A dry overcast day. A very light east wind in the morning, calm this afternoon.
South shore - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:30
I went to check the waterline out from the saltmarsh on the rising tide, as much out of curiosity than expectation. But as I set out there was a flock of c3000 waders drifting like smoke over the distant waterline. I hoped they would settle but they all drifted south. However as I approached the waterline c1000 waders returned and settled, albeit briefly. By this time I was close enough to identify them as mainly Knot, with Grey Plover and Dunlin.
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| Knot and Dunlin, still quite distant |
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| Grey Plover |
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| But they didn't stay long and headed back to the south. |
They weren't under attack, well not by a predator. These spring tides come in so quickly, particularly over this relatively flat shore, the waders haven't time to feed and stay ahead of the tide. The rate at which a tide moves isn't constant, at low water there is a short period when it doesn't move at all, slack water. The speed increases as it comes in until it approaches high water when it slows down again producing another slack water at high tide. It was probably coming in slowly enough to begin with for the waders to feed, but by this time it was at its peak speed.
With the very light offshore wind, it is easy to see the effect of the tidal movement which is usually masked by waves rolling in. When this clip begins I am 5m from the waterline, I am also 5m from the waterline when it finishes, but now on the wet side. No depth of course, just distance.
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| Cormorants heading for the wooden jetty roost |
These geese flew over Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet
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| Probably Pink-Footed geese |
Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:00 - 16:30
By this time it was totally calm and the sea flat. This is looking back to the outer play area rocks, it shows the conditions and also the lack of Brent Geese.
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| This isn't a black and white shot, but full "colour". It was a trifle dull! |
You can hear the Brent geese calling and also the male Eider's display calls.
Pale-Bellied Brent geese 33 ended up at the fishing platform rocks.
Eider 93 around the skear, more further out. I took advantage of the calm conditions to take this clip of the males displaying. For once you can hear their calls on the clip. The yellow pipe is one of the markers that identify the track the tractors use when launching the dinghies.
No Mergansers seen
Great Crested Grebe 3
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| This one moving away from winter plumage |
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| These two well on the way to full summer plumage |
The above pair were bonding.
Little Egret 2
Interestingly, there were no Black-Headed gulls feeding, clearly the shrimps were absent. Even though it was flat calm the speed of the water would still have muddied the water along the main drainage channels, so the shrimps must be away from the area.
Oystercatcher 1200
Curlew 60 - a group of 30+ flew over to one of the freshwater runoffs to freshen up. There are feeding Knot in front of them, demonstrating just what a tricky terrain this is to read flagged birds.
Redshank 300
Knot - three smallish groups totalling 300 came from the south and fed a while on the skear, before continuing north. I did manage to spot one yellow flag, but it was one seen here recently. Another 3 groups totalling 250 came from the south and continued north without stopping. As I was getting back to the promenade another 1000 arrived from the south and settled on the western edge of the rapidly increasing skear. The light was already going, it wasn't worth heading back. Well, that's what my legs said!
Turnstone 40
Dunlin 45
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