A change of habit, is the only thing that's new.

A fresh SSW wind early on eased a bit during the day, high cloud with plenty of Sunny spells and just a couple of light showers.

First, these are Mark Jones' pictures of yesterday's Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

10:30 yesterday morning, an hour after high water
I was c400m to the right of this shot, trying to read a ringed Med! (MD)

Also from yesterday morning, Jean's summary of the vis from Heysham Nature Reserve:

Grey Wagtail 8 
Chaffinch 28
Pink-footed Goose 200 N
Redwing 34
Starling 10
Corvids 35
Jackdaw 25 E
Skylark 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Bullfinch 1
Blackbird 1

Back to today

South shore

Pete managed a check:

Red Nab

120 Wigeon

3 ad Mediterranean gulls flew in from South. Plus a 2cy on outflows 

Plus 5 Bar-Tailed Godwit roosting 

I started off on the shore out from the saltmarsh on the rising tide (MD). I was trying to relocate the yellow ringed Mediterranean gull from yesterday, it's definitely a new bird for the recording area. The tide wasn't much higher than yesterday, but the beach is so flat here the tide almost covered the shore. I eventually located 2 adult and a 2nd calendar year.  

This clip shows the 2cy plus an adult bathing (the water would have been quite fresh, as this is the groundwater run off backing up against the tide). It was teasing me, showing that it was ringed.

The light was very bright and at this range, through a viewfinder I couldn't tell if it was a white or yellow ring. But as the tide ebbed I managed to read it, not the yellow ringed bird of yesterday, but an old friend, already seen this year, the Dutch LCG, ringed in 2010.

Not a waste of effort though, as Pete pointed out, it does show a change in habit.
The latest sighting of this bird here has previously been late July to early August 

The bulk of the waders were at the edge of the recording area just out from the faux castle:

Dunlin 1,500

Knot, just 11 many more further south

Grey Plover 70

Bar-Tailed Godwit 57

A walk back around the saltmarsh to Red Nab, now just after high water located:

Wigeon originally 50 birds out from the saltmarsh but more arriving from east resulted in 130, plus 20 still on Red Nab.

Mallard 1 drake with the Wigeon

Linnet c60 on saltmarsh, being harried by....

Sparrowhawk 1

Lapwing 71 

Stonechat 1 male, still elusive near the slipway 

Male Stonechat - it was a mute point as to who was watching whom!

Kingfisher 1 showing well on Red Nab

There were still at least two adult Mediterranean gulls on Red Nab. This one took a dislike to one of the Black Headed gulls. It must have been in its place.

so minimum number today 4 adult plus 1 2cy.