A fresher SW wind. Overcast but mainly dry, just occasional drizzle
Heliport
First a couple of nice shots that Howard took yesterday.
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| Rock Pipit on the heliport sloping wall |
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| Curlew dismembering a shore crab before swallowing it "whole" |
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| One of today's colour ringed Knot |
Red Nab to Saltmarsh - high water 11:15 (MD)
No Brent geese seen this morning, but still lots of Wigeon and c30 Shelduck
Red-breasted Merganser 1 female
Lapwing 14 on saltmarsh
Also, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Turnstone
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| Some of the Turnstone - sometimes it hardly seems worthwhile taking "colour" photographs! |
Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on Red Nab plus 1 + 2 together on the saltmarsh
Reed Bunting 3 on saltmarsh
Today's high tide at 9.3m easily covered the saltmarsh, as would the overnight tide. The snipe tend to get "fed up" of being flushed and numbers normally reduce as the spring tides progress. Even so, reasonable numbers again today.
Common Snipe 76 flushed from saltmarsh by the rising tide......then
Jack Snipe 4 - these flew in together from the south, probably flushed from the line of marsh grass now stretching along the shore between the rocky outcrop and Potts Corner. They made to land on what little was left of the saltmarsh. 1 did land, but the others turned round and headed for Middleton Nature Reserve.
Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (MD)
This reserve is along the eastern boundary of the recording area, but always worth a visit, although I didn't have very much time today
Barn Owl 1 - a dog walker with a couple of dogs was approaching, I think they may have flushed it.
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| Barn Owl |
This clip isn't great, I was trying to get to higher ground for a better view. The bark towards the end is one of the approaching dogs.
I expect its hunting sorties will take it within the recording area. One to watch out for.
