Guillemot still present in Heysham Harbour Thursday to 1350 when it flew out strongly into the sun.
Today
South shore (MD)
I started at the saltmarsh at 10:30, just as the rain stopped and the sun came out, unfortunately briefly, there were more showers to come!
Linnet 30
Greenfinch 14
Both the above feeding on bracken seeds around the saltmarsh
Wigeon c30
Mallard 4
Little Egret 8
Grey Heron 1
Common Snipe 5
Rock Pipit 4 (2+1 battling near saltmarsh slipway, 1 near the waterfall)
Sanderling 2. Unusually for me I heard them before spotting them (heard, but I didn't know what I'd heard till I saw them). They either came from the saltmarsh or had flown overland from the north side. They flew past me and rested briefly on the waterline out from Ocean Edge foreshore. Pete said that it is getting late for passage. They didn't stay long and flew off low to south. This clip is rubbish, but they were a distance out, fortunately it is just good enough to confirm species, but you may need to watch in slow motion.
This is just a blown up still from the above clip |
Mediterranean gull 1 adult/3rd calendar year was all I could see on Red Nab as I went out, but by then it was lashing down again. On the return the tide had covered the rocks.
Cormorant - there were six resting on the upstands near the waterfall, but this 1st calendar year bird elected to rest on the harbour wall.
1st calendar year Cormorant |
Spectacular lighting over the skear |
Great Crested Grebe 2
Red-breasted Merganser 3 - all males, although at first I thought this was a male in pursuit of a female.
This still from the above clip, as they take flight, clearly shows the large white wing panel on the lead bird |
Little Egret 9
Grey Plover 1 - not so common on the north side
Plus Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Turnstone