Nice day, shame about the birds

The west wind continues, high clouds with plenty of sunshine.

Heysham skear - low water 10:40 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 3

Red-breasted Merganser 7

Eider 5

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year feeding

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Ringed Plover 26

Knot 6

South shore - high water 16:20 (MD)

I went to check the wadders being concentrated by the rising tide. It was strangely quiet on the saltmarsh, just 1 Rock Pipit, no Linnet or starlings. It was soon obvious why. The male Kestrel had been hunting and had caught a small rodent.

Small enough to be swallowed in one, this clip, is a bit shaky but you can just make out it swallowing the rodent.

After its meal it just wanted to rest a while, but this Magpie wasn't for letting it.

Shelduck 53

There were lots of waders on the mud out from the saltmarsh, but I could only find the regular species:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 26

Grey Plover c150

Knot c500

Dunlin 1,000+

This is part of the group that ended up just in front of the saltmarsh.

This is another flock of Dunlin joining them

Some of the Grey Plover are still in partial summer plumage