Another sunny day, although not quite as warm as yesterday (19°C). A light SE breeze early on freshened slightly as it shifted to the west.
Heysham skear - low water 09:10 (Malcolm)
A week ago I posted a shot of the seed mussels just starting to show (see post 24/04/25). I said then that by the next set of spring tides they are likely to be much more plentiful. I was thinking two weeks, but today they were already showing over most of the skear and those near the western edge of the middle skear were already large enough for the gulls to feed on, and so they were, c1,200 gulls, mainly immature Herring.
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| Today's seed mussels |
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| The dark areas are covered in seed mussels, the pale strip is made up of broken shells that do not allow a firm anchorage, but it too will soon be covered |
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| This is a section on the pale strip, the darker patch in the middle is where the seed mussels have managed a foothold, more will join them soon. |
Apart from that there wasn't a lot to see.
Eider 12
Great Crested Grebe 1
Little Egret 2
Oystercatcher 1,500 and Whimbrel 5 were the only waders
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| A section of the Honeycomb worm reefs that flank the northern side of the skear |
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
Mute Swan pair plus 6 new cygnets and at least one unhatched egg.
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| The chick on the right is still wet |
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| Remarkably, the female Mallard has managed to keep her remaining three chicks safe |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Grey Heron back to patrolling its patch |
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| Great shots of a Grasshopper Warbler on the southern section of the Reserve |
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| Common Blue butterflies....... |
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| ........and a Common Blue damselfly |
South shore (Malcolm)
A very pleasant evening stroll from the saltmarsh to the harbour and back.
Shelduck 2 were sweeping up the small invertebrates from the recently expose mud.
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| It's a messy job, mud was flying everywhere |
Linnet 4 along foreshore and 2 near the lighthouse
Wheatear 2. You can see the flies that this one is catching.
Rock Pipit 2 - one on Red Nab and one heard near the waterfall
White Wagtail 1 along the sea wall
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| This 2nd calendar year Herring gull in the harbour has a green ring. Ringing details awaited |
