You can't beat a bit of slurry!

The light morning rained eased by mid morning. Then dry for the remainder of the day. A light breeze, mainly from the NW.

Pete did a couple of checks:

Shag 1 flew from the harbour, its dark plumage suggesting adult

Whooper Swan 5 high to the north

Pink-Footed goose 32 south

Heliport - Malcolm

c3000 Knot roosted again, but they remained on the sloping wall and very few flags were seen.

Redshank, Dunlin and Knot

Low clouds/mist rolling down the South Lakes hills

South shore -Janet

These Brent Geese circled the covered Red Nab area a few times before
 heading off south. The regular birds know when Red Nab is exposed.

Wigeon pair

Cormorants on the wooden jetty

Rock Pipit near the lighthouse 

There were two chasing each other then just one feeding.

Plenty of Rabbits along the harbour wall, this one looking like she is
about to increase the number

Good visibility today - Piel Castle to the west

Blackpool Tower to the south

Mallard pair on the newt pond in the Nature Park

Bumblebee sp - no butterflies seen today

Imperial Rd - Malcolm 15:30

Fieldfare 3

Fieldfare

There was a commotion as hundreds of gulls began gathering over the field on the other side of the road.

I guessed that the farmer had been spreading slurry, so I went to check. I was correct.

I thought that there must be at least one Mediterranean gull out of this lot. And I was correct again!

Adult Mediterranean gull (left) with Black-Headed gulls

I scanned all the gulls, there were also Lesser Black-Backed, Herring and Common gulls. But this was the only Med I could find. It had a bit of a limp, unless it was just being careful where it trod! 

First Wheatear, first moth and more Chiffs

Sunshine in the morning but becoming increasingly overcast in the afternoon then light rain in the evening. A light variable breeze

Two Chiffchaffs were along Kingsway - Janet

This one has matted feathers on its forehead, the result of feeding on
nectar (pollen horn)

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

At least two more Chiffchaffs on the southern section 

Buzzard 1 being mobbed by Carrion Crows

Common Buzzard

The butterflies were enjoying the morning sun

Comma

Peacock

Also seen, Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell 

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Janet

The saltmarsh Wigeon took flight.....

.......but didn't go far

Wheatear 1 foraging along the foreshore rocks as it quickly moved through. First of the spring 

Rock Pipit 1

Rock Pipit

Pale-bellied Brent geese getting ready to leave Red Nab.
Kevin Eaves counted 30

Heysham skear - Malcolm 08:30 - 10:00

Pale-bellied Brent goose 6, likely included in those at Red Nab later

Eider 40+

Red-breast Merganser 9

Great Crested grebe 5

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher 800

Curlew 10

Redshank 200

Knot 250

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 20

Common Snipe 1

Pied Wagtail 1 in/off

Heliport

These shots by Kevin Singleton yesterday 

Little Egret

Common Snipe

Yesterday, the Knot were showing well and there were a number of
flagged birds. Kevin managed to read two. It was a different story today.....

Once again c3000 Knot roosted on the heliport, but it was so calm today that they remained on the sloping wall above the flat sea.

Knot on the sloping sea wall.

I checked these (Malcolm) and couldn't see any flagged birds, although most were covered by others. When Howard checked later the Knot had moved amongst the Oystercatcher making checking for flags impossible, although he did manage one that was briefly on top of the wall.

I returned when the tide was leaving the sea wall. 500 Knot moved to the waterline to feed and freshen up. These are some of them freshening up, there is rainwater runoff cascading down the wall in the corner, and it drains out to here. The wind was nowhere near as strong as it sounds.

Some were probing the soft mud for molluscs, but others were supplementing their diet with gutweed.

Of the 500 only two were flagged.

This one ringed at Dyfi Estuary Wales in 2021

Unfortunately, I don't know if these would have been joined by the others still resting on the rocks at the base of the wall. As everything was lifted by a dog running the length of the wall and back. All the waders headed north.

This from Kevin Eaves.

I had my first moth of the year in my trap last night. It's a Common Quaker so one of the usual early Spring arrivals, but very welcome. 

Knot....a lot going on!

 Another dry and mainly sunny day with a light SE breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve - Peter and Rosemary Silvester

Cetti's warbler singing near the main pond

Several Hoverflies seen

Common Drone Fly

Drone Fly sp possibly Tapered

One of four Toads seen

Robin and Dunnock

The Mute pair always show up when someone arrives at the feeding area.

Heliport - Malcolm 11:10 - 11:35

I was supposed to be at the chippy for 11:30, I just called in to see if there were any Knot about. There certainly were! I'm not good at estimating numbers in large flocks but there were definitely more than yesterday's 3000.

They were spilling over onto the Heliport 

In the short time I was there I read several flags including five new ones
for this winter. But they were very flighty 

They returned this time and settled more towards the middle of the wall

This Oystercatcher ended up having to swim back after a number were spooked.

My plan had been to check them as the tide ebbed when they sometimes move onto the beach. So I returned at 13:40, but they were all gone!

Janet took this shot of a large flock of Knot heading south out from Ocean
Edge at 13:30. Almost certainly the ex heliport birds

I checked the skear later and just 400 Knot turned up, after checking them for almost an hour I failed to see any flagged birds. Shame I didn't have more time earlier!

South shore - Janet

Siskin 2 in the Nature Park 

Female Siskin

Female Kestrel, also in the Nature Park

Rock Pipit having a stretch on Red Nab

Pete advises that a Wheatear was seen at Fleetwood today.