Creeping back to post storm "normality"?

A mainly dry day with just the odd shower. A light SE wind.

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

Still very little, but slightly more than yesterday 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 22 feeding amongst the rocks quite a way out from the play area, more were closer to the shore.

Pink-Footed Goose 14 west

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Red-breasted Merganser

No Shag seen but there were two Cormorants today.

There was a handful of Herring gulls, but no Black-Headed gulls. Also no Little Egret and only two Redshank. It seems like the supply of tiny shrimps has vanished. The shrimps can't have gone, possibly the recent storm has altered the direction of drains further north. There were some Black-Headed gulls feeding in a drain closer to the Stone Jetty.

Gulls feeding closer to the Stone jetty. It seems as though there is a spit
of mud preventing it draining past the skear. If so it will likely stay like 
that till the next spring tides or possibly longer

Oystercatcher 2,000

Curlew 30

Knot 13 in one small group

Turnstone 40

Grey Plover 1

Ringed plover 28

The above two both high up the shore

Grey Plover

Ringed Plover

South shore

Janet checked early afternoon 

There was hardly any small birds about in the nature park except for a couple of Goldcrest in different areas from each other.

Goldcrests 

Moorhens also in the Nature Park

Rock Pipit exploring the fresh water run off at Red Nab.

That's gutweed growing on the rocks. It doesn't look very appetising at
the moment, but it is very buoyant and lifts off the rocks when the water
covers it. It is what both the Brent geese and Wigeon come to feed on

I checked later in the afternoon (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 44 came in to Red Nab

They came in on a much more typical low flight path today.
That's No.2 outfall superstructure that they flew over yesterday 

Wigeon 120

Shelduck 12

This Carrion Crow was cleaning out what looks to be a fish head

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Tufted Ducks

The Gadwall were finding plenty of pondweed to feed on

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Just one check today, the water table has significantly reduced from its peak, possibly why there was at least one Water Rail squealing.

Teal 2

Teal

Grey Heron 1

Stonechat - just the female seen feeding on the distant Reedmace, the male was probably somewhere close by

Female Stonechat 

Kestrel 2 - were trying to have a rest, but the Magpies weren't happy!

Both Kestrels in this shot