Gulls still feasting, but not so much variety today

Some overnight rain then dry with plenty of sunshine. A light west wind drifted to NW

South Shore

Pete checked again:

Interesting that well before the tide there were just 20 Mediterranean Gulls around Heysham outfalls area (63 yesterday) but there were at least 41 roosting on the sandbank between Lades marsh and Basil Point - no distance in direct flight from Heysham. Surely the same pool of birds - shame ring reading so difficult on lune estuary

Dunlin - close in flock of 120 

I checked along the seawall and the saltmarsh area today (MD). But first......

This looks like a bleak Scottish loch, complete with its own monster. I'll reveal the location later.

These are the gulls, mainly Black-Headed feeding on No.2 outflow. There are high numbers feeding but even more resting on the rails and the shore either side of the outflow. The clip pans to No.1 outflow with the wooden jetty behind.

There were eight species of wader on Red Nab

Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew in high numbers, but not so many of the rest:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Knot 4

Ringed Plover 12

Dunlin 2

These are the Dunlin with some of the Ringed Plover

This is a flock of c100 Turnstone coming in to rest by No.2 outflow. There was a solitary Knot with them (I think the 2 Redshank were already there).

This Turnstone on the foreshore has a small crab, but not for long (you can't have your crab and eat it!)

Wheatear 28, they were all along the sea wall and 15 along the foreshore 

Rock Pipit 2

Meadow Pipit 1 grounded on foreshore 

Meadow Pipit

Linnet 35 on saltmarsh 

Linnet 

Robin 6 along foreshore and saltmarsh. Two at least already on winter territory and were frantically chasing off the Wheatears.

Pied Wagtail 5 at least 3 of which seemed to be moving through

Swallow 1 south

Pink-Footed goose 124 south in 3 skeins

This is the "tree" in the loch picture earlier. Just a small plant growing in a crevice on the sea wall,
with a rainwater puddle behind it. No idea what the monster was! But it shows how angles can be deceptive. (MD)

There are still Grey Herons roaming around. Janet saw one being chased out into the bay by another Heron at Half Moon Bay