A female Blackcap along the path south from the car park last Thursday - thanks to John Wood for this record.
The two red/blue ringed Pale-bellied Brent geese that have been recorded every winter at Walney since 2014/15, and every winter at Heysham since 2018/19, were seen again at Walney 2/12/24. Surely only a matter of time before they visit the Heysham area again this winter. It will be good to see them again!
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| The red marker shows where they were ringed as a breeding pair in 2014. They breed high in the Canadian Arctic. It's an awful long way, and no sat nav! |
No Eider or Great Crested grebes seen
Red-breasted Merganser 9 - two groups of 3 and 6 were "arguing" in the NE skear corner.
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| Some of the mergansers in the NE corner |
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| Six flew off north into the wind |
Three remained. They weren't doing anything worth filming, but I took a clip anyway, just to see if I could in these quite difficult conditions.
Knot c1,000, there were some with flags. Reading them was almost impossible, mainly as I was bracing myself with the wind to my back, while the Knot were trying to face the wind, resulting in most flags pointing backwards behind them.
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| Knot facing the wind, an orange flag is pointing backwards |
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| I had to get at an angle to them to have any chance. All beaks to the wind. I did manage to read this yellow flagged bird. The Knot flew south as the tide rose, and I called it a day. Albeit a drier day than anticipated. |
On the main pond
Mute Swan pair plus an immature
Gadwall 13
Mallard 15
Tufted Duck 1
Coot 2
Grey Heron 1
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| Gadwall, Coot and a Tufted Duck |
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| Female Tufted Duck |
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| Heron with Mallard |
