Saturday 8 January 2022

Unseasonal Seal

West wind. Rain all morning reducing to sunshine and showers by the afternoon.

South shore mid afternoon 
Sea wall and harbour - Kevin
Pale-bellied Brent goose 24 (at least) on Red Nab
Wigeon c150
Shag 1 juvenile patrolling above the waterfall, which was covered by the tide.
Juvenile Shag above the harbour waterfall 
Ringed Plover 1 on Red Nab, along with the Oystercatchers
Greenfinch 3 on Red Nab
Grey Seal 1 - Grey seals are around all year, but are not common here in the winter months. This one looks to be a female.
Grey Seal - males have pale markings on a dark background, females
have dark marking on a paler background. This appears to be the latter,
but you might need to open the image to see markings clearly.


Saltmarsh area (MD)
Rock Pipit 4 - 2 feeding amongst the flotsam in the NE corner
Reed Bunting 4
Song Thrush 1
Common Snipe 2

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Little change except:
Gadwall increase to 41
Shoveler 2 (pair)

Just out of the recording area:
Black Redstart 1 female/ immature - these are Nick Godden's comments from LDBWS website today: 

Not a surprise at all to find the black redstart still in the same area of Sandylands near the blue house about 11.05 this morning. Mostly using the gardens today. Don’t be put off by “no sign today” messages! It’s elusive and can easily go out of sight in the gardens or rocks but will surely remain all winter unless we get a spell of hard weather.

Also rock pipit again in the same area