SE light wind, overcast with occasional showers.
I more or less did the same two walks as yesterday, and got, more or less the same results, but at least I managed to keep largely dry today (MD)
South Shore 09:00 - 10:00
Mediterranean gulls 13 adult roosting on Red Nab
Whimbrel 2 at least
Redshank 61
Common Sandpiper 1 feeding briefly in the corner of No.1 outflow, but unlikely to be the same as yesterday's, as both that bird and today's quickly moved through
A Kestrel was hunting around the saltmarsh resulting in a reduction in the small birds feeding on the ripening seeds. Just 2 Linnet each along the foreshore and Red Nab.
No Rock Pipits seen today.
Heysham skear - low water 14:50
Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year (it was feeding yesterday as well but I forgot to add to post)
Fish don't move around much at slack water. Flatties settle out of sight in the mud. So the fish eaters tend to rest at slack water too. The Shag was resting on Conger rock with two Cormorants, the tide was just starting to flood and one of the cormorants flew off.
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| Shag and 2 Cormorants on Conger rock |
So the Shag moved up the pecking order.
No Great Crested Grebe seen today
Red-breasted Merganser 4 - what looks like a female with three young
Eider 30 mainly young ones. In this clip they are taking a rest from feeding and have a group preen. One displays its stubby wings.
Yesterday I wondered if they were feeding on the gutweed or any invertebrates amongst it. The answer is both. The top bird at the start of this clip is eating gutweed, but the one that comes in from the left has a crab.
Oystercatcher and Curlew plentiful
Whimbrel 1 at least
Redshank 5
Turnstone 8
Ringed Plover 2
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| Ringed Plover |
No Dunlin today, but again 7 wader species altogether with the Common Sandpiper
