Worse than expected seawatch!

An early NE breeze drifted to east by late morning....... A sunny start.......

combined seawatching/vis 0700-0900 - Jean

Sand Martin 4

Swallow 2

Whimbrel 3

Sandwich Tern 7

Grey Seal 1

Worst ever!!

Heysham skear - low water 08:30 (Malcolm)

Little Egret 6

Eider 92

Red-breasted Merganser 8

Great Crested Grebe 4

Sandwich Tern 9 resting and feeding. These are 6 resting on a honeycomb worm reef with Eider drifting past.

For some reason this one decided to rest on the sea, it was there for a few minutes before resuming feeding.

Sandwich Tern

Peregrine Falcon 1 marauding the small waders

Knot 2,500 altogether flock of 1,500 on the middle skear

Dunlin 80

Turnstone 60

Redshank 30

Curlew 3

Whimbrel just 2 this morning

Ringed Plover 1 - it was resting along the waterline. Presumably it had just come in and needed a rest, it allowed the water to rise up around it before reluctantly flying further up the shore.

Ringed Plover

Sand Martin 1 north

Sand Martin 

I returned in the evening as the ebbing tide was leaving the rocks out from the play area (Malcolm)

At first the only waders on the waterline were a small group of Bar-Tailed Godwit, including a male in his red summer plumage.

Then, reinforcements arrived!

Bar-Tailed Godwit 120

Knot 2,000

Dunlin 300

One of the godwits had a yellow flag and red ring, identifying it as ringed in Norway. Unfortunately I didn't manage to read it.

Just after this clip the Knot took flight again, they are very flighty at the moment, so I didn't get a chance to check them for rings and they took the Godwits with them.

Whimbrel 8 , possibly including this morning's 2.

Whimbrel 

Sandwich Tern 4 - two fishing and two had been resting/preening. I had to get past them, as I came closer one eventually took flight, but the other stubbornly refused to move. This clip seems to be the flying bird seeing me as a threat and calling for its mate to join it. While the other was just saying "whatever"!

I managed to get past without spooking it.

Goldeneye 1 male - I was lucky to catch it preening to begin with, as after that it was constantly feeding and only brief glimpses of it diving. 

Male Goldeneye - it was still feeding when I left, by this time in the SE corner of the skear.

Female Red-breasted Merganser, also resting on a rock as I passed.

These Great Crested Grebes were reaffirming their bonds.

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis there at 08:45, but not seen when checked mid afternoon.