Cross Bay Brent

 A dry overcast day. A very light east wind in the morning, calm this afternoon.

South shore - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:30

I went to check the waterline out from the saltmarsh on the rising tide, as much out of curiosity than expectation. But as I set out there was a flock of c3000 waders drifting like smoke over the distant waterline. I hoped they would settle but they all drifted south. However as I approached the waterline c1000 waders returned and settled, albeit briefly. By this time I was close enough to identify them as mainly Knot, with Grey Plover and Dunlin.

Knot and Dunlin, still quite distant 

 Grey Plover

But they didn't stay long and headed back to the south.

They weren't under attack, well not by a predator. These spring tides come in so quickly, particularly over this relatively flat shore, the waders haven't time to feed and stay ahead of the tide. The rate at which a tide moves isn't constant, at low water there is a short period when it doesn't move at all, slack water. The speed increases as it comes in until it approaches high water when it slows down again producing another slack water at high tide. It was probably coming in slowly enough to begin with for the waders to feed, but by this time it was at its peak speed. 

With the very light offshore wind, it is easy to see the effect of the tidal movement which is usually masked by waves rolling in. When this clip begins I am 5m from the waterline, I am also 5m from the waterline when it finishes, but now on the wet side. No depth of course, just distance.

Cormorants heading for the wooden jetty roost

These geese flew over Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Probably Pink-Footed geese

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:00 - 16:30

By this time it was totally calm and the sea flat. This is looking back to the outer play area rocks, it shows the conditions and also the lack of Brent Geese.

This isn't a black and white shot, but full "colour". It was a trifle dull!

I had set off at the same time in the tide as the previous two days, so I was expecting the Brent geese to fly to the fishing platform rocks at any moment. I could hear them coming, but looking south could only see Oystercatcher arriving. Their calls continued, noise travels exceedingly well over a flat sea, I eventually realised that they were still distant but arriving from the west. They must have flown directly from Walney. The gutweed at the fishing platform rocks must be worth the effort of flying over for quite late in the day.

You can hear the Brent geese calling and also the male Eider's display calls.

Pale-Bellied Brent geese 33 ended up at the fishing platform rocks.

Eider 93 around the skear, more further out. I took advantage of the calm conditions to take this clip of the males displaying. For once you can hear their calls on the clip. The yellow pipe is one of the markers that identify the track the tractors use when launching the dinghies.

No Mergansers seen

Great Crested Grebe 3

This one moving away from winter plumage 

These two well on the way to full summer plumage

The above pair were bonding.

Little Egret 2

Interestingly, there were no Black-Headed gulls feeding, clearly the shrimps were absent. Even though it was flat calm the speed of the water would still have muddied the water along the main drainage channels, so the shrimps must be away from the area.

Oystercatcher 1200

Curlew 60  - a group of 30+ flew over to one of the freshwater runoffs to freshen up. There are feeding Knot in front of them, demonstrating just what a tricky terrain this is to read flagged birds.

Redshank 300

Knot - three smallish groups totalling 300 came from the south and fed a while on the skear, before continuing north. I did manage to spot one yellow flag, but it was one seen here recently. Another 3 groups totalling 250 came from the south and continued north without stopping. As I was getting back to the promenade another 1000 arrived from the south and settled on the western edge of the rapidly increasing skear. The light was already going, it wasn't worth heading back. Well, that's what my legs said!

Turnstone 40

Dunlin 45

A cold east wind, but it seemed to be to the gulls liking

A strong and biting east wind. Overcast, but it remained dry.

North shore - Malcolm 14:30 - 16:00

I did the same walk as yesterday at the same time in the tide. The results similar other than many fewer Knot

Pale-bellied Brent goose 33. There were some feeding on the play area rocks as I set off, then 33 flew past to the rocks out from the fishing platform. Later something spooked all the waders, probably a Peregrine, which in turn lifted the Brent which then flew back south.

Heading to the fishing platform rocks

Lifted by the spooked waders

Eider 60

Eider

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Great Crested Grebe 1

We are at the peak of spring tides now, the tide was rushing out, helped on its way by a strong east wind. The Black-Headed gulls were feeding in flight, they could only have been catching shrimps like this. The shrimps will be larger now, allowing the gulls to spot them in these difficult conditions. This clip shows about half of the feeding gulls.

Not long after, something had changed, possibly the speed at which the water was draining, and the gulls reverted to their more typical feeding method of floating on the sea.

There were no Knot feeding along the waterline today. I saw just three small flocks. c250 in two early flocks left to the south when all the waders were spooked. I could only find one flagged bird amongst them. As I was leaving a small flock of 50 arrived and fortunately two of those were flagged. Unfortunately, I only managed to read one of them. It was very difficult standing still in the strong wind, it didn't feel too bad close to shore with buildings and banking providing protection, but out on the skear you get the full force.

Ringed in Bangor Wales in 2024

Other wader number similar to recent, these are the cast.

Oystercatcher having a scratch

Curlew

Redshank

Turnstone

Dunlin

Ringed Plover and Dunlin 

Plenty of Brent in plenty of places

A dry and mainly sunny day. A light north wind veering to east by evening 

Female Siskin on Kevin Eaves' garden feeder this morning 

South shore

I checked this morning towards high water - Malcolm

Goldcrest 1 in the Nature Park 

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 18 on Red Nab (more later)

Wigeon 120 on Red Nab

Eider 1 male

Little Egret 2

Curlew 40+ on Red Nab

Brent Geese, Wigeon and Curlew

Brent Geese on the edge of Red Nab and the new StenaLine freight ship behind.

You can tell when it is in dock, its towers literally tower over the rest of the dock. I noticed today that the red tops of the tower were rotating whilst it was docked, but as it left the harbour I could see that it was the whole of the tower rotating. I took this clip to demonstrate, you can see the writing at the base of the tower rotate as well as the red tops. Obviously part of the wind assisted propulsion system, I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it is a nice quiet ship.

Rock Pipit 1 along the foreshore 

Rock Pipit

Kevin Eaves saw the adult Shag in the harbour 

Janet checked this afternoon as the Pale-bellied Brent geese were returning to Red Nab, but with new recruits at least 50 total.

North shore

David Kaye reported Knot roosting on the rocks around Heysham Head

This is a Scottish flagged Knot, unfortunately the orange flag not showing 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:45 - 15:00

There were 300 Knot feeding along the waterline to the south of the skear. As I checked them for flags several medium sized flock flew towards the skear. At least 2000 total, but many must have continued further north as I could only find 800 on the skear and they too soon left for the north.

Pale-bellied Brent geese at least 48 flew north, many heading for the rocks out from the fishing platform.

Brent Geese and Knot heading north

Some of the Brent on the rocks out from the fishing platform, the rocks
here look quite green with gutweed

Eider 140 

I'd waded out a little to get a better angle to check the Knot when this fine
drake swam right past me, almost within touching range.

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Female Merganser with Eider

Rain and raptor(?) stops play

Intermittent showers (I suppose that's what showers are by definition!). A fresh west wind shifting to NW.

Middleton Nature Reserve

I had a look this morning - Malcolm

Main pond:

Mute Swan pair plus four remaining immature, although they weren't welcome!

The adult male Swan chasing an immature 

Shoveler 3 pairs, all oblivious to the Swan commotion and resting around the peninsula 

Let's hope they remain undisturbed 

Tufted Duck 3

Tufted Duck and Shovelers

Mallard 15

Coot 6

Little Grebe 1 trilling

"No swimming" pond

Just 3 Teal

Bullfinch 4

Greenfinch 4

Janet also checked the feeding area and managed to photograph another ringed Reed Bunting with enough ring detail for it to be identified.

Male Reed Bunting ringed on the Reserve 20/09/24

Roe Deer two of last year's youngsters 

Female on the right, the male on the left looks a bit "Bambi" legged!

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:45 - 15:00

Pale-Bellied Brent goose 18 minimum scattered around the skear. There aren't great amounts of gutweed here, but there seems to be enough for small groups to nibble at without being disturbed.

It seems that the longer days are now allowing the patches of gutweed
to grow long enough to be harvested

Eider 33

Eider pair

Nothing else seen on the sea

Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Ringed Plover similar numbers to recent 

Redshank 250 many searching the shallows for shrimps

Redshank feeding in the shallow water coloured by the onshore wind

700 Knot arrived from the south and began feeding along the mud to the south of the skear, unfortunately a shower began at the same time making it awkward checking for flagged birds. I saw 3 but only managed to read 2

This orange flagged Knot stood in water......

.......until they moved over to the skear itself. One that got away!

As I worked my way across the skear the rain stopped. Then suddenly something lifted everything! It must have been something large passing over but I couldn't see anything other than the response of the birds. None seemed to be under attack, so unlikely to be a Peregrine. Presumably something had waited out the shower before moving off again. Wonder what? Another one that got away.

At least it allows a better understanding of what is around 

Gulls, mainly Herring, far more than what had been on the skear, many must
have been spooked from the north, possibly what triggered the reaction of the 
rest of the skear birds

All the Knot headed north, these are some of 45 Curlew that lifted, probably 
a typical number, but you don't often see them all in flight at once

This is the first Whelk egg cluster I have seen this year

The forecasted "light" rain surpassed itself!

The early morning light rain had become torrential by late morning. It cleared in the afternoon and the sun shone briefly. The initial SE wind shifted to a SW breeze by late afternoon 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:45 - 16:00

Pale-bellied Brent goose 48 minimum 

Some of the Brent geese flying to the skear, possibly spooked from the 
play area rocks

Others chose to walk

There was no rush, they all just rested along the skear edge

Eider pair

Red-breasted Merganser 2 pair

A slightly different mix of wader numbers

Oystercatcher 1000

Curlew 15

Redshank 150 

Turnstone 40

Dunlin 20

Ringed Plover 12

Knot 150 initially scattered around in small groups, but many ended up resting together along the northern edge. Three flagged birds were seen, unfortunately one was totally unreadable, a yellow and an orange flagged bird, both seen earlier this winter in the recording area, although the orange flag was its first winter sighting on the skear.

Ringed in Iceland last year

Ringed at Merseyside in 2024 - so much easier seeing flags when the sun shines!

Curlew, Oystercatcher and Knot

Four of the Ringed Plover