Birds under foot........well........almost

NNW to W winds. Mainly overcast with some showers.

Report from Pete:

Seacheck heysham north wall 1005-1105: 

2cy Shag (later on Wooden Jetty)

5 Sandwich Tern (including two late unexpected bloggers on the yellow buoys)

2 Guillemot

1 very distant Gannet

Heysham Head (MD)

I just went down to check how the rock Pipits are doing. Only one pair found, below the high cliffs. I say found, but if you go down there the male finds you and gives you a good peeping at (I'm assuming male based on the behaviour seen by the lighthouse pair (MD)). He came within 3 metres of me and didn't stop calling till I moved away, although he didn't seem overly stressed, plenty of time for the odd scratch. He was so close that I had to zoom out to get him in frame.

Meanwhile the (assumed) female was waiting with a bill full of food. But she wouldn't fly to the young while I was watching. You can hear the male still peeping at me in this clip.

I looked away and then back, but she was gone, fortunately I saw her fly back down from the cliff tops. So either the young are still in the nest or perched atop the cliffs. I didn't want to disturb them any longer so left, the male ignored me as soon I started walking away.

I'll check out the Half Moon Bay and Near Naze birds tomorrow.

Heysham skear - low water 18:50 (MD)

Eider 6

Great Crested Grebe 5

Little Egret 3

Dunlin 4

Sanderling 34 - small groups 1 - 7 birds were making their way along the northern edge, they must have been working their way along the southern edge too as a large feeding group was forming on the western edge (as far as they could go). I paddled out beyond the western edge and watched as the feeding group grew and came closer to me. Initially it was raining, but fortunately it stopped and the sun came out briefly.

This in flight shot was before the sun came out.

Sanderling, there was quite a range of plumages, this was one of the less rufous ones

As the feeding group, now 32, passed me they came within 4m, the sun came out, allowing some better shots than I normally manage.

Quite rufous Sanderling 

Less rufous Sanderling 

Sanderling and Dunlin feeding

They were managing to catch shrimps, but perhaps some a little too large for them. This bird has a lively shrimp, but it appears to be pinched by the second bird, which also seems to let it go.

This clip shows where they were on the skear

As the tided ebbed further they started moving further west, these are some passing me. 

I didn't try to follow them but walked back along the south side, two more single birds past me heading west. I was really disappointed that you can't hear them calling in any of the clips. Their calls were very clear in real time and the breeze was behind me, I was sure my camera would pick them up. Still, a very nice experience.