Knot back

Freezing rain overnight made the conditions treacherous in the morning. But a warmish dry day with light NW wind cleared most of the ice off the roads.

Just my stuff so far (MD)

Middleton Nature Reserve 

The main pond is still frozen with a small patch of open water being maintained by the Mute.

The "no swimming" pond has returned to its normal maximum height.

These are Mallard in the same view as yesterday. The reeds now fully exposed.

Mallard 14 including 6 on main pond

Gadwall 24

Tufted Duck 2 male

Teal 12

Coot 1

Moorhen 2

Little grebe 1

Water Rail 2 squealing

Raven 1

Carrion Crow 6

Jackdaw 8

South shore  - a mid morning check on ebbing tide

Shelduck 87

Wigeon 200+

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Rock Pipit just the Red Nab bird

Kingfisher 1

Little Egret and Kingfisher, fishing in the groundwater runoff stream through Red Nab

Later, it or another, was on the sloping sea wall.

This Heron crossed No.2 outflow and was seen off by a Herring gull

Kittiwake 50 at least. There were 8 adult plus 4 first winter on the outflows/sea wall. These three adult were taking in the sun on the sloping wall next to No.1 outflow.

I managed to pass by without spooking them, when I looked back, they were
being joined by a first winter 

There were at least 50 in the harbour around the waterfall area. At one point there were 32 resting on this pipe

This pipe has traditionally been referred to as "the Kittiwake pipe" - No idea why!
It's interesting that they only use the insulated sections, I suspect it's the texture.

Adult Kittiwake in front of the lighthouse 

Heysham skear- low water 14:40

Bar-Tailed Godwit c600. 

There were two flocks this large one on the shore plus another c100 on the skear itself. These are the birds on the shore.

Very few of them were looking for food, just resting. A passing Knot flock lifted them, but they only moved a little further along the shore.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Knot c3,000. Again there were two flocks. This is one of them.

Knot 

Eider 15

No sign of any Brent geese.

But, not quite everything is my stuff today. Janet's friend Jimmy, on Sylvan Place now has two foxes. The dog fox has apparently succeeded in attracting a mate.