Monday, 8 December 2025

Not a Knot to be seen!

A dry and largely sunny day after overnight rain. A light southish breeze, very mild again.

North shore (Malcolm) 09:30 - 10:30
A check as the rising tide was covering the skear saw no Shag, Eider, Grebes or Knot
Red-Breasted Merganser 2
Male Red-breasted Merganser
Pale-bellied Brent goose 28 at least on the rocks out from the play area.

These are the Brent geese looking from Knowlys Rd as I was heading home

I don't know if everyone has a favourite moon phase name. Perhaps not.
But I do, and this is it. A waning gibbous. Although I do like the name, this
phase indicates that we are past the peak of spring tides and are moving back
to neap tides, which tend to provide fewer viewing options. So my actual 
favourite phase it its opposite, a waxing gibbous.

I checked the Near Naze and Heliport wall both before and after high water. Not a Knot to be seen. Their absence certainly isn't down to the lack of food here, presumably the Peregrine persecution just became too intense. Hopefully the food availability will tempt the Knot back

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 10:45
Water Rail 3 squealing, but from the edges of the marshy area, the water table is still very high.
Moorhen 1 heard
Teal 2
Grey Heron 2
Kestrel 1
Female Kestrel 

Stonechat 2 both the Male and the female were feeding, but quite a distance from the road amongst the Reedmace. 
Male Stonechat amongst the Reedmace

The female did fly to the fence to have something solid to beat this 
hairy caterpillar against.

Red Nab (Janet) just before high water
 Oystercatchers, Turnstone and  and Curlew were the only waders

Little Egret heading off

Kingfisher 1 - it flew from the right of me towards the little pool that fills on high tides but then flew back again and looked like it was going to land on the sea wall but I lost where it went, it couldn't go in the freshwater outlet as the tide was up too far!!





No comments: