Bridlington and Sewerby beach

I joined Hull Natural History Society for the monthly walk today at Bridlington with Robert Jaques, Jess Stokes and Gui Garcia-Sauco. It was quite cold, mainly due to the strong wind and dark and grey, but, fortunately, the rain held on until lunch time. We started in the harbour car park and explored the south beach from the harbour wall. An assortment of waders, including Purple Sandpipers, Sanderlings, Redshank, Dunlin, Oystercatchers and Turnstones, with the usual Herring and Great Black-backed gulls. The tide was on its way out, and the birds concentrated on the exposed base of the wall and on the tide line on the beach. As we walked along the wall, several very tame Turnstones were running around amongst the workers moving crates of bait, in search of tidbits.
 We then headed north to the main harbour, where we descended onto the beach now at low tide, exposing the steps and the platform at the base of the wall. On the distance over the sea, a whirlwind of birds fed, including a few Gannets and Cormorants and many gulls.
 More Oystercatchers and Black-headed gulls fed on the beach itself. We reached the beach-huts and the cliff. The wet clay dripped over the chalk cliff onto the beach in small avalanches (top photo).
 We climbed the stairs becoming more exposed to the icy wind, and were relieved when we were inside a restaurant in town, enjoying a well deserved fish and chips and a hot drink.

This was my best Purple Sandpiper shot, there were at least three of them, but the strong wind made it difficult to focus.

Two Redshank

Three Dunlin (I think) on the harbour mud, the one at the back looks massive, also a Dunlin?

Turnstone on a boat

A view of the south beach with the receding tide line.

Knot

This Oystercatcher found something to eat...

...and it carried it away.

A 3rd winter Great Black-backed gull dwarfing Herring Gulls.

The timing was just right to go down to the north beach from the harbour.

Mussels, Limpets and barnacles on sea wall.

And a just exposed Rough periwinkle.

A 4th winter Great Black-backed gull and 1st and 2nd winter Herring gulls

Turnstone on the beach

Lonely donkeys today

A Scurvygrass, Cochlearia sp. (kindly identified by Phil Gates at Twitter) on the clay cliff.

Panel showing the small marine 'no-take-zone' between Danes Dyke and Sewerby.

Oystercatcher feeding on the grassy clifftop.

Now is the turn of a Herring Gull to dwarf a Sanderling. This sanderling was unafraid of the gull, running around as the do close to it.

Bird List

1.   Barnacle Goose
2. Carrion Crow
3. Feral Pigeon
4. Great Black-backed Gull
5. House Sparrow
6. Mallard
7. Pied Wagtail
8. Redshank
9. Starling
10. Woodpigeon
11. Black-headed Gull
12. Dunlin
13. Gannet
14. Herring Gull
15. Knot
16. Oystercatcher
17. Purple Sandpiper
18. Sanderling
19. Turnstone
20. Rock Pipit