Pinkfoot movement gains momentum

Light north to NW breeze, freshened slightly throughout the day. An overcast start then sunshine through the middle of the day, before ending up overcast again.

Report from Pete:

Curlew Sandpiper 1 juvenile was inshore feeding with just six ringed plover and three Dunlin. These were flushed and flew towards Potts corner.  Tide miles away at this stage so not with tideline waders

nearby 14  Mediterranean gulls (13 ad one 2CY)  ocean edge mudflats and Red nab.

There were still some Meds on mud out from the saltmarsh when I checked later  (MD)

Off heysham Head

Shag 1 x 2CY 

Great Crested Grebe 14

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean:

There were classic conditions for Pink-footed Geese to migrate from Iceland as a cold front moved south on Tuesday night. A nice clear sky corridor formed with a north westerly airflow to bring the geese directly overnight to northern Scotland. At 5am many flocks were over Dumfries and Galloway and by 0930 several flocks had reached Heysham. By 5pm many geese had made it to Norfolk. More geese likely tomorrow.

Pink-Footed goose 597 high to the south 

7 skeins totalling 287 between 09:30 - 12:15, largest 85 at 10:00

6 skeins totalling 310 between 12:30 - 13:15, largest 120 at 12:50

Other than that the only vis was 5 Grey Wagtails, of which two were caught and colour-ringed

Ringing:

Grey Wagtail 2

Goldfinch 6 (one was a retrap)

Greenfinch 6

Chaffinch 3

Goldcrest 1

Chiffchaff 1

Willow Warbler 1

Blue Tit 4 (two were retraps)

Great Tit 1 (which may not be from Heysham - awaiting details)

Robin 1

Dunnock 3 (two were retraps)

South shore early afternoon (MD)

Red Nab 

Rock Pipits 3

Linnet 2

Grey Wagtail 1

Grey Wagtail 

Foreshore 

Wheatear 3

Robin 2

Everything seems to eat Blackberries!

Saltmarsh 

Starlings c120 on brambles

Linnet 18 on marsh

Shore out from the saltmarsh/foreshore 

70+ Ringed Plover and c40 Dunlin feeding close in but Curlew Sandpiper had not returned 

Dunlin resting in a shallow drain

The tides are dropping again now, but are still very high (9.1m). It comes in very quickly over the near flat shore. This clip shows a Bar-Tailed Godwit with Knot plus a Dunlin and Oystercatcher, running to keep ahead of the rising water.

They quickly get fed up of this and the beach was soon deserted.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Grey Plover 30

Knot 80

Dunlin 16 + the inshore birds