Returning? Med

Overnight showers finished about 08:00. Then dry and eventually sunny. A light west wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

A mid morning check on the rising tide.

Curlew 38 flew to Red Nab

Oystercatcher 10 on Red Nab

Redshank 1 on No.2 outflow rail

Black-Headed gull 150+ including several juvenile.

Black-Headed gulls with 2 juvenile 

Juvenile Black-Headed gull

This juvenile was feeding on No.2 outflow and seemed to be quite adept.

No sign of the Kittiwake today, perhaps there is now too much competition, or perhaps it was just resting out of sight somewhere.

Mediterranean gull 2. An adult was resting on the mud between the outflows with Black-Headed gulls. Unfortunately most of the gulls were facing away into the wind, not helping with identification.

The above shot is from the beginning of this clip. The arrow is pointing to the Med. Not easy to identify, but it takes a short flight in this clip and is then clearly a Med.

Another confusing factor was that it was "stood" very low to the mud.
Making it look no bigger than the Black-Headed gulls

Later, it was resting on Red Nab (just right of centre).
You can just make out a second summer Med top left

You can see in this shot why it stands low to the ground, it is missing the 
lower half of its right leg, so has taken to using its left knee as its left foot

We've seen this characteristic before. One of the first Meds to arrive last year (12th June) was a second summer bird also with the lower half of its right leg missing. It didn't hang around long, possibly as its disability would hamper it feeding on the favoured sand mason worms here. No guarantee it is the same bird of course, but it does seem likely (Malcolm)

This is a shot from last June

Greylag goose 9 - they flew from the south then NW along the sea wall, directly above my head, but even so I didn't get a clear view of them. They were either head on or above and I didn't hear a single honk.

Greylag geese

Grey Heron not welcomed on No.2 outflow rail

Grey Seal just beyond No2 outflow

Two of four Turnstone with the Oystercatcher on the old heliport wall

This nice sequence of a Swallow having a bath on the main pond at Middleton Nature Reserve - by Janet