Canada goose moult migration in full swing

A fresh SW wind eased by evening. It remained dry after a very heavy morning shower.

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 09:00 - 10:30

Low water was 09:00. The heavy morning shower had ended and the sun was trying to get out. Before I had even got my camera out of the car Canada geese began piling through to the north, low and along the line of the promenade. Presumably the shower had put them down close by and it was time to continue their journey to safe waters for their annual moult (for non breeding birds).

Some have already started moulting 

This is the last of the 132 passing through. I was still at my car, that's a lamp
on the promenade 

I only saw two more while I was out on the skear, these heading NW

As I was leaving a group of 17 that had drifted in on the tide lifted when they reached the skear and flew back south.

I didn't see them beyond Half Moon Bay, so I suspect that they landed again to get their bearings. Anyway they brought this morning's total to 151.

Eider just 2 (male and female)

Great Crested grebe 1

Great Crested Grebe

Little Egret 5 - this one catches what looks to be a Common Goby

Grey Heron 1

Grey Heron

Apart from Oystercatchers the only other wader seen was a Curlew

Gulls they were well spread out as most of the skear was exposed at low water, there were at least 700 mainly Herring gulls. I managed to check a few hundred for rings but failed to see any. 

Sometimes checking for coded birds can be frustrating, but it can also be rewarding.

This winter plumage Knot was seen on the skear in March this year

Yesterday it was seen in Norway

Nesseby Norway - what a beautiful place!
Many thanks to Jeff and Allison Kew for these pictures.
It was also seen in Orkney in early May on route to Norway. And this will only
be a staging post for its final destination, breeding grounds in Greenland or
Canadian arctic. These records help to better understand migration routes and 
areas that require preserving, ensuring that future generations continue to thrive.

One of three Barrel Jellyfish stranded on the skear. That's a £1 coin on top.
This one survived this stranding, but it will likely be left higher and drier by 
the next tide.

I had another check as the skear became exposed again this evening.

Sanderling 23 flew west across the bay, almost before the inner skear was exposed, I'll have to go even earlier in the tide tomorrow evening.

Little Egret 10

Even though the SW wind had eased there were loads of shrimps and other invertebrates in the shallows, so much so that the c500 gulls were feeding on them rather than the seed mussels. Just one previously seen ringed Herring gull located.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Linnet

Four-spotted Chaser

Very fresh Black-tailed Skimmer

Large Skipper

Several Small Heath and.......

Burnet Companions

Common Green Grasshopper with its wings showing