More ducks on the move

A dry day, but mainly overcast. A light east wind.

North shore

Heliport yesterday - Kevin Singleton 

30 snipe in the air, it’s not something I see often.

Flocks of greenfinch feeding in with oystercatchers

Snipe

Lapwing 

Heysham skear Malcolm 08:30 - 10:30

Pale-bellied Brent geese in the SE skear corner 

Shoveler 8

Shoveler stopped off for a while. I didn't see which way they left

No Eider or Mergansers seen

Shag 1

Shag - bottom right on conger rock. The rest are Cormorants 

Little Egret 3

There was a flock of c1200 Knot and no Peregrine attacks while I was there. I did manage to read a number of flags, all but one seen previously this winter.

From Knowlys Rd - Pete Woodruff 11:20

Pale-bellied Brent goose 52 flew south towards Red Nab

Heliport - Malcolm 13:20

Wherever the Knot went to roost today, it wasn't here.

Shag 1 juvenile, possibly the same as this morning's bird

Shag

It flew off towards Half Moon Bay 

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Cetti's warbler singing on the southern section of the reserve, near the industrial site.

South shore - Janet

Saltmarsh

Common Snipe

Wigeon

Shelduck

Reed Bunting

Wren

Moorhen by the dog walk pond

Rabbit in the Nature Park

All the regulars on show

A dry sunny day with a light east wind

Yesterday's shots of a Grey Plover along the south sea wall by Janet

Heysham skear - Malcolm 08:20 - 09:45

I went down "early" to watch the rising tide cover the skear. As I was walking out a flock of 400 Knot on the north side were under attack by a peregrine, then another flock of 1000 was lifted from the south side and they all left to the south. Later 2 small flocks of 90 and 23 were flying areound.

This handful of Knot were the only settled ones seen
A later check of the Near Naze and Heliport also saw no Knot

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 30

Turnstone 60

Redshank 250

Dunlin 40

Pale-bellied Brent goose 38. They had been high up the shore then flew to the waterline, possibly disturbed.

Sunrises here are seldom as nice as the sunsets, but this shot includes
some of the Brent geese - upper middle picture 

Some of the Brent geese high up the shore

Some of these flew back, but most were happy to stay on the water

Pink-Footed goose 112. Two skeins north 39 and 13. I skein 60 SE

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Mallard pair

Male Merganser plus Mallard pair

Great Crested grebe 1

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

Just a quick passing check. 

Both the male and female Stonechats seen.

Long-Tailed Tits 12

No Water Rails heard, the water table is now much reduced from its peak.

Kestrel 1

Pink-Footed goose 56 south

Near Naze - David Kaye 13:00

Shag showing well

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Janet

Tufted Duck and Gadwall

Mallard

Great Tits

Take solace in the solstice

Showers at first light then a dry day with a light east breeze.

Near Naze and Heliport  - Malcolm

Shag 1 juvenile feeding out from Half Moon Bay

There were c1000 Knot circling a couple of hours before high water but they headed north. They didn't roost on the Sunnyslopes groyne today either. I would normally check the skear on the ebb on these tides, but it wouldn't start to be exposed till 15:15, and by that time the light is already fading! Still, it's the shortest day of the winter today, we will slowly gain more daylight now.

Oystercatcher c5000 on the sloping sea wall

Redshank 20

Dunlin 4

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Lapwing 6

Common Snipe 2 seen, almost certainly more in the long grass

Lapwings

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

Both the male and female Stonechat were present.

The female was feeding in an area that this Wren clearly regarded as its own.

It had been "clicking" furiously, but stopped as soon as the Stonechat moved on

No Water Rail heard

Kestrel 1

Mute Swan 1 immature bird flew NE

Raven 2 - moved through from the south and were last seen heading east along the bypass. Neither bird made a single call.

Raven

Middleton Nature Reserve - main pond - Malcolm

I went to see if the Mute Swan that flew over Imperial Rd came from here, but all the regular 6 immature Swans were still here.

The other wildfowl was as recent. These are some of the 18 Tufted Ducks feeding. The grunting are the Mute Swans expecting to be fed

South shore - Janet 12:00

Cormorants 

Oystercatcher and Turnstone

Oystercatcher and Curlew 

These Cormorants are fighting over a Bass. Bass are a very dense fish and this one must be a high proportion of weight of the Cormorant that swallows it. 

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