Impact on birds of Red Arrows' weekend display flight over Humber Estuary seemed modest and short-term

The sandflats at Cleethorpes were birdless during the display - but they are (almost) anyway at this time of year

WHAT impact did the Red Arrows Saturday display flight have on Humber Estuary's birds?

Probably only minimal - but that is because, at the end of June, birds are relatively few on the sandflats and saltmarsh  at Cleethorpes where the display took place.

The noise and sight of the jets certainly spooked woodpigeons, gulls, starlings that flew from the scene in haphazard confusion.

A little egret and two oystercatchers also made a hurried getaway. 

But the smaller bird - such as reed buntings, meadow pipits and skylarks - stayed in cover close to ground.

It is not known if there was response from any swifts, swallows  or housemartins that might have been in the vicinity.

At Cleethorpes boating lake, the semi-feral wildfowl seemed oblivious to the commotion overhead - they never looked upwards once.

Unfazed - these grey lag geese had seen it all before

The June 29 display lasted less than 30 minutes after which the birds seemed to return in very short time - within 10 minutes.

On the other side of the Humber, there were no reports of significant disturbance from Spurn bird observatory.

It is likely the impact might have been greater if the flypast had taken place from mid-August to October when the estuary is temporary home to scores of thousands of terns and waders (such as plovers, knot and godwit) which pause to feed and rest during migration.

* Below: more pictures from the display