Great weather for Great Newts

It rained pretty much all day, but not always as heavily as expected. A light variable breeze early on freshened slightly from the north.

Heysham skear - low water 09:30(MD)

It was raining steadily, but I do like to check out the ever morphing geography of the skear on these spring tides. Birds pretty much as Thursday, but no Eider, Knot or Dunlin today.

This archipelago of rocks are always a good indicator of the south side status. They are called the Severn Sisters.........

Cormorants resting on four of the severn sisters 

.........some years when they are left fully exposed, I have counted 15. After that it is a moot point as to if others are more rocks or just large stones. Other years they are totally covered by mud, mussels or honeycomb worm reefs. This year there are actually seven showing, the others covered by mussel and honeycomb worm beds.

The Seven Sisters rocks looking back to Heysham Head

The Cormorant numbers are increasing as both adult and juvenile return from the breeding grounds. These shots are actually from the harbour yesterday (I kept them back in case today was a complete wash out!)

All the above are juvenile Cormorants 

Juvenile Cormorant left with adult

Middleton Nature Reserve ((JP)

Juvenile Goldfinch 

The wet conditions suited this Great Crested Newt

Red Nab to saltmarsh (MD)

A quick check as the tide was reaching Red Nab

Mediterranean gulls 10 at least on Red Nab

This Herring gull was also on Red Nab
Another of the NW England gull project - details awaited 

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore 

Wet look Rock Pipit

Linnet 6 on saltmarsh 

Wheatear 1 on saltmarsh