Thursday 25 March 2021

Avocets!

The fresh SW wind continues. Overcast for most of the day with a few light showers. A few sunny spells towards evening.

Pete managed an hour sea watching 07:20 - 08:20
Avocet 2 - flying south over the sea with a small flock of Curlew. Avocets are not recorded here every year.
Gannet 1 adult
Red-Throated diver 2
Common Scoter 4

South shore 
Wheatear 1 male on foreshore then Red Nab at 10:00. Later Alan Larsen saw 1 male on Red Nab then the rocky foreshore to the south, possibly the same bird.
Rock Pipits 6 (1 foreshore, 1 Red Nab, 2 lighthouse, 2 waterfall - the lighthouse birds not seen earlier, but were on territory when Alan checked)
Nothing else on the roundhead scrub reported today.
Shelduck c60
Wigeon only 4 seen

Heysham skeer - low water 15:45
Eider were well spread but at least 50
Wigeon 4 (2+2 both pairs left quickly south)
No Great Crested grebe seen
Red-breasted Merganser just 2 seen

Redshank routinely swim across the pools, but these were different. One actually flies in to land on the water. I presume it's more to do with finding a partner than finding food (MD)
They are not the most graceful swimmers!

This Knot looks like it's having a bath in the sea, but this is actually one of the drains fed by fresh water seeping from the water table. It won't be fresh at this point, but certainly brackish. This must be the best bathing spot, and this one is taking its time, there's quite a queue forming, but at least they are maintaining a social distance!