It's mainly about Brent

A cold and freshening SE to E wind. Dry but mainly overcast 

First a few shots taken whilst on the road yesterday (Malcolm)

Kestrel at Imperial Rd. Also 2 Little Egrets. No sign of the Stonechats

There were over 60 Rook feeding in fields by Heaton Rd. This is actually just beyond the recording area, but presumably these are Rooks belonging to the two relatively recently established Rookeries. One just east of Imperial Rd and one within the recording area at its southern boundary. These fields are between each Rookery, but closer to the bypass one. There was no bickering.

Just a few of the Rooks in what looks to be a recently harried field

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:00 - 14:30 today

This was my first chance to get out on the shore for almost a week. But I didn't think I was missing much and today's check bore that out. The offshore winds continue which keeps the small shrimps in deeper water, so not attracting the birds that would feed on them. Observations this winter suggests that some birds, e.g. Knot can anticipate the availability of shrimps by wind direction alone. Whereas the Black-Headed gulls seem to need to physically look, but they do not hang around when there are no shrimps. I suspect the difference is because Knot are birds that flock together, and therefore follow when the more experienced birds sense a new opportunity.

Oystercatcher 1000

Curlew 25

Redshank 10

Knot 150 in total flew south across the skear in small groups. None were seen feeding.

Turnstone 40

No Eider seen

Red-breasted Merganser pair quite a way out

Great Crested Grebe 1

Pale-bellied Brent goose 25 minimum. These 22 arrived from the south

Brent geese with an out of focus Great Crested grebe behind

This shot is focused on the grebe, but it is quite a way out

This one found a rock with gutweed just as the incoming tide was lifting the filaments off the rock, allowing for easier grazing.

At least 20 went to feed very close to the promenade, they didn't go anywhere 
near as close as this last year when the weed was more plentiful elsewhere.

This Herring gull was having a rest after, so far, failing to open the mussel
by dropping it onto the skear. I had no doubt that it would eventually succeed 

Gales tomorrow, but still from the east!