Stonechat best of a reasonably decent day

An overnight frost, very light SE breeze early on freshened slightly during the day. Mainly overcast with some late afternoon sleet showers.

Heysham Skear - low water 08:00 (MD)

It was a very pleasant morning, but there wasn't a lot on show, many of the waders would have been on the outer skear.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 3 including the only first winter bird I've seen this winter.

Adult Pale-bellied Brent in front with a first winter bird behind
The other adult is just out of shot

Eider 35 - this clip is a bit different, a flavour of the skear and the females shooing away, at least some of the males.

Wigeon 7 floated in with the tide then flew off to the north. They are uncommon on this side of the harbour and normally only seen during passage. This is them heading off.

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Great Crested Grebe 2 - one of the grebes was feeding near the green marker post.

Unmistakable silhouette of a Great Crested Grebe with Oystercatchers in foreground 

Shag 1 immature 

Waders: Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew and just 150 Knot.

South Shore - high water 13:30 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 2 flew south, unlikely to be two of this morning's birds.

Shelduck 30

Wigeon c100

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty.

Rock Pipit 5 - 1 between lighthouse and waterfall, 2 on Red Nab (1 not welcomed by the male), 2 on saltmarsh 

Stonechat 1 female near the saltmarsh slipway.

Female Stonechat 

A nice plumage detail shot

Reed Bunting 1 

Common Snipe 93 at least. Counted 93 lifting off the saltmarsh, flocks flying around could have been them, not being sure where to go, or could have been additional birds from the north side.

Common Snipe and Redshank 

Common Snipe and Wigeon

This is one group flying around looking lost. Not really much to see of the birds, but it does provide views looking south from the saltmarsh.

These shots are of today's Shag sightings, both distant, but they do appear to be different birds (MD).

This is the Shag on the wooden jetty, looking obviously brown.
Suggesting that this is a first winter bird

In contrast the bird out from the skear looks much darker.
Suggesting this is a second winter bird