The strong overnight winds were already easing by 04:00. Although they did continue to be quite strong from the SW. Mainly fine with a few sunny spells but an occasional light shower.
Almost all the birds were heading out between 08:30 and 09:15:
Red-throated Diver 2 out
Common Scoter female out
Greylag Goose 10 out
Kittiwake 3 adults + 24 Common Gulls out
Grey Plover c18 out
Shag juv harbour waterfall early on
Cormorant 64 roosting on wooden pier
Wigeon 172 between the two outfalls
Kingfisher on Red Nab
Rock Pipit 1 harbour wall plus a pair on Red Nab
Just out of the recording area:
25 PB Brent's (including cr pair) Middleton Sands at midday (high tide).
Then flew and landed on mudflats to feed c300m north from car park/cafe at 13:30 - (At that point they were probably just within the southern limit of the recording area. (MD)
Also on south shore (MD)
Rock Pipits at least 3 in addition to Shaun's 3 including 2 together on saltmarsh.
Jack Snipe 2 flushed from western edge of saltmarsh towards high water. The south and eastern edges not checked.
Pale-bellied Brent goose 4. On Red Nab at 09:20, then this clip of them with the Wigeon over the covered saltmarsh at 10:20. They almost certainly will be some of the 25 described by Shaun above.
Middleton Nature Reserve
Just the two main ponds checked:
Mute Swan, the additional aggressive adult must have move on, peace and tranquillity reigned!
Adult 3 x 2. Juvenile 2 + 7
Moorhen 5
Coot 1
Mallard 11 on main pond
Gadwall 39
Tufted Duck 4 male
No sign of Shoveler, Pochard, Wigeon or Teal
Water Rail 1 - unusually seen but not heard - just a glimpse in margin of "no swimming" pond.
Little grebe 1 - this is the first record since the ponds briefly froze over in late November.
No reports received, so far, from the north shore
