Consistently cold!

Surprisingly not freezing overnight, but it was cold. Temperature dropped to 1.8°C overnight and "peaked" at 4.1°C at lunchtime. Mainly overcast with a bitterly cold NE - E strong breeze.

South shore (JP)

Some shots by Janet from yesterday 

Little Egret

Some of the Redshank feeding on the receding tide

Cormorants leaving the wooden jetty roost for their feeding grounds

Lots of stuff other than the tits are attracted to the feeding area near the white barrier in the Nature Park.

Robin

Dunnock 

Chaffinch

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker 

Grey Squirrel 

Heysham skear - low water 15:25 (MD)

Brent Geese 16 at least - viewed distantly as they fed amongst the rocks out from the play area. Yesterday Pete Woodruff saw 45 in the same area. But both views too distant to be certain that they were all pale-bellied.

Eider c30

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Little Egret 1

The tides are starting to go out further now and areas not exposed for several days become frantic feeding grounds for the waders. These are typical, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Knot. Watch out for the Curlew with a crab.

Oystercatcher, Knot, Dunlin and Turnstone

Oystercatcher 1,000

Curlew 100

Knot 1,000

Redshank 80

Turnstone 60

Dunlin 4

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I went in the evening to watch the Stock Doves come in to roost.

These are the trees/scrub where they have chosen to roost.
Just north of the Reedmace covered pond in the southern section of the reserve

Stock Dove 16 minimum, probably 19 (19 seen landing, but 3 possibly already counted). No large flock today 3 was the largest single group.

Although I was much closer today (there is a nice seat to rest on by the pond), I was below the birds and the diminishing light was behind them, making for difficult photography.

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon 6 also came in to roost in the same trees

Jackdaw 80+ milling around to the east of the reserve 

Jay 1

Just out of the recording area - Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis 1 has been seen both yesterday and today, despite the standing water in the field beside the horse paddock being frozen.

I couldn't find it this evening (MD). Perhaps it had already left for its roost or was just out of sight somewhere, I didn't linger.