Green Woodpecker showing well........at last!

SE breeze. Overcast all day with the occasional light showers.

Red Nab to saltmarsh - high water 11:00 (MD)

Mediterranean gull 1 on Red Nab at high water- this looks like the same adult, with a pale mask, that I showed yesterday, but closer today. It had no qualms about clipping an Oystercatcher behind its ear!

This short clip is just to show how close to the sea wall the med was.

Little Egret 6

Grey Heron 2

Lapwing 66

Mallard 4 out from the saltmarsh, but living harmoniously with the two feeding Wigeon today.

Wigeon, originally just two out from the saltmarsh but the Red Nab birds flew to the saltmarsh as the tide rose - at least 120. No wonder the Mallard were tolerating them!

Having just realised yesterday that the older plants of Samphire are providing seeds, it seems that it isn't just the Linnet taking advantage. This is one of the original two feeding Wigeon. You can see the tops of the fresher Samphire out of the water, but the Wigeon appears to be feeding on older growth just below the surface. 

Linnet 41 - but by the time I reached the saltmarsh, their favoured feeding area was already underwater.

Meadow Pipit 2 (no Rock Pipit seen or heard)

Grey Wagtail 1 SE

Common Snipe 8, only two flushed from saltmarsh, the others possibly flushed from Red Nab.

Kestrel 1

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Alan had a quick walk around in the afternoon and was rewarded with:  a confiding Green Woodpecker making good use of the dead willows along the top path (previous sightings this year have just been fleeting, mainly on Middleton).

Heysham skear - late afternoon - low water 17:45

Not a lot

Great Crested grebe 2

Red-breasted Merganser 11 (2, 8 and 1)

Eider 1 

Knot c60