A south side story

A fresh SW wind. Showers on and off all day.

South shore 

I checked along the sea wall 09:00 (high water) to 10:30 (Malcolm)

Shag 2 juveniles 

Juvenile Shag, roosting on what little was left of Red Nab at high water

When I returned much more of Red Nab was exposed and the Shag was snorkelling in the pool in the middle of the rocks.

Presumably this is the same bird that was feeding near No.2 outfall a couple of days ago. We rarely see Shag to the south of the harbour, but this one looks as though it intends to stay.

The second Shag was feeding along the south inner harbour wall

Cormorants on the wooden jetty, there were no more Shag seen here

Shelduck 3 and Wigeon 80 around Red Nab

Little Gull 1 - probable 2nd calendar year. Initially around No.2 outfall 

It then it took to patrolling the full length of the wall from Red Nab to the wooden jetty. It is between the wooded jetty and No.1 outfall in this clip.

It landed briefly to eat a morsel that it found

It was still feeding this afternoon when Kevin Eaves checked

The only news from the north side was:

Lonesome Sanderling arrived from north, fed briefly on tideline before heading towards Heysham - on shore between Battery and Stone Jetty late am dropping tide - Pete

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond (Malcolm)

I called in on my way home this morning, unfortunately it was tipping it down!

An influx of Tufted Ducks (24 total) was accompanied by a female Pochard. It looked more like the first bird we had rather than the younger second. It and the Tufted were feeding and were under the water for most of the time and I couldn't manage a shot (partly due to the feeding activity and rain, but mainly because I couldn't remember how to adjust the settings in my old, more expendable, pocket camera!).

The rain eased after lunch so I returned, but some of the Tufted and the Pochard had moved on. Possibly just to the "no swimming" pond which wasn't checked.

Tufted Duck 14 remained

Gadwall 12

Little Grebe 3

Gadwall and Tufted Duck

Little Grebes