Sunday 25 December 2022

Inshore waders

 A showery day, mainly overcast. A fresh south breeze.

Green Sandpiper 1 - flew across Imperial Rd (to the recycling centre) - Pete
Common Snipe 1 - flushed from fields near Kingsway - Janet

Heysham Head 
I had a mid morning stroll in the rain (MD)
Pale-bellied Brent goose 3 - they were easily visible from the Head, and in the same area as seen yesterday, although on the rising tide today. The following clip is from yesterday and demonstrates how they can also be seen from the Promenade. This is from the promenade at Whinnysty Lane.
At 10:15 they flew south past the Head. I don't think that they had been flushed by the dog walkers, the tide had reached the sea wall by that time and no weed would be within reach.

The tide was coming in quickly, I was expecting to see a Shag feeding, but not today. 
Red-breasted-Merganser 2
Female and male Red-breasted Merganser 

Waders feeding below rocks before being flushed by tide; Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone  and Curlew 
I couldn't locate a Rock Pipit, which again was a surprise 
Meadow Pipit 1
There was a mixed tit flock, mainly Long-Tailed Tits working their way through the wooded area. The following clip is from Tuesday, just after the cold snap, when the birds were too focused on finding food to worry about me. I've ben saving it for a rainy day.

Also during the cold snap I took a nice shot of a Robin surrounded by ice covered foliage. I was planning to use it today, but I managed to accidentally delete it! Fortunately, one of the many festive decorations in the Glebe Garden on Heysham Head was a nice replacement 
.......and the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day.
St Peter's church, Heysham Head - the Glebe Garden is just behind me on this clip, within the church grounds. It is always worth a visit, not just for the off passage birds and the residents attracted to the feeders, but also it is filled with many and varied "treasures".