Sunday 31 January 2021

A bit of Knot News

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
281SR771819HP
Ringed22/09/201720174u4u




Altcar
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u29/10/201720171029
Crosby
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u19/11/201720171119
Formby
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u03/08/2018201883
Seaforth
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u11/08/20182018811
Seaforth
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u24/04/20192019424
Southport
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u13/08/20192019813
Formby
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u14/10/201920191014
Southport
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u29/11/201920191129
Southport
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u15/01/20202020115
Southport
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u23/07/20202020723
Ainsdale Beach
281SR771819HP
Sighted22/09/20172017
4u01/12/20202020121
Ainsdale Beach
Mediterranean gull - 1 adult on lamppost near Oxcliffe Rd lights

Red-breasted Merganser 3 around Red Nab
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
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).
This one is about 16cm long, E. Siliqua can grow to 20cm
Their name reflects their similarity to the old "cut throat" razors

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

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.