Where did everything go? Including the colour!

A very cold NE fresh wind. Light showers on and off all day.

Just my stuff so far today (Malcolm). There was "light" rain all the while I was out. Technically it wasn't heavy rain, but it was wind driven and stinging!

Heysham skear 09:30

I went to see if the Knot were still around, but there wasn't one as the skear was becoming exposed. I couldn't see any Brent geese either. 10 Eider on the sea and a couple of Little Egrets were the only birds other than the usual waders.

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond 10:00

Mute Swan female with 6 cygnets flying around.

Mallard c25

Tufted Duck 8

Gadwall 8

Little Grebe 1

Coot 13

Moorhen 2

Cormorant 2

Gadwall pair plus Little grebe

Tufted Duck

Cormorants, Mallard and a Coot

Imperial Rd 10:15

Pink-Footed geese flying silently into the wind

Little Egret 

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 flew towards the copse

Wood Pigeon 8 including 2 juveniles 

Juvenile Wood Pigeon (front) with adult 

South shore 10:30 - 11:00

A walk from the saltmarsh to No.2 outfall and back through the Nature Park.

Sparrowhawk 1 flew across the saltmarsh, the only passerines seen were 8 Starlings

Shelduck 80. It was still raining and my camera was stashed away. As I fumbled to get it out I inadvertently set it to monochrome, it was such a grey day that I didn't notice!

Shelduck feeding out from the foreshore. Even if I had been in glorious 
Technicolour, the only colour would be the Shelduck's red bill and brown bib.

They feed a while filtering snails and other invertebrates from the mud,
then head for one of the freshwater runoffs for a drink

Perhaps understandable not noticing the Little Egret was in monochrome 

But I should have noticed with a Curlew, although B&W does 
produce interesting contrasts

Wigeon 50+ keeping out of the wind along the inner face of No.2 outfall

Chiffchaff calling in the Nature Park

I did a passing check in the afternoon from Knowlys Rd, I still couldn't seen any Knot or Brent geese. 

Camera reset for colour pictures again tomorrow. Hopefully there will be something worth photographing.

Footnote:

Juvenile kittiwake on outfalls reported on Lancaster wildlife and nature group