Heysham Skear (Malcolm)
A check on the rising tide this morning.
Pale-bellied Brent goose - just two feeding along the northern edge of the skear. (Later David Kaye saw 34 out from the play area)
 |
| Pale-bellied Brent geese, Oystercatcher and Redshank |
Eider 35
Wigeon 7
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Great Crested grebe 4
A Peregrine Falcon lifted a few hundred Knot off the skear which then disappeared to the north. Presumably earlier attacks had already moved some on as no more Knot could be found. Then a flock of 62 came from the north and landed on the skear. Yesterday's post showed that one in a hundred is often the ratio for flagged Knot. But that is only typical, not universal. One day last week there were 3,000 Knot on the shore and I had to check over 1,000 before seeing any flagged birds........
 |
| ........but amazingly, there were two flagged Knot in this small flock! |
After landing many took a bath. Both orange flagged Knot can be seen in this clip.
 |
| Both the birds have been seen here before, in fact you could call them regulars. It has been previously noted that this one tends to distance itself from large groups, it prefers to roost and feed apart from them, lending itself to be more easily seen, both at roost and feeding. This is the 18th sighting of it at Heysham this winter! |
Oystercatcher 1,500
Curlew 40
Redshank 120
Turnstone 25
Ringed Plover 12
Dunlin 8 feeding high up the shore with the Dunlin.
Red-Nab (Malcolm)
Just a quick look towards high water
Pale-bellied Brent geese 2 - almost certainly this morning's 2.
Shelduck 32
Wigeon 160
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
Barn Owl 1 hunting over the central marshes this afternoon
 |
| Barn Owl |
 |
| This yellow ringed Common Gull was found by Janet on the frozen main pond 10/01/25. We have now received its history. Ringed at Frederikshavn Denmark 12/05/23. This is the only record outside Denmark. |
