Worms weather the storm

Very strong onshore winds overnight with vicious gusts. A roadside tree was blown down on Heysham Rd, not uprooted, but snapped at the base! The wind continued all day only easing this evening by then it was more NW. Dry with sunny spells

South shore - Malcolm

I had a walk along the sea wall this morning on the rising tide. The only gulls feeding on the outfalls were a few Black-Headed and a couple of Common Gulls

2nd calendar year Common Gull

On the way out there were no small gulls on Red Nab, they were all hunkered down beside the outfall

Mediterranean Gulls at least 7 all adult or 3rd Calendar year

4 Mediterranean gulls amongst the Black-Headed by No.2 outfall

There were plenty of large gulls hunkered down on Red Nab, but others toughed it out on the open shore 

Herring gulls on the windswept mud

On the way back, the tide had covered the rocks by the outfalls and all
the gulls had retreated to Red Nab

It was a storm such as this last year that dumped 15cm of mud onto the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. So I returned this evening as it was about to be exposed to see how it fared. 

Many of the small gulls including Mediterranean were still hunkered
down on Red Nab

But as soon as the feeding beach began to be exposed the Mediterranean gulls arrived

I thought this adult was stood in deep water.....

.....but it was sat in shallow water!

At least 4 adults, a 3rd calendar year and a 2nd calendar year Meds turned up, presumably they were hungry after being hunkered down all day

This is the 2nd calendar year Med. You can see that not only did the storm
not cover the Sandmason worm tubes, but they are even more prominent 
than yesterday 

This adult was calling, although you could barely hear it over the wind. The
only time I hear them calling is when they've first returned in full breeding plumage

It seemed to be with its mate and still bonding

More gulls may have turned up later, but it is very difficult viewing this 
beach in the evening when the sun is shining

There are plenty of Bee Orchids along the western boundary of Middleton Nature Reserve with Ocean Edge - Janet

Bee Orchid