Overnight rain again and the odd morning shower. A fresh SE wind.
South shore (Malcolm) 09:00- 10:00
I started at Red Nab slightly earlier in the tide than yesterday, but the juvenile Shag was already snorkelling just below the sea wall. It was still raining so I was using my old camera, but the Shag was so close it didn't matter. You can see it probing with its bill to flush out whatever there is. I suspect that it is after Common Blennies, but I have yet to see it catch one. It does take the odd shrimp too when the opportunity arises, but not in this clip.
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| As the tide rose, it flew to the rocks to roost |
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| It was still there (far left) later as I returned from the saltmarsh |
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| It ended up on the grass just below the sea wall, then eventually flew off towards the wooden jetty. |
If it is feeding primarily on Common Blennies, then it will be depleting a finite resource. Blennies are territorial, never moving far from their chosen rock/crevice. Even when the tide is out they remain damp enough to survive under their rock. Any taken by the Shag will eventually be replaced, but not immediately.
There was a Cormorant also foraging.
Little Egret 2
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| Got it before it took flight today |
Kingfisher 1 flew east from Red Nab (Janet also saw it later on the ebb tide)
Rock Pipit 2 - one each Red Nab and foreshore
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| Rock Pipit on one of the rocks that gives Red Nab its name |
Saltmarsh
Linnet c70
Reed Bunting 6
Common Snipe 4
Wigeon 140
Kevin Eaves checked along the wall later
Grey Seal 1 at No.2 outfall
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| One of three Ruby Tiger caterpillars along the wall, maybe waiting to pupate/hibernate. |
Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)
Just a quick check of the two main ponds saw wildfowl unchanged. Surprisingly, there was just a single Tufted Duck on the "no swimming" pond.
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| Little Grebe and Gadwall |
Heysham Skear (Malcolm) 13:30 - 14:30
Again I went early as the skear was becoming exposed. These tides go out so quickly that very soon a large expanse of skear is exposed.
Eider just 3 females
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Little Egret 2
Shag 5 juveniles minimum. 5 was the most seen at one time. Once with 2 resting and 3 feeding, another with 2+3 resting. It is safe to assume there were likely more.
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| These look to be the same rock, but they are different ones. The reason why most of the rocks out here are a similar shape, is because they have all eroded in the same way. The rushing tide undermines them forming an inverted cone, they then topple over and the process starts again. There will only be the largest rocks and the granite ones in a few hundred years. Can't wait! |
Waders as recent except for Knot. Initially there were just 50, but remarkably they included four flagged birds! Yesterday, I couldn't find any flagged birds out of 150. By the time I left today there were 800, but I only saw another 3 flagged ones.
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| It isn't easy checking for flagged birds when they feed on the areas stripped of mussels. This is an Icelandic ringed bird |
