Nothing where it "should" be

A mainly sunny day with very light variable breeze. A light shower early evening.

South shore

These shots by Janet from yesterday:

Meadow Brown on the sea wall

Swallow heading south

In the Nature Park 

Chiffchaff 

Large White

Peacock

I checked this morning (Malcolm)

Linnet 35 on the saltmarsh, 5 near the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit - just one seen today by the saltmarsh 

Pied Wagtail 8 on OceanEdge grass, 6 around the scrub near the lighthouse and 2 along the sea wall.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail near the lighthouse 

Adult Pied Wagtail on the railings by No.2 outfall

Whimbrel 1

Mediterranean gull 13 - there were no gulls on the feeding beach today. There were 12 adults resting with the Black-Headed gulls between the outfalls and just 1 juvenile feeding on No.1 outfall.

Mediterranean gull bottom right, with Black-Headed gulls

Juvenile Mediterranean gull 

Grey Seal 1 fishing at the seaward end of No.1 outfall

Robin 1 adult near the lighthouse, there hasn't been one here all summer 

This juvenile Robin was in the Nature Park, nearly in adult plumage now

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 16:00 - 18:00

The fast draining spring tides have shifted much of the loose mud around. It was like walking in a new area. Some places that were relatively barren were covered in mussels, areas that have been firm were soft and some areas that were previously soft ware even softer! The gulls weren't feeding where they had been but still finding plenty to eat in different areas. At least 250 mainly Herring gulls (most of the smaller gulls were busy anting again).

Herring gull with a mussel. The pink blob is an upturned Barrel Jellyfish.
We used to call them Medusa jelly fish. You can see why. It's a much better name.

There were several stranded. The far one is upside down and the nearer one
with its dome on top.

Eider 9 including 2 males coming out of eclipse 

Herring gull and male Eider

Great Crested Grebe 10 minimum, including at least 1 juvenile 

Juvenile Great Crested Grebe 

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 16 - these are fishing/shrimping. The water flowing in front of them is just the result of the  ebbing tide.

Cormorants several

The young Cormorant has a metal ring

Shag 1 juvenile 

Juvenile Shag

Oystercatcher 400 with many more in the wings

Curlew 30

Redshank 200+ 

Turnstone 40

Ringed Plover 2

Starlings 100+ - I don't think they actually feed when on the skear, I think they just collect broken shells for grit.

Another Light Brown Apple Moth, this time in Janet's 
garden this evening