A temporary(?) thaw

The temperature didn't drop below 4°C overnight or exceed 5°C during the day, but a cold night expected tonight. Dry, but overcast with a light north wind.

Imperial Rd

I checked at 10:00 Malcolm. The frozen ground was just beginning to thaw. As soon as I arrived the female Stonechat came over to greet me.

She all but sat on my shoulder!

They have followed me in the past taking advantage of any invertebrates that I disturbed. But I suspect after Janet's treat of mealworms on Tuesday she was expecting more. 

There had been no sign of the male, but within a minute of me turning over this plank...

........he turned up to investigate 

Water Rail 1 squealing

Long-Tailed Tits 11

In this clip they are foraging as they typically do in the bushes.

But they soon learned that there were better feeding opportunities in the undergrowth. I suspect that they are finding dead invertebrates freed by the thawing ice. A much needed bonus for insects feeders, but it can only be a case of diminishing returns for future freezes.

Janet checked mid afternoon, again the Stonechats came to greet her, but quickly returned to feeding over the marsh.

Male Stonechat

Female Stonechat 

Roe Deer

Fox with a bad back leg

These Long-Tailed Tits were at Middleton Nature Reserve a little later

South shore

I checked from saltmarsh to Red Nab - Malcolm 12:30 - 13:00

The freezing conditions have discoloured large swathes of the saltmarsh 

At the saltmarsh:

Song Thrush 1

Blackbird 2

Linnet 8

Red Nab:

Little Egret 2

Grey Heron 1

Shelduck 4

Wigeon 250

It was too early in the tide for the Brent Geese, the Wigeon were just arriving, you can hear the males whistling.

Peregrine Falcon 4 - around the Power Stations, including the adult with the dislocated talon, 2 ended up leaving to the south - reported on Facebook by Matthew Thomas (thanks)

Distant red-throated diver off Heysham harbour on incoming tide and juvenile Shag off Heysham Head - Pete

Just out of the recording area, Heaton - Malcolm

This location shot shows a family of Whoopers (left) and Mute Swans (right)

The red arrow points to the gate in the shot above. The yellow is the Bay Gatteway
This is the roundabout after the one to Imperial Rd. Heaton Marsh is to the right of
the picture with the river Lune in the top right corner. You can actually see the swans
from the bypass, that's where I noticed them. But safer to view from here.

Two adult and four Whooper Swan cygnets 
Greylag geese behind

A fifth cygnet was taking a rest

One of the adults, turned out to be the male, was colour ringed. This was his
first sighting since being ringed in Iceland in 2023. Possibly as it could easily
be misread as 260

But it is 26D