Heysham skear - low water 08:40. (Malcolm)
Pale-bellied Brent goose 26
Pink-Footed goose 50 SE and 23 N
Eider 45
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Great Crested Grebe 2
Oystercatcher 1,500
Curlew 20
Redshank 80
Knot 2,500+ I went down at low water hoping that some of the Knot would be feeding on the middle skear. But once again they were all on the outer skear and only 250 eventually moved closer inshore when the tide moved them.
There were at least two attacks. You can't see the raptor (probably Peregrine) in the clip, but you can see the Knot's reaction as wave after wave runs though the flock as each Knot tries to position itself as far from the danger as possible.
The Knot settled again after each attack, I didn't see which direction they eventually left. |
| Brent geese, Oystercatcher and Knot feeding in the SE skear corner |
This corner had a healthy growth of sea lettuce and gurweed early in the winter, but all that remains now are the odd wisp. But this corner also traps any broken weed pushed in by the tide. But that too is thin on the ground at the moment, as we haven't had a recent storm to break up the weed. Still, always worth a look!
Dunlin just 4 seen high up the shore with
Ringed Plover 6
Turnstone 20
Shag 1 juvenile feeding out from Heysham Head. David Kaye this morning.
South shore (Malcolm)
Just a check from the saltmarsh to Red Nab an hour after high water.
Saltmarsh
Common Snipe 8 individual birds were flushed from high up the saltmarsh edges as I walked around.
Reed Bunting 2
Linnet 15
Stonechat at least 2.
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| A female was feeding by herself along the saltmarsh edges Then into this bramble |
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| This is a different bramble further along with both a male and female Stonechat |
Wigeon 80
Rock Pipit 1 along the foreshore
Just Wigeon on Red Nab, including some that had left the saltmarsh. No sign of any Brent geese.
Imperial Rd (Malcolm)
I just had a drive along on my way home as this area also attracts Stonechats, but none seen today.
Barn Owl 1 - it was hunting near the gates to the recycling centre. It was being mobbed by Carrion crows and the commotion lifted several Mallard.
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| Barn Owl flying through recycling centre gates. |
The crows hounded it and it moved to hunt nearer the bypass. As I was driving back it flew east across the road.
Kestrel 2 females also hunting.
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| Female Kestrel having a rest. It seems a dangerous area to be a rodent. But the rodents must be doing well to attract the predators in the first place. |
