Insects emerging!

 A very light SE breeze and relatively warm sunshine (10°C)

Heysham skear -Malcolm

I went out this morning 10:15 on the ebb tide, then checked again on the flood this afternoon (13:30).

Pale-bellied Brent goose 31 seen this morning, 21 this afternoon 

Brent geese this morning 

Brent geese this afternoon, with conger rock behind

These two are on a quite barren area of skear, there are traces of gutweed, but they are looking for weed (sea lettuce is favourite) broken free in deeper water by the recent storm, leaving fragments trapped between the stones.

Eider 45 around the skear 100+ nearer the Stone Jetty

Great Crested grebe 2

Little Egret 3

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew just 20 this morning, 45 this afternoon 

Redshank 120

Knot 1000 before a Peregrine attack sent them all north this morning. Only 100 in 2 small groups this afternoon.

Turnstone 45

Dunlin 30

Ringed Plover 7

The Peregrine must have been a male, it was so small, that I mistook it for
a Merlin 

Other birds, in this case Oystercatchers, get much closer to raptors
when their talons are full.

Starlings rarely get a mention, but there are always some on the skear.
They definitely collect grit here, but I think some do find food as well.

When I got back to my car this morning, a Common Drone Fly was warming 
itself. Clearly tempted out of hibernation.

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

Just a quick check this afternoon, this morning's drone fly reminding me that insects were on the menu again. Sure enough both Stonechats were feeding. This is the male, but the female zips through the frame, unfortunately I didn't pick her up again in this clip.

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat

Teal 5

Accidentally spooked Teal, leaving a trail of........"confetti"

Water Rail 1 squealing

Other insects were also stirring.

2 Ruby Tiger caterpillars in the sunshine on the south sea wall this afternoon - Kevin Eaves