It's an ill wind.........

South winds today, SSW in the morning more SSE in the afternoon. Mainly overcast with some showers.

North shore

These are the steps below Whinnysty Lane, they took a battering during the weekend storm. 

An earlier storm this year started the damage, but the weekend storm left this,
these are not small boulders!

Pale-bellied Brent goose 25 - a lady at yesterday's event asked how the sea and shore birds manage through the storms. The answer is that most healthy birds can cope with short spells of most extreme weather. And storms sometimes can provide new opportunities, today the Brent were taking advantage of such an opportunity. There were none feeding near the children's play area, instead they were strung out along the low water line near the green marker, feeding on broken weed left behind by the storm. They looked so much more at home feeding miles from any disturbance!

The beach slopes down quickly here, these birds would not have been visible from the shore.

This clip was on the way back looking from the skear, it wasn't practical to take a shot of all the birds as they were strung out over several hundred metres of shore line.

Another consequence of storms is that some birds find themselves displaced, two species were on/around the skear that are only seen rarely here.

Wigeon 7

Common Snipe 3

Also:

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Eider 100+

On the way back, the rocks around the children's play area were still deserted apart from a group of Black-Headed gulls with 

Mediterranean gull 1 (the regular bird that also frequents the lamppost) - in this clip the Med starts top left (then follow the white wings). The whole group fly to a groundwater run off, they all seemed to need a drink. It was 10:40, so perhaps they were just returning after a breakfast near the lamppost (MD)

South shore

First an update:

Siskin 1 seen by Kevin near the small anemometer on Friday

Today

Pale-bellied Brent goose 44 - these will include this morning's birds. Three lots arrived at Red Nab, 34, 2 and 8.

Wigeon 200+

Shelduck 15

Lapwing 16

Common Snipe 15 flushed from saltmarsh edge by the rising tide

Rock Pipit 4 - saltmarsh, Red Nab, sea wall and waterfall 

I have had some enquiries about yesterday's guided walk along the south wall. These are the details, I know Deborah is planning future, similar events.

Organised by: Deborah Woods Community Engagement Officer as part of The Bay:A Blueprint for Recovery (it’s a multi partnership project with Eden Project North and the Lancashire & Cumbria WildlifeTrust, The NHS and Postcode Lottery)