Rain from mid morning onward. A light SE wind
The sun was shining first thing so I checked three areas while the going was good (Malcolm)
Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - not really much change still a female and six immature Mute Swans, 14 Gadwall, 8 Tufted Duck, plus Mallard, Coot and Moorhens.
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| Some of the widfowl |
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| Gadwall |
Imperial Road
Jackdaw 9 south looked like movement
Roe Deer 3 a female with two of this year's young
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| A young buck |
Heysham skear on the flood tide
Little Egret 4
Red-breasted Merganser 1
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| Red-breasted Merganser |
Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew and Turnstone in typical numbers
Bar-Tailed Godwit 3
Ringed Plover 7
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| Ringed Plover |
Dunlin 30
Knot 4,000
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| Knot and a Dunlin |
Even though there were lots of Knot, I didn't see many flagged. This clip shows just a few of them feeding, it isn't always possible to read any that are flagged but you normally manage glimpses of them.
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| Carrion Crow and Knot |
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| This Herring Gull has a large mussel that it will open by dropping onto the skear. The general lack of a spongy mat of mussels over the skear bottom this year must help with this technique |
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| This Herring Gull has a large Common Starfish. Small ones get swallowed whole, but when this size they just peck the guts from the middle. |
You may spot the Godwits in the background to this clip
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| One of two barrel Jellyfish |
The rain started at 10:00. It was obvious that it was unlikely to stop, so home time.