As gloomy days go, it wasn't too bad

Overnight rain reduced to light showers in the morning, but rain threatened all day and it never really seemed to get light! A light SE breeze.

South shore (Malcolm) 09:00 - 10:20

A solitary Starling was the only bird seen around the saltmarsh.
Looking fine in winter plumage 

Rock Pipit on the foreshore 

Curlew having a stretch

One of seven Shelduck out from the foreshore 

Little Egret 4

Wigeon 230 around the outfalls waiting for the sea to reach Red Nab. 

Wigeon

Some were feeding on what little gutweed there is on the sloping sea wall, they are not eating the brown wrack, but grazing the short green fibres of gutweed.

You can see wisps of gutweed in the bills of the two rear Wigeon

I don't really know why the Wigeon wait for the tide to reach Red Nab before
feeding there. This shot was on the way back, many of the Wigeon are feeding
high above the waterline. Presumably they feel safer when surrounded by water.

Shag 1 juvenile was on the wooden jetty when I reached the end of the sea wall.

Juvenile Shag with Cormorants 

When I returned from the harbour, it had left the wooden jetty and was 
out from the sea wall

I was almost back at Red Nab, miraculously it had stayed dry so far, but that was obviously about to change!

It doesn't get much gloomier than this!

I was expecting any Brent Geese that had been feeding out from the play area on the north side to arrive at Red Nab at any moment. I feared that the rain would arrive first, but it didn't!

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 34 arriving at Red Nab (also to feed on the gutweed)

And then the rain arrived!

Chiffchaff one calling in the Nature Park

Water Rail 1 calling near the yellow barrier at Middleton Nature Reserve (Alison and Kevin)

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I called in on my way home this morning, it was still raining and I saw or heard nothing.

I called in again this afternoon, dry this time but I still couldn't relocate the Stonechats. 

Kestrel 1

Roe Deer 4. An adult female with two youngsters plus an adult buck

This clip starts on the antlered buck, then the two youngsters then the adult female. Not the most salubrious of surroundings but they clearly feel safe.

Just out of the recording area - Mark Jones

Rooks and juvenile jackdaws still visiting my (empty) feeders (just south of the recording area)

I did notice on the way here on the bay gateway that the rookery has gone, I wonder if the wind removed the nests? (Just east of the recording area)