Slight overnight frost. The NE wind was not as strong as yesterday but felt even colder.
This Knot was read today so has been a midwinter move from the Sefton coast
281 SR77181 9H P Ringed 22/09/2017 2017 4u 4u Altcar 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 29/10/2017 2017 10 29 Crosby 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 19/11/2017 2017 11 19 Formby 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 03/08/2018 2018 8 3 Seaforth 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 11/08/2018 2018 8 11 Seaforth 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 24/04/2019 2019 4 24 Southport 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 13/08/2019 2019 8 13 Formby 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 14/10/2019 2019 10 14 Southport 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 29/11/2019 2019 11 29 Southport 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 15/01/2020 2020 1 15 Southport 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 23/07/2020 2020 7 23 Ainsdale Beach 281 SR77181 9H P Sighted 22/09/2017 2017 4u 01/12/2020 2020 12 1 Ainsdale Beach
Mediterranean gull - 1 adult on lamppost near Oxcliffe Rd lights
Red-breasted Merganser 3 around Red Nab
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| Two of the Merganser - picture by Kevin |
Middleton Nature Reserve
Just a quick check of the "no swimming" pond on the way past.
Gadwall 1 male (unusual)
Shoveler 2 (male and female)
Teal 6 (3 of each)
Coot 4
Heysham skeer - low water 07:30
The tide was already making fast when I got there at 08:15
Eider c60 drifting north
Red-breasted Merganser 3
No sign of any Brent, but they weren't expected.
This is a nice shot of a skein of Pink-Footed geese heading east across the bay
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| A few Eider bottom right plus Oystercatchers flying by |
I've not been recording Pinkfoot morning and evening movements to and from the feeding grounds, but they are still frequent and numerous. I'm not sure if these, apparently coming from the west side, originally started from the Fylde roost or not (MD)
This is the shell of a Razor Shell, I think it is Ensis siliqua, but possibly E. ensis. If anyone knows for sure, please advise. They are not rare, but I only know of a couple of areas this side of the bay where they are common. I'll not say where, as the same soft mud that makes it suitable for them can make it dangerous for walking (plus they are very easy to entice out of the mud, with the correct equipment, which could have a significant effect on these long lived molluscs - I'm not suggesting that any of you would remove them, but they are taken, both for food and fishing bait).
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| This one is about 16cm long, E. Siliqua can grow to 20cm Their name reflects their similarity to the old "cut throat" razors |
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| Like all molluscs, they have growth rings, but I don't know enough to separate annual from seasonal, but they typically live for 20 years and do not reach maturity until at least 4 years |
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| This is looking top to bottom, obviously empty now. The foot extends out of the bottom of the shell while the siphon at the top filters food. Sometimes as you walk along the low water tide line, you can see them protruding out of the mud. But as they sense you approaching they disappear like a periscope going down, often accompanied by a jet of water ejected from the siphon, impressively high, well over a metre, not to be confused with the small squirts sometimes produced by cockles. |
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