Freezing overnight followed by a bright sunny day with a variable breeze.
South shore - Malcolm 09:00 - 11:00
There were a lot of waders, but the mud was frozen so they couldn't feed on the flood tide. Even on the ebb they were very flighty and every passing light aircraft lifted them. These are minimum numbers.
Curlew 40
Bar-Tailed Godwit 300
Oystercatcher 80
Grey Plover 60
Knot 2000
Dunlin 1000
Ringed Plover 8
 |
| Godwits dropping to the shore with the snow dusted hills behind |
 |
| Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot |
 |
| Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover and Bar-Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Dunlin and Grey Plover |
 |
| Grey Plover |
 |
| Dunlin, Knot and Grey Plover |
 |
| A bit of everything! |
North shore
Pale-Bellied Brent goose 63 out from the play area early on - David Kaye
I checked the skear - Malcolm 13:00 - 15:00
Pale-Bellied Brent goose 24 minimum - these will have been some of David's. These are arguing over the scant supply of gutweed. It hardly seems enough to justify the effort of collecting it!
 |
| Cormorant with Brent Geese in the background |
Eider 20
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Great Crested Grebe 2
Knot 1750 although 750 of them flew south as I was walking out.
 |
| The crab population is taking a hit! |
 |
Rose Maciewicz has suggested that these small bivalves they are feeding on are likely to be Baltic Tallin (often referred to as macoma) |
