Middleton Nature Reserve
Some more shots from Janet yesterday evening.
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| Tufted Duck |
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| The Gadwall were battling over partners |
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| Blackbird |
Heysham Skear low water 10:00 (Malcolm)
It rained throughout my walk!
Pale-bellied Brent Geese 3
Shelduck 2 singles south
Wigeon 2 males on the sea then north.
No Eider, merganser or grebes seen.
Oystercatcher 1,000
Curlew 30
Redshank 30
Knot just 8 (6, 1 and 1)
Turnstone 30
Dunlin 8 with
Ringed Plover 14 high up the shore.
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| I took this shot yesterday, the rocks in the background are the sea wall defences. So this is the very edge of the inner skear. There are 10 ringed Plover and a Turnstone in the picture. Without opening it you won't be able to see any! Says something about their camouflage. |
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| This is another shot from yesterday. These neap tides do not expose much of the skear. These nine Carrion Crows had just chased off another six who must have encroached on what they regard as their territory. |
Imperial Rd (Malcolm)
I called in on my way home. It was still raining. The gulls spotted feeding yesterday by Jean were still there. But they were not feeding just resting and preening. There were two main groups.
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| Gulls in the field just beyond the road hedge |
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| Another group in the next field east. |
Mediterranean gull 1 adult seen in the nearer group. There was no obvious one in the further group.
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| Mediterranean gull centre with Black-Headed and Common gulls |
I checked again after lunch when the rain had stopped. All the gulls had moved on, although the smell of slurry lingered!
South shore (Malcolm)
A walk along the sea wall early afternoon.
Shelduck 32 on Red Nab
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| Some of the Shelduck |
Wigeon 100+ on Red Nab.
It started raining again, so I stashed my camera. This Cormorant caught a Bass, but in the time it took me to get my camera out it was just about swallowed.
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| Just the Bass' tail remained....... |
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| ........but not for long |
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| More rain was on its way, and it arrived quickly |
I took shelter behind the lighthouse until the rain moved on.
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| I was just admiring a rainbow....... |
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| .........when 41 Pale-bellied Brent flew from the north side |
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| They flew along the wall and landed on Red Nab. There was still plenty of weather approaching, so I headed back. |
