Eider numbers returning

Heavy overnight rain followed by some light showers during the day. A fresh SW wind shifted to W.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 11:15 -12:15

A check on the rising tide hampered by several light showers 

Eider 28 - 5 individual males and a raft of 23 that all looked to be males.

Eider

Great Crested Grebe 1

Great Crested Grebe and an Eider

Little Egret 14

Some of the Egrets

They were frantically fishing (or shrimping) as the tide rushed in.

Gulls, mainly Herring gulls c200

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew 15

Redshank 100+

Turnstone 60+

Ringed Plover 2

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Malcolm 13:30 - 14:15

Linnet 2 by the saltmarsh 

Wheatear 3 along the foreshore 

Wheatear

Not as many gulls on Red Nab today and both they and the waders were very flighty. I didn't see any raptors, but presumably there had been at least one around.

There are two Mediterranean gulls in the air in this shot

Mediterranean gulls 8 including one 1st calendar year bird

Mediterranean gull (centre) with Black-Headed gulls

1st calendar year Mediterranean gull

Oystercatcher c1500

Oystercatcher (no Osprey on the post today)

Curlew 100+ most flying south directly from the north side

Whimbrel 2 - one flew from Red Nab calling, at least one other calling from somewhere on Red Nab