Just bits and bobs

 West to SSW wind freshening all day. Some heavy showers with just a few short sunny spells.

Mediterranean gull 1 late 1cy was the only bird of note seen by Pete at low water this morning 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Mark Jones had a quick look at the main ponds

Gadwall 8

Mute just 1 adult with 4 mature cygnets on main pond

Janet also spotted

Common Snipe 2 near Tim Butler pond

Pheasant 1 - they are regularly flushed, but seldom photographed!

Female/immature Pheasant 

South shore towards high water (MD)

The plan was to check any waders on the beach, but a quick look saw the last flock of Knot/Dunlin heading south early in the tide.

Shelduck 143 feeding in/along the channel out from the foreshore, but again these left early.

Wigeon 12

Lapwing 70 were on saltmarsh then headed south in three groups

Redshank 75 also on saltmarsh then south

Common Snipe 2 on saltmarsh then east

Linnet 55

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1 - this is the heron trying to cut across the wind as it headed towards Potts Corner.

I didn't have much time today (and even less tomorrow). So sometimes you have to rely on nature coming to you. This immature Sparrowhawk caught a feral pigeon in my garden. It returned to feed on the corpse several times. I'll tidy up whatever remains tomorrow.

Immature Sparrowhawk