Top Brent count

An overnight frost followed by a sunny day with almost no wind.

North shore

I went to watch the skear being covered (Malcolm) 08:30 - 10:15

Eider 5

Great Crested Grebe 3

Little Egret 7

There were some territorial battles over what must have been a 
particularly productive pool

Shag at least 1 juvenile 

Shag on Conger Rock

I went to check the Knot, but there were no flocks on the skear. Groups of 250, 100 and 50 arrived from the north circled a few times then continued south. There were just the odd ones scattered around the skear.

This was the largest group of Knot on the skear

But the rising tide consolidated the small groups, ending up with 45 around 
a pool. One was a regular Dutch ringed bird

By 10:00 Pale-bellied Brent geese began arriving. Three at first then another four.

Early Brent geese arrivals 

David Kaye checked at 12:30. By that time there were 103 Pale-Bellied Brent geese, they then flew to the south side. This is by far the highest count this winter.

South Shore (Malcolm) 12:00 - 14:00

I went out onto the shore and heard the commotion of so many Brent geese. It was surprising as they were hundreds of metres away, and as geese go Brent have a relatively quiet call.

Many were already on Red Nab, but unusually, many more were on the sea

A few leave here, more followed. 

Later when I checked Red Nab there was just 39 again.

Shelduck 46

Shelduck

Wigeon 160

I went out hoping to check Knot along the waterline. Things were looking good. 2,500 Knot arrived from the south and settled just where I wanted them to, but before I finished thinking, "don't get disturbed" a Peregrine was already attacking them. I'm pretty sure there were two Peregrines, and the Knot eventually gave up and headed back to the south. Later 60 turned up but none flagged.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4

Grey Plover 8

Dunlin 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Grey Plover and Knot

Knot and a Common gull

Redshank 120 closer to the saltmarsh 

On the saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 1

Linnet 4

Reed Bunting 1

Goldcrest 1 flitting through the Nature Park.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I noticed that there were a lot of flies around the Nature Park and wondered if the increased insect activity had brought the Stonechats back to their earlier feeding area. It had.

Female Stonechat 

Male Stonechat 

Both near the entrance blocked with boulders 50m from the roundabout. The male above is actually on one of the boulders.

Water Rail at least 3 almost constantly contact calling

Cetti's warbler 1 burst of song

Heysham Head (Janet)

Resting Fox, but they always have one eye on you