Plenty of interest today

Another cold, but not freezing night (1.8°C) followed by a dry and often sunny day, but the temperature remained cold (5.1°C peak mid afternoon).

South shore

I checked from Red Nab to the shore out from the saltmarsh at high water and early in the ebb (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 8 on Red Nab

Shelduck 120 out from Red Nab and the saltmarsh 

Wigeon 150 around Red Nab

This is a nice panoramic clip of Red Nab, it begins with some of the Shelduck and ends on some of the Brent

Although it hasn't dropped below freezing for the last two days it hasn't been warm enough to thaw what was frozen earlier in the week. This includes the mud out from the saltmarsh. Today's high water did thaw where it reached and the waders were taking advantage of the invertebrates that again became accessible as the tide ebbed.

This is the view looking out from the foreshore. The shiny mud at the water's edge is where today's tide
reached, the darker mud beyond is still frozen. You can see the waders feeding in the ribbon of thawed mud.

I was particularly careful today about not getting too close and spoking the waders. They had been through a cold night, but now there was some warmth in the sun and the tide had freed up breakfast. These are the same waders in the above shot, but this clip is from the east of them with the sun behind me.

StenaLine heading out

Totals of the waders I could see easily:

Curlew 60

Oystercatcher 25

Bar-Tailed Godwit 180

Lapwing 63 (also feeding on the ribbon of thawed mud)

Knot 1,000

Redshank 30

Turnstone 10

Dunlin 200

Ringed Plover 14

These are some of the Ringed Plover with Dunlin in the channel just beyond the saltmarsh 

This is looking back from the saltmarsh as I was leaving. All the waders were still feeding,
and the area of newly thawed mud much larger.

Reed Bunting 

Janet checked from Red Nab then along the sea wall.

Turnstone 

Little Egret having a bad hair day

Male Wigeon

Cormorant on the wooden jetty with a yellow ring.
Pete advises that it is a Sinensis or hybrid.
Unfortunately only 2 of the 3 characters showing - one to watch out for!

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I went down this evening to watch the birds heading to roost from the top of the hill on the southern section of the reserve.

Wood Pigeon 20+ came in to roost, most quite early on. They were preferring the conifers.

Six Wood Pigeon in the late afternoon sun

Stock Dove 23 at least. Some larger groups this evening , including one of five and one of ten.

10 Stock Doves plus Starlings

Jackdaw 280+ - there was a small roost of 32 on the reserve, but the large one was just to the east, at least 250 in this clip.

Glossy Ibis 1 - I had checked the horse paddock at Middleton before positioning myself on the hill. There was no sign of it then, but it must have been feeding somewhere close by, as its flight line was as previous. It was heading low along the line of Middleton Rd then turned and headed east, in a line that would take it to the Business Park to the east of the reserve.

Just out of the recording area. No Ibis seen in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall, but this Grey Wagtail was finding plenty to eat.