First Grey Plovers return

A warm day with an east wind. Sunny spells, but more clouds by late afternoon 

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 10:00 - 11:00

Just a quick check as the skear became exposed.

Mute Swan 1 flew north

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Great Crested grebe 1

Gulls 150 mainly Herring, two of the regular ringed birds seen.

Curlew 80

Black-Tailed Godwit 1

Summer plumage Black-Tailed Godwit

Oystercatcher 500 - one Oystercatcher was dark, including its legs.

Easy to see in flight

Not so easy to see against the mussel beds.
Probably a melanistic bird as the dark colouration seems too uniform to be 
the result of staining. We'll see, if it hangs around.

Redshank 45

Turnstone 25

Dunlin 1 heard only

Ringed Plover 2

Pied Wagtail 1 east

Swallow 1 north 2 south

South shore (Malcolm) 16:00 - 18:00

I walked out to the waterline out from Ocean Edge.

Just the eastern edge of the saltmarsh checked:

Pied Wagtail 4

Linnet 5

Wheatear 3

There were a few small waders at the waterline:

Grey Plover 9

Dunlin 15

All the Grey Plover were in what looked to be full summer plumage, except one 

Dunlin with the light behind them

The strip they were feeding on was quickly disappearing as the tide came in

Then they were off - that's Piel Castle in the background 

Curlew 266 resting around the middle of the shore, at least 30 more on Red Nab

Black-Headed gulls feeding in a drain as it fills up

They were feeding on small invertebrates as they were released from the mud by the incoming tide. Encouraged with a bit of paddling by the gulls

Mediterranean gulls 4 - 1 adult flew over to the east and at least 3 more on Red Nab

Great Black-Backed adult and juvenile 
The difference in shade of the two shots shows the difference between,
lit from behind and lit from in front 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (Janet)

Painted Lady on the lane to the Reserve

Green Dock Beetle grubs.......

.......making short work of the Dock leaves

Black Darters