The west wind continues, high clouds with plenty of sunshine.
Heysham skear - low water 10:40 (MD)
Great Crested Grebe 3
Red-breasted Merganser 7
Eider 5
Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year feeding
Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus
Ringed Plover 26
Knot 6
South shore - high water 16:20 (MD)
I went to check the wadders being concentrated by the rising tide. It was strangely quiet on the saltmarsh, just 1 Rock Pipit, no Linnet or starlings. It was soon obvious why. The male Kestrel had been hunting and had caught a small rodent.
Small enough to be swallowed in one, this clip, is a bit shaky but you can just make out it swallowing the rodent.
After its meal it just wanted to rest a while, but this Magpie wasn't for letting it.
Shelduck 53
There were lots of waders on the mud out from the saltmarsh, but I could only find the regular species:Bar-Tailed Godwit 26
Grey Plover c150
Knot c500
Dunlin 1,000+
This is part of the group that ended up just in front of the saltmarsh.
This is another flock of Dunlin joining them |
| Some of the Grey Plover are still in partial summer plumage |
