Dodging the showers

Heavy overnight rain and heavy morning showers became less frequent during the day. Sunny spells. NW wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

I exercised my daughter's dog along the sea wall late morning, it was raining just before I started and a heavy shower as I returned to my car, but dry and sunny while I was out.

Shame there was little to see!

Lots of Black-Headed gulls on the outfalls

Mediterranean gulls 6 on the beach by the wooden jetty.

Gulls feeding on No.1 outfall with a few on the beach beyond

The Mediterranean gulls were easily catching sandmason worms. 

The white ringed bird is a Dutch bird that has been with us all summer

This Med was catching sandmason worms in the normally not favoured 
rocky area below the sea wall

One of five Little Egret

This Curlew was out from the foreshore. It stuck me as odd that there were
no footprints. Even when they land from flying in they take a couple of steps.
More on this later.

Wheatear 2 on Ocean Edge grass.

Wheatear 

I returned late afternoon to check the waterline for waders out from the saltmarsh. As soon as I got on the shore, I knew why the Curlew had left no footprints. The heavy overnight rain and strong wind had completely flattened and compacted the mud. It was like walking on the surface in a kiddies play area, flat and firm with just a hint of "give".

The shore out from the saltmarsh, completely smooth, not a single
Lugworm cast or mollusc mound. Made for easy walking

Two lots of small waders, Knot I think, had already flown south and the small group that remained soon joined them.

Knot 180

Dunlin 20

Oystercatcher 16

There are fresh Lugworm casts here where the neap tides still cover the mud

And then they were off. Nothing spooked them, it was just time to leave.

The birds had flown and there was obviously heavy rain already falling to the south and north. Still sunny here, but it was time to leave!

Rain to the south

Rain to the north

There was nothing feeding on the barren upper shore, but a group of 11 Ringed Plover were feeding around the saltmarsh creek.

I just got back to my car, when the rain hit again. Two walks and missed the rain both times.....not like me!

Kevin Eaves checked the sea wall early evening.

A particularly chunky Devil's coach horse beetle