SE to ESE light wind, overcast with some light showers.
Pete and Jean managed a morning visit and located four key species (including the Black Redstart and Mediterranean gull, just out of the area - see bottom of post).
Pale-Bellied Brent goose 25, including the Canadian ringed birds, near the children's play area.
Shag 1 feeding near the green marker post
A quick look on the skear - low water 10:00 (MD)
Eider 100+
Great Crested grebe 4
Red-breasted Merganser 7 - including this distant group of 5, with the 2 males beginning to display (not a great clip, but I have little else different today).
An even quicker look at Middleton Nature Reserve
Pretty much the same as yesterday, except no Shoveler
Mute, Coot and Moorhen unchanged
Mallard 13
Gadwall 39 (26 still on main pond)
Tufted Duck 2 male
Wigeon 2 (pair)
Teal 4 (2 pair)
A dusk check of Red Nab
The tide was almost at high water, but at 8.1m it only reaches the outer rocks.
Pale-bellied Brent 25, clearly the birds from the play area this morning, as these also included the Canadian ringed birds. They don't always fly from the north side on this height tide, but they seem to have located a relatively rich vein of gut weed on the SW corner of Red Nab.
Shelduck 58
Wigeon c80
Kingfisher 1 resting on rock beside the freshwater stream. Not close enough to be fishing though.
Greenfinch 36 - a strangely silent flock flying around, presumably preparing to roost (MD)
Just out of the recording area:
Mediterranean gull 1 adult on lamppost just north of Oxcliffe Rd traffic light junction with Heysham Rd.
Black Redstart 1 female/immature seen by several observers both on the promenade rocks and private gardens by the blue building near Stanley Rd.
Andrew McCafferty has posted a nice shot of it on the Lancaster and District Bird Watching Society blog. This link will take you there if you want a look.
