Dry, but mainly overcast after early morning showers. A light west wind.
Heysham Nature Reserve (Pete)
Swift 5 together south
South shore
Pete checked Red Nab and the mud out from Ocean Edge 09:30. Red Nab was deserted and there were just two Mediterranean gulls sitting on the mud.
I checked out from the saltmarsh 10:00 - 11:00 (Malcolm)
Eventually there were 250 gulls on the mud and saltmarsh, mainly Black-Headed but including 3 adults and a 3rd calendar year Mediterranean gull. Almost certainly including Pete's earlier Meds
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| Mediterranean and Black-Headed gulls |
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| Some of the gulls in front of the saltmarsh |
Eider 2 female/immature north
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| Eider |
Little Egret 6
Oystercatcher 30
Curlew 60
Redshank 8
I mentioned the other day that the extent of the saltmarsh is increasing most years.
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| This shot is from August 2017, there is hardly any vegetation to the south of the creek. Even so it was just beginning to take hold, that's why I took this shot. Virtually all the mud you can see in this shot is now covered in Marsh grass and Samphire. |
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| This is the same area today |
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| This is looking from further south, this finger of saltmarsh reaches to Potts corner and beyond. I think I understand why we are seeing this expansion, I'll get some shots to demonstrate tomorrow. |
Kevin Eaves checked this afternoon
Wheatear, the juvenile was still around the slipway.
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| Small Copper on the saltmarsh edge |
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| The solitary chick on the middle platform continues to thrive despite not having a nest. Looks like it is good at pestering Mum. |
I went down a little later to watch the beach by the wooden jetty become exposed (Malcolm). Unlike yesterday just a handful of Black-Headed gulls turned up to feed. The only Mediterranean gull seen was an adult resting between the outfalls.
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| First two newly fledged Lesser Black-Backed gulls |
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| Cormorants and a Grey Heron on the wooden jetty |
