual 
favourite phase it its opposite, a waxing gibbous.

I checked the Near Naze and Heliport wall both before and after high water. Not a Knot to be seen. Their absence certainly isn't down to the lack of food here, presumably the Peregrine persecution just became too intense. Hopefully the food availability will tempt the Knot back

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 10:45

Water Rail 3 squealing, but from the edges of the marshy area, the water table is still very high.

Moorhen 1 heard

Teal 2

Grey Heron 2

Kestrel 1

Female Kestrel 

Stonechat 2 both the Male and the female were feeding, but quite a distance from the road amongst the Reedmace. 

Male Stonechat amongst the Reedmace

The female did fly to the fence to have something solid to beat this 
hairy caterpillar against.

Red Nab (Janet) just before high water

 Oystercatchers, Turnstone and  and Curlew were the only waders

Little Egret heading off

Kingfisher 1 - it flew from the right of me towards the little pool that fills on high tides but then flew back again and looked like it was going to land on the sea wall but I lost where it went, it couldn't go in the freshwater outlet as the tide was up too far!!

The weather was kinder than expected, at least half of the day was dry

The rain held off till lunchtime, then continued for the remainder of the day. A light SE breeze freshened later as it moved more due south.

Very mild for December! No lower than 7°C overnight and up to 11°C this afternoon, and that's without any sunshine.

Heliport

These shots by Howard show some of the Snipe seen yesterday 

They are not so easy to see once they settle

Pete and Jean checked today 

32 Knot

480 Redshank

8900 Oystercatcher 

One Oystercatchers, was this Icelandic ringed bird

North shore (Malcolm) 09:15 - 10:15

Little Egret 2

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 63 were on the waterline out from the play area.

Then they headed towards the rocks, the keen ones flying others opting to goose step

Pink-Footed goose 32 SE then later 63 NW

SE bound Pinkfoot 

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Shag 2 at least

As I was walking out there were 150 Knot being chased south by a Peregrine. At least one other Peregrine was around

Peregrine Falcon

One of the juvenile Shag  high tide roosted sunny slopes groyne, another on wooden jetty - Pete

Imperial Rd (Makcolm)

The water table was already high here, but it was 15cm higher this morning. Possibly why no Water Rail were heard.

Kestrel 1

Grey Heron 1

Grey Heron chilling out

Little Egret 1

Stock Dove 1 south

Cetti's warbler 1 singing (once)

Stonechat 2 both the male and female were showing well

 

Male Stonechat 

Female Stonechat 

This is the female feeding.

There was definitely insect activity today a spider was constructing a web across a track I walked along yesterday. I turned back, partly in consideration for the spider, but mainly as the water was perilously high up my wellie!