North shore this afternoon on the ebbing tide (Malcolm)
Pale-bellied Brent goose 3
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Three Brent geese flying to the north |
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20 minutes later, presumably the same 3 flew back |
Eider 37 including several 2nd calendar year males.
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Four of the Eider coming in |
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Adult and 2nd calendar year Eider - only obvious for the males |
A metal detectorist (Matthew Smith) located an unburied metal ring high up the shore at Heysham yesterday. This has been identified as belonging to a male Eider. Already at least 2 years old when it was ringed at Foulney Island, Cumbria, 20-Jul-2019.
It was ringed by Ian Hartley and it was Ian who provided this detail - Many thanks to both Ian and Matthew.
Red-breasted Merganser 7
Oystercatcher 2,500 (A higher estimate today, but probably no more birds than usual and there were probably more. I only estimate what I can see at any one time, today more were concentrated in the small area of shore exposed).
Curlew 30
Redshank 100
Knot 100
Turnstone 25
Ringed Plover 8
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Oystercatcher, Knot and a Ringed Plover |
The Knot were mainly hunkered down, but two were seen to be flagged, both have been seen previously on the skear this winter.
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Part of a UK scheme. Ringed on Ainsdale beach Merseyside 08/05/24 |