The spring tide really sprung in

Another dry sunny day with very light variable breezes 

North shore - Malcolm

I walked out from Half Moon Bay this morning to check the waterline south of Heysham Head on the flood tide. c2000 Knot arrived from the skear very early in the tide, but the speed of the rising tide made them very flighty. Today's tide at 10m is the highest of this set of spring tides and it covered the shore very quickly! 

The Knot ended up on the mud below the Heliport wall, and no doubt roosted on the wall over high water. No reports received of high water checks yet.

As well as the Knot and Oystercatcher there were:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 36

Dunlin 25

Oystercatcher and Bar-Tailed Godwit 

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Knot and Dunlin 

A few of the Knot are moving to summer plumage 

The speed of the incoming tide kept moving them on

Just one Eider north

One of two Great Crested Grebes

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Little Egret 1 south

I checked the skear this afternoon on the ebb tide.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 30 flew to the rocks out from the fishing platform 

Brent heading to the rocks out from the fishing platform 

Later they flew back after being spooked by a dog

No matter, there is plenty of food on the skear now too

Eider 30

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Little Egret 4

There must have been 3000+ Knot but they were thinly spread over the quickly expanding skear and many flew north after a short feeding session. Like the Brent, I think they are spoilt for choice as to where to feed at the moment.

Male Siskin and a Goldfinch on Kevin Eaves' garden feeder this morning