A dry morning after early rain. More showers around lunchtime. A fresh SW wind.
Pete: 0700-0800
Seawatching dire - just 4 Common scoter in an hour
2 ad and 2cy kittiwake plus 2cy Mediterranean gull Heysham outfalls.
Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:30 - 11:15 and 15:00 - 16:00
Pale-bellied Brent goose, just 8 seen this morning, 18 this afternoon.
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| Pale-bellied Brent geese |
No Eider seen
Red-breasted Merganser 8 this morning
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| Female Red-breasted Merganser |
Sandwich Tern 2 this afternoon.
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| Sandwich Tern |
Knot 3000 this morning and similar numbers this afternoon but more fragmented.
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| At 11:05 something lifted all the waders and joined by the Brent. Such a dramatic disturbance is normally the result of a large raptor passing over, but none seen. Possibly a skua. I remained the only biped on the skear. Time for lunch! |
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| These are some of this afternoon's Knot feeding along the waterline |
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| The Knot top centre is swallowing a small bivalve, looks like a cockle |
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| The terrain and strong wind meant that it wasn't easy checking the Knot for flags, some were seen, but no new ones for this "winter". |
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| The Knot are staying later than they have in recent years and many are beginning to moult into summer plumage. Showing why their full name is Red Knot |
Bar-Tailed Godwit 12 seen in the morning 26 in the afternoon
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| Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot |
Sanderling 23 this morning. 19 on the skear plus a line of 4 battling south
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| Three of the four southbound Sanderling in this shot |
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| Sanderling, still in winter plumage |
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| Male Chaffinch in the Nature Park |
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| Grey Squirrel. That can have a lot of red in their summer coat |
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| Jackdaw taking nesting material to neighbouring house |
