Some interesting weather coming up with the cold weather coming from a much better bird-wise easterly source than the previous spells this winter (apart from Arctic Gulls - but this isnt much use when you have lost your rubbish tip). It could include some cold-weather movement following extensive snow to the immediate east (including being snow-bound at Ashley's?) on Sunday night. It would be nice to document some of this without getting hypothermia. This is also Smew weather and Pine Lake has a good history........
Coastal sightings
Purple Sandpiper - 2 wooden jetty
Med Gull - 2 adults on railings along NHW from c1330hrs but not before then
Pink-footed Goose - 88 + 2 South; 31 North
Shelduck - 1 + 1 out
Red-throated Diver - 2-3 offshore
Golden Plover - c45 + 7 in-off towards Red Nab (most unusual here; I (Pete) have never knowingly seen Golden Plover from the North Harbour Wall in nearly 30 years of regular observation (c/f a parallel with the other days Lapwing?))
Grey Plover - 7 out
Wigeon - 96 off Red Nab
Twite - none seen, but more food put out
Middleton IE model boat pond
Male Pochard & 3 Goldeneye
Rest of site
2 mute
10 coot
3 moorhen
1 female pochard 21 mallard
19 tufted
42 teal
35 & 42 pinkfoot north
Ocean edge
171 lapwing
c35 Golden plover flew across form Red Nab direction then SE overland towards Overton/Sunderland. 9:45
Observers: John Wood & Malcolm Downham
Elsewhere
4 European White-fronted Goose visible from Bull Beck car park with Greylags & one Pinkfoot. 6 Scaup north Morecambe.
