Is that it for the Grey Phalarope?

Light WNW to SW wind. A few light showers

Grey Phalarope - the only records today came from a report on bird info services at midday, plus one sighting late afternoon. Pete advises that tonight's conditions are ideal for it to move on.

South shore

Janet took these shots on Red Nab:

One of two Grey Wagtail 

Two Rock Pipits

Pete was back on the road today, he didn't manage to see the Phalarope, but did see:

Little gull 1 first winter on No.2 outflow

Shag 1 in harbour

I went to check the saltmarsh at high water (MD)

Linnet 66 feeding just above yesterday's high water line

Wigeon 7 

Jack Snipe 2  - I had one on the west side. David Talbot was checking the east side, he had at least one other, plus

Common Snipe 2

I meant to post this picture yesterday, but forgot. The wind was from the south, not wild, but enough to break the waves. Whenever waves break, spray is taken up into the air. It is often so fine that you can't feel it, as was the case yesterday. But the rainbow effect it produces here is proof that it is there (there was no rain)

Light sea spray creating a rainbow effect as it blows up the sloping wall

Heysham skear - low water 07:40 (MD)

Eider 4

Great Crested grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 9 on the water plus a flock of 6 south were probably these (couldn't rule out Goosander)

Little Egret 6

Knot 31 + 12 south

Skylark 5 together east 

Grey Wagtail 1 east

This was satisfying. A week or so ago Angela spotted a pair of "crows with white bibs" in Heysham Nature reserve, high in the trees. Too distant to see detail and she only had her phone to take a snap. But sure enough they looked like two identical crows with white bibs. The only plausible leucistic explanations seem implausibly coincidental to have two identical birds. Today I managed to relocate them near the car park at Middleton.

Carrion Crows with what appears to be white bibs

But it wasn't the outer feathers that were white, it was the under feathers on the throat, these become visible when the breeze lifts the outer feathers. Unusual enough, but at least it explains why the white area seemed identical. This clip of one of them shows the effect in action, if you look closely, you can see the extent of the pale under feathers making the whole breast look grey rather than black.

Finally, some unique millipede and centipede records. Located by Nicola Garnham - if you would like to learn more, visit ‘north west invertebrates’ facebook  site.

Couple of interesting (to me at least) myriapoda from Heysham head.

Macrosternodesmus palicola (I think it's the UKs smallest millipede, this one was 2.5mm) and Strigamia maritima found on the spring tide strand line. Common on the coast in UK but there are no records in Lancs on NBN (and it's the first time I've found one)