Brent geese begin feeding in the area

The low cloud, no sun and slight SE breeze continues.

Heysham skear - low water 08:45 (Malcolm)

I went out to see if the Brent were feeding in the SE corner of the skear, they were.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 8 

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Although feeding in the same location they were clearly two groups of four. This clip shows the ease at which they were lifting gutweed and sea lettuce from the shallow water. You can also see the weed on the exposed mud and stones.

There is plenty of suitable weed just here, and it tracks up the freshwater runoff for quite a distance up the skear. But there is very little on the rocks out from the children's play area and the rocks that join to them from the skear. It will be interesting to see how that affects their behaviour as they are moved on from the skear corner by the rising tide. Yesterday at least they left early, long before the tide had reached Red Nab.

Little Egret 6

Great Crested grebe 2

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Waders as recent, including at least 600 Knot

Redwing 1 - flew low SE across the skear towards Heysham Head.

Solitary Redwing on its way to Heysham Head

Heysham Head (Malcolm)

I checked out the cliffs to see if I could locate the Black Redstart, but if it was around it kept out of sight.

I took this shot from the skear this morning. The arrow points to the 
location of the labyrinth, where the Black Redstart was seen yesterday 

Redshank, Knot, Turnstone and an almost obscured Curlew

Eider 1 female type drifted in with the rising tide then back out again as it turned, never once lifting its head.

Grey Seal 1 fishing some distance out.

Grey Seal with a flatfish