South shore (Malcolm)
I did the same walk as yesterday, and started at the same time (08:00). But the days couldn't have been more different. Yesterday it felt like someone had switched on a floodlight at sunrise. Today it remained gloomy all the while and almost constant fine rain.
Cormorant 83 headed south at 08:30 (the collective noun for cormorants is a gulp). Presumably something, a pretty significant something, had spooked them from their roost on the wooden jetty.
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| A gulp of Cormorants flying south along the waterline |
The only waders out here today were Bar-Tailed Godwit, at least 700, plus c100 Knot. But they didn't stay long and also headed south.
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| Mainly Bar-tailed Godwit plus a few Knot heading south. |
And that was it, the outer shore was deserted!
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| A little later a Peregrine Falcon was also searching for waders. It flew south along the waterline but nothing lifted. |
Closer inshore
Dunlin 12
Redshank 24
Lapwing 14
Oystercatcher 40
Curlew 3
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| Curlew on the saltmarsh |
There were 4 Carrion crow and 8 Magpies swooping towards and gathering beside a gap between the caravans. I thought at first they must be trying to flush a predator, but they weren't alarm calling. Perhaps it was just a feeding opportunity that they were all a bit wary of.
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| Magpies clearly focused on something. But I couldn't see anything when I reached this area. |
Reed Bunting 3
At Red Nab
Cormorants 25 between Red Nab and No.2 outfall. Clearly they hadn't all flown south.
Wigeon 130
Shelduck 14
Pale-bellied Brent goose 19
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| Brent, Wigeon, Cormorant and Oystercatcher |
This clip shows the Brent geese cropping the already close cropped gutweed.
