Walking on water!

Very light west breezes. Mainly overcast but warm with some sunny spells.

Red Nab and saltmarsh 

Mediterranean gull at least 6 - 5 adult and a 2nd calendar year on Red Nab with the Black-Headed gulls. Only checked from distance with binoculars, there could, and probably were more.

There were similar numbers of Black-Headed gulls roosting out from the saltmarsh as there was yesterday (300+) but much more spread out and no Meds seen with them.

Linnet 8 around saltmarsh 

Lapwing 3

This was the last of the current neap tides, the mud out from the saltmarsh will be covered by the rising tides for the next week.

This was unusual Little Egret behaviour, and the subject of today's title. I reported around this time last year that fingerling Bass were feeding in the creek through the saltmarsh, I am sure that is what the Little Egret was chasing. Small Bass here is a new thing, so it's not surprising that the Egret has developed new tactics. There is shallow water either side of where the Egret is, I suspect the successful capture involves the Bass either beaching itself or floundering in the shallows.

In this still, I have circled the bass jumping out of the water.
You can see this in the clips below.

The Egret gives up the chase when the Bass reaches deeper water

It didn't manage to catch a Bass this time, but I'm sure it must have done so previously, possibly why I haven't seen the large shoals that I saw last year (not all eaten, but wary). 

Today it was the Goldfinches turn for a bath in the newt pond. The heavy carpet of floating weed on this pond makes it always worth a look. 

This morning there were 7 Ringlet between this pond and Red Nab

Heysham skear

Great Crested Grebe 5 - I must have missed some the other day after all. There are 2 pairs and a single bird. Still in summer plumage but no longer displaying. I like this clip, it reminded me of someone waving to greet an old friend - perhaps it was 

I waved back - just in case....(MD)

Curlew c60

This is a Black-Headed gull pellet, you seldom find them as intact as this.

This is why. I placed it in water and the matrix immediately disintegrated 
revealing mainly crab and shrimp remains.