around 21 000 cranes gathers every spring near a lake in sweden (hornborgasjön) for their yearly migration southwards. here's a few shots from that event a few days ago :)
The flock of black-tailed godwits were hyper-vigilant and regularly took to the air at the least provocation, possibly because the marsh harriers were hunting.
On a more natural coast, birds would retreat to the marshes or dunes until the tide went out. At Blackpool, they make do with hanging about on the sea defences.