A cosmopolitan mix

 First a couple of updates from yesterday.

Jeff Gorse paid a visit and enjoyed a walk along the south sea wall:

All the usual suspects in place Sunday PM (1.30-3) at Red Nab to the Harbour, 3 brent geese amongst large numbers of wigeon on the rocks at Red Nab, kingfisher and little egret fishing the same gully, several curlew and in the harbour area lots of kittiwake including this youngster which landed to preen almost at my feet

First winter Kittiwake

On checking her pictures, Janet realised that there were two different Grey Seals yesterday 

This female was near the wooden jetty

This one looks to be a male, was near No.2 outflow

And so to today. Very light variable breeze, overcast all day with the odd light shower.

South Shore

I just checked the saltmarsh as the tide covered it (MD). No Jack Snipe today.

Common Snipe 14

Wigeon 200+

Kingfisher 1 again flew from Red Nab towards Middleton Nature Reserve 

Reed Bunting 5

Skylark 1

Janet had a walk along the sea wall

Pale-bellied Brent goose 12 at least on Red Nab

This splendid Cormorant was also on Red Nab

Kittiwakes 20+ again mainly in the harbour. Janet took some lovely shots, these are just two of them.

First winter Kittiwake

Adult Kittiwake 

Young gull with a fish, I can't be sure what it is (fish or gull! MD)

Rock Pipit on the sloping sea wall

This Robin near the lighthouse was looking a bit bedraggled 

Kevin Eaves also had a look along the wall

Female Red-breasted Merganser near Red Nab

North shore

Howard managed to read another 5 colour ringed Knot at the high water roost, despite there only being about 1,000 birds today

This one is part of a Dutch ringing scheme

I checked the shore out from the play area on the ebbing tide in the late afternoon fading light (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 24 - almost certainly including those on Red Nab earlier

Dark-bellied Brent goose 1

The lightning was strange, the sky was grey, the sea was grey and flat (looking like the sky) and a grey mist excluded all but the highest distant features. This is the main group of Brent arriving from the south side, it shows what I mean. The dark lines behind the brent are ripples in the channels, not the nonexistent horizon.

This is the Dark-bellied Brent feeding with 2 Pale-bellied. You can see the large pieces of weed being eaten. A feast after the short cropped weed on Red Nab.

I was stuck, I didn't want to risk spooking them. I had to wait till the tide ebbed onto the shore, before heading away from them. When it had ebbed enough I carefully moved past them at a safe distance along the waterline. Success! But I needn't have bothered, 10 minutes later they flew out and rested on the sea a while. I don't think they were spooked, I've noticed previously that after feeding a while they often take a break, presumably to allow some digestion. Although this pattern isn't always clear as they are often spooked on busier days. Either way it allowed this in flight shot as they flew over me.

The light was fading quickly, but the Dark-bellied bird is more obvious in flight.
It is just right of centre

Eider 11

Great Crested Grebe 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit 18 feeding

Black Tailed Godwit 73 in one flock heading north

Black-Tailed Godwit

Finally, Jean checked out a seldom visited section of the recording area: Borrans Lane off Middleton Road. It's in grid square SD4159 so is in the recording area 

Teal 8

Redwing 25 in the trees along the path to the large substation 

There are some horse paddocks, stables and dung heaps so there were plenty of birds there including 25 Goldfinch, 17 House Sparrows a Pied Wagtail and an unringed Grey Wagtail. 

The whole area looks like it might be brilliant if there are "fall" conditions in spring.

A check of Middleton NR ringing site

Cetti's Warbler and a Water Rail heard in the central marsh.