Today the forecast was for a fine day and the tide tables showed a Spring Tide of almost 10 metres on the Dee. Time for another trip
The start was at a different venue for the high tide:
HeswallThe main target species here was Pintail. There were several hundred of these quite splendid ducks around though none came very close and I have had to enlarge the images, possibly rather more than I should have. Here four pass by - three drakes and one duck. [The houses are across the estuary and in Wales]
And here three drake and one duck Pintail give scale to a duck Teal.
A larger group of Pintail again accompanied by a single Teal.
There was an impressive number of Curlews - a declining species. Here one flies by. Always great to see and, particularly, to hear their evocative calls.
The only bird to perch for a close-up was this female Pied Wagtail, here on the rope-knot of a tied-up small fishing boat.
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Then it was on to
Hoylake one the receding tide. Waders were on the move back to their newly exposed feeding grounds.
The sea-front at Hoylake just about two hours after high tide. In the far distance the clouds are over the Snowdon Range.
One of many Shelducks to be seen here in winter.
Maintain Social Distancing guys. Or are they gals? Can't be sure as the drakes swollen bill-base has not yet developed. The narrower chestnut breast-band on the left-hand bird suggests a duck with two drakes on the right. The other bird is at an unhelpful angle.
I read that a 'cluster' or 'medusa' is the collective noun for Knots. Here some pass in front of one of the huge off-shore wind-turbines.
Settling down to feed. Towards the top right one bird has an orange 'flag' on its leg, part of a population monitoring scheme. I cannot read the flag ID more is the pity. Enlarging the image on screen shows a green or blue ring is below the flag
Two more arrivals as others get down to the serious business of feeding.
Here they are 'on parade'.
I'm not too good at holding the camera steady. A short video clip of the Knots on the move. There are a few Dunlin scattered about, most obviously getting left behind at the end.
A sextet in close-up.
"What's that over there?". The full name of this species is Red Knot. They acquire red plumage during their short breeding season in the high Arctic. In the UK we sometimes see blotchy red and grey birds in May or July.
And off they go.
Would you believe Redshank as the interloper? A well-named species.
Two Redshanks on their own.
Not only Knots. This group of waders are Dunlin. A 'fling' is the collective noun for Dunlins according to the web
Very different when the sun comes out. If you look carefully there is a smaller wader at the bottom centre. It is one of the very few Sanderlings noted.
An enlarged view of some of the Dunlin. The bill length of this species is very variable with females averaging longer bills. There are also several different populations that adds further confusion though possibly not at the moment when only wintering birds are present and passage birds have left.
A study in black and white. A passing adult winter Black-headed Gull and an Oystercatcher.
An Oystercatcher probing deeply. Note it too wears a ring."
(Ed Wilson)
