Kits still hanging around

Another dry day with a light mainly south to SE wind.

Heysham skear - low water 07:50 (MD)

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female - no sign of any males

Great Crested Grebe 1

Eider 3

Little Egret 6

Knot c450 - one flock split as they passed me. Not a great shot, but it does give a sense of what it's like being in the middle of a Knot Flock (and this is only a small flock!)

Knot racing past

Dunlin 15

Common Snipe 9 flushed from inner skear

Plus: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone 

Later Steve Brown was on Heysham Head, there was only one Great Created Grebe showing from there too. But he managed this nice shot of it.

Great Crested Grebe 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick passing check of the two main ponds, but I managed to see/hear quite a lot in 10 minutes.

Mute pair plus 5 juvenile 

Mallard 6

Gadwall 14

Teal 5  - male and female on the "no swimming" pond plus three flying around

Tufted Duck 4 - 3 male and a female

The female was in association with the male who is not quite in full breeding plumage 
Both sporting diminutive tufts

All four Tufted with a Gadwall pair

Cormorant 1

Reed Bunting 1

Cetti's warbler 1 calling

Chiffchaff 1 calling 

A mixed Tit flock passed through including at least one Goldcrest 

South side

Pete checked the noon ferry in

Kittiwake one adult plus two 2nd calendar year, one of which just appeared behind the ferry and was probably already in the harbour. 

I checked the wall mid afternoon, just after high water (MD). One of Pete's 2cy Kittiwake was still in the middle of the harbour

2nd calendar year Kittiwake 

There were also three adult Kittiwake feeding on the outflows 

Adult Kittiwake 

Shag 1 at least - I couldn't be sure if the 2nd calendar year bird was in its favoured roost spot on the wooden jetty, the likely candidate refused to show its head. But this bird, possibly the juvenile was on the railings at the end of the wooden jetty. It should be worth checking out this roost spot again.

Other stuff:

Wigeon 100+ mainly out from saltmarsh 

Linnet 18 saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 5 together on saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 3

Turnstone - this was the only individual on the few remaining Red Nab rocks. It seems to have a weak foot, but it was still managing to turn some stones!