Well traveled bird

A nice warm and mainly sunny day with a light, mainly SE, breeze.

North shore

Knowlys Rd - David Kaye

Pale-bellied Brent goose 26 

Red-Throated Diver 1

Heysham skear - Malcolm 10:00 - 11:00 and 17:00 - 18:00

I also counted 26 Pale-bellied Brent geese this morning 

Eider 75 this morning 

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female this morning 4 males this evening 

Red-breasted Merganser

Little Egret 3

Wader numbers this morning unless stated:

Oystercatcher 2000

Curlew 6

Bar-Tailed Godwit 25

Knot 1500 this morning 2000 this evening, very flighty both times and no new flagged birds were seen. 

Redshank 120

Turnstone 150

Ringed Plover 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Knot on the waterline south of the sker

A check at the heliport roost at high water also saw 1500 Knot but sat happily on the sloping wall so no flags seen but we have now received some of the histories of yesterday's birds. This one is interesting.

I said that this was an old bird. I was right. Ringed on route to breeding grounds in 2013. 

I thought ringed in Iceland. I was wrong. It was actually ringed in Norway.

But it later changed its migration route as it was seen in Iceland in 2022 and 2025. They breed even further north in the high Arctic. It's hard to imagine just how many miles this little bird has flown!

South shore - Kevin Eaves

At least 23 of the Pale-bellied Brent geese ended up on Red Nab

Kittiwake 1 2nd calendar year and 3 adults still on No.2 outfall

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

Just a passing check

Buzzards 2

Common Buzzard

The nest in the fork of the tree in the copse was clearly occupied by something large sitting. Then a Raven arrived to feed the female, she got out of the nest briefly then returned to sitting 

Raven

The above shot and clip are from the road, where the nest is easily visible, at least until the foliage develops.