Miserable weather, but still plenty of interest

A south wind, quite fresh at times. The rain started just after 07:00 and continued till early evening

Report from Pete Crooks:

Heysham North Harbour Wall – A 30 minute sea-watch (6.50 – 7.20 am) in light drizzle turning to steady rain:

4 Sandwich Tern – on black & yellow buoy

1 Gannet – flew in

6 Swallow – flew NE offshore

1 Rock Pipit on sea wall

Possibly some slight overlap with Nick Godden's seawatch from the Stone Jetty:

6.15-8.20. A bit of seabird movement which stopped soon after the rain set in, and a few grounded passerines

Red-throated diver 15 in
Shelduck 16 in
Common scoter 58
Red-breasted merganser 6
Gadwall 2
Sandwich tern 24
Common tern 2
Arctic tern 5
Dunlin 8
Whimbrel 16
Turnstone 2
Swallow 21 NE
Wheatear 10
Willow warbler 2
Blackcap 1 f

I had a walk along the south shore (MD). The forecast "light rain" had just started and predictably there were more Wheatears than usual grounded.

Wheatear 20 minimum - there were 12 along Ocean Edge foreshore, then as I walked along the sea wall there was a "light" cloudburst! Kevin Eave's weather station recorded it at 12mm/hr. When I arrived at the small patch of scrub near the lighthouse it was full of soaked birds, including at least 8 more wheatear.

By this time we were back to light rain and the birds set about getting themselves dry and taking an opportunity to feed before continuing north.

Also around this small area were:

Warblers 3 - at least 2 and probably all 3 Willow Warbler

Rock Pipit 3

Robin 1

Wren 1 

Presumably at least one of the Rock Pipits and likely the Wren and Robin were residents trying to see off the new comers.

This is a wet Willow Warbler doing its best to get dry in the rain.

Rock Pipit and Wheatears

In total there were 5 Rock Pipits. 1 above waterfall and 1 on Red Nab.

Shelduck 23 resting on mud out from the foreshore 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 28 near Red Nab

Whimbrel 1 in

It was still only 09:15, and I knew I wouldn't be getting out again today, so I decided to call in for a quick check of the two main ponds at Middleton. 

Mute Swan - breeding pair plus 5 x 2nd calendar year 

Shelduck 2

Greylag Goose 2

Greylag Geese on the main pond

Mallard 2 males plus a female, still with 9 chicks.

Common Scoter 1 female - whether she was brought down by the very heavy shower or she arrived overnight can't be known, but I suspect the continuing rain and associated absence of visitors was the reason that she, and the Greylag were still around. We had one here last April, but as far as I know these are the only two inshore records for this species in the recording area. 

Female Common Scoter, with rainwater running off the duck's back.

Unlike last year's bird however, today's bird was feeding.

In common with last year's bird, she was constantly head bobbing, I wondered then if it was related to her drinking freshwater for the first time in months? She was certainly having sips of water.

The Scoter was still there, and still head bobbing, when I checked in passing this evening at 20:10 (isn't it nice having light evenings!)

Coot 2

Moorhen 2

Swallow 5

House Martin 2

Both the above feeding low over the main pond.

Cetti's warbler 2 singing

Jo Bailey posted a comment on yesterday's post (it was Jo who took the clip of the Grasshopper Warbler - thanks). Comments are always welcomed, but unless you include a contact email of phone number, there is no mechanism to reply. Jo wondered where the ringing takes place at Middleton. The answer is in the central marshes. But these areas are not accessible to visitors, as unnecessary disturbance can ruin a session. (Malcolm)

Something for everyone

A light predominantly SE breeze in the morning switched to the NW by lunchtime. A couple of light morning showers.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from John:

Three nets set at Middleton this morning, and although only seventeen birds were caught over a four-hour period, they comprised a nice selection :

Lesser Redpoll        x3

Willow Warbler       x2

Sedge Warbler        x2 including one, which was first ringed as a young bird in 2020.

Bullfinch                   x2 

Blackcap                   x2

Garden Warbler        x1

Cettis Warbler         x1

Lesser Whitethroat    x1

Grasshopper Warbler  x1

Robin                             x1

Dunnock                        x1

Report from Pete:

Sea Heysham 0700-0850:

Red-Throated Diver 1

Manx Shearwater 2

Guillemot 2

Common scoter 1

Arctic tern 1

Sandwich tern 17

Swallow 52

House martin 2

Whimbrel 10

Goosander 1 male.  

All inbound - vis poor with eg main scoter line not visible. 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 40 on mud by Red Nab at high water

I had a walk along the south shore 07:30 -09:00 (MD). 

Shelduck 12 - 8 east and 4 in

Eider 2 males, one on harbour mouth and one in.

I managed 8 Whimbrel and 2 Sandwich Tern, but probably already included in Pete's count.

Wheatear 4

Linnet 4 (all males)

Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on Red Nab, 2 near lighthouse and 1 above the waterfall.

Rock Pipit above the lighthouse nest hole

Talking of nest sites, the female Carrion Crow is now sitting on their nest on the wooden jetty. We do not normally reveal the precise location of nest sites, but it would be a keen egg collector indeed to scale the wooden jetty (there is no longer a connection to shore).

Female Carrion crow on nest, visible from the lighthouse.
 The male was resting further along the jetty

No sign of any Kittiwakes today

Kevin Eaves heard singing male:

Sedge Warbler in the scrub directly behind Red Nab

Lesser Whitethroat in the Nature Park

Angela Gillion relocated the singing Grasshopper Warbler near the go kart track (see post 27/04/23 for location). And was clearly delighted when she also managed to see him.

A nice clip, particularly with a mobile phone.

Another decent seawatch - and at a more civilised time!

A light north breeze in the morning. It freshened and moved to the west in the afternoon. Overcast till the sun broke through for a while in the early evening.

Seawatch report from Pete:

Quite a decent sample from hey north wall 0800-0900: 

Arctic Skua 1dark morph

Arctic tern 60 in dribs and drabs (largest flock just 14)

Common tern 1

Sandwich tern 76

Razorbill 1

Guillemot 3

Red-Throated Diver 3

Gannet 3

Whimbrel 10

Common scoter 22

two lots of two Harbour porpoise (one pair mid range, one close)

Heysham Head mid morning (MD)

Sandwich Terns still moving through - another 12 seen.

Eider 3 on the sea

Shelduck 2 east

Bar-Tailed Godwit 9

Whimbrel 1

Carrion Crow 11 NE

Swallow 3 north

Rock Pipit 5 at least. I checked the shore all along the Head. There appeared to be 4 birds holding territory plus at least one other that was constantly being moved on.

This Rock Pipit flew off with this sea slater

Wheatear 1 - it was too large for a Rock Pipit to see off, but it wasn't welcomed on this ones patch.

Linnet 10

Greenfinch 3

South shore - early evening (MD)

Wheatear 6 near the saltmarsh 

Wheatears with the sun behind them

Rock Pipit 2 (Red Nab and Lighthouse)

Linnet 8

Greenfinch 2

Shelduck 20 resting 

Common Scoter 9 out

Curlew 4

Whimbrel 2

Black-Tailed Godwit 3 in summer plumage

Black-Tailed Godwit

They had been feeding on the mud out from the foreshore, but then found a pool of freshwater from the runoff at Red Nab. They had a drink and a wash......

.......before heading off to the SE towards the Lune estuary 

 

Decent seawatch for early starters

A fresh SE wind. Overcast all day, but it managed to remain dry.

Report from Pete:

Seawatch totals on and off 0610-0910: 

Sandwich tern 32 out, 6 blogging

Common tern one out

Common scoter 132 at least out, fewer more distant inbound ignored but possibly some still in bay 

Gannet 5 adults in virtually together 0910, 

Red-Throated Diver one in sp in

Swallow min 15 in

Sand martin one in

Linnet 3 in

In addition Nick Godden during a more continuous watch from Stone Jetty 0645-0915 had four flocks totalling 36 Arctic tern and a light morph Arctic Skua (plus two extra red throats) 

I had a mid morning walk along the south shore (MD)

Canada Goose 5 north

Canada Geese - is this the beginning of their moult migration?

Wheatear 4

Linnet just 2 each on saltmarsh and Red Nab, 5 in off and 2 males between lighthouse and waterfall 

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab plus 2 near lighthouse 

Whimbrel 2 - this one providing a nice view of its striking crown and eye stripes.

This Curlew was nearby, so I took a clip for comparison.

Kittiwake 3 x 2nd calendar year still in the harbour

Kittiwake looking cosy on "their pipe"

This Song Thrush was gathering food and taking it back to the nest in the Nature Park 

Heysham Barrows

Kevin Singleton took this clip of a Grasshopper Warbler singing near the old go kart track. The clip is to capture the reeling, the bird, as typical, is not visible.

This shot shows the location, close to this sign

First Whinchat

A light east wind till mid morning, it then freshened slightly and moved to the west. Sunshine for most of the day.

Vis and seawatch report from Pete:

Male Whinchat north wall - first record this year

Tree Pipit 2

Wheatear 4

Arctic tern 15 in a high flock north

Sandwich Tern 18 blogging

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

The weather forecast for last night and this morning suggested that some migrant passage might occur. It was not to be however. Five nets were set but only 15 birds were caught. Passage species - four Blackcaps and two Willow Warblers only were ringed.

Dunnock 1

Robin 1

Blackbird 2

Song Thrush 1 + 1 retrap

Common Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 4

Chiffchaff 1 retrap

Willow Warbler 2

Jay 1

Virtually no movement overhead was perceived (no hirundines seen) and few birds moving in the vegetation near the offices. Eleven Carrion Crows milling around the transmission towers.

Heysham skear - low water 10:30 (MD)

Just three of the Sandwich Terns remained. 

But these quickly moved off, east then north. You can just hear them calling in this clip.

Eider 33

Red-breasted Merganser 11

Great Crested Grebe 6

Little Egret 5

Waders:

Oystercatcher c500

Redshank c20 (it's hard getting an accurate count even of low numbers as the birds are very mobile)

Turnstone c60

Curlew 1

Whimbrel 2

We're back to neap tides now, which means the water doesn't go out far enough to expose the seed mussel beds. There were still a lot of Herring gulls around waiting in hope. There were 150 waiting in vain on the sea.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Jannet)

Cetti's Warbler singing

Grasshopper Warbler singing 

Large Red Damselfly

Peacock

Comma

Also, Large White, Brimstone, Orange Tip and Speckled wood

South shore - high water 16:15 (MD)

Wheatear 6 on Ocean Edge foreshore (not the same as Pete's birds)

As well as not going out far, neap tides do not come in very far, so I had a walk out onto the shore south of the saltmarsh.

Ringed Plover 2 together.

Ringed Plover

There were very few waders along the waterline, 60 Oystercatcher and c30 Curlew that flew further south. Plus these 6 Bar-Tailed Godwit. These are not after worms but catching small invertebrates in the shallow water. 

Shelduck 7 - three separate pairs resting plus a single bird.

Sleeping Shelduck and a Curlew

Waders passing by

Extremely light NE breeze till mid morning then it freshened and shifted to the NW. mainly sunny.

Pete and Jean did an early check:

0730 on this am: 

55 Eider 

12 Great Crested Grebe

6 Red-breasted Merganser just north of Heysham head.  

c300 Black-Headed gull north/feeding by skear

35 2cy Knot 

22 Grey Plover off wooden jetty 

Best was drake Goosander north and single very distant Sandwich Tern out.

I went down to check the skear at low water (MD). Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested grebe as above.

Curlew 2

Whimbrel 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 43 - there were 6 feeding along the beach shoreline then 37 flew in and rested on the skear.

Some of the Bar-Tailed Godwit coming in

They just rested on the skear till moved on by the tide. Several in summer plumage. These are just some of them.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

At this point, the sea was flat calm, these were the last to leave the skear.

They then joined the birds feeding along the shoreline.

The only other waders were Oystercatcher, Redshank and Turnstone.

It was strange with the clear blue sky and the flat blue sea. There was no way of knowing where the sea ended and the sky started. These are a line of Eider. The line on the water in the foreground at the beginning of the clip is just droppings landing.

South shore (MD)

Just a quick check from the saltmarsh to Red Nab towards high water. No sign of the Brent goose today.

Something lifted, or perhaps it was just time to lift, c80 Curlew from the shore to the south of the saltmarsh. They didn't land again and just continued north.

Linnet 14

Wheatear 7 - there are 6 in this location clip.

Rock Pipit 2 - 1 on foreshore and a displaying male on Red Nab.

Janet saw this "small white" butterfly at Half Moon Bay. She is still without her camera so took this shot with here mobile. It probably is a Small White, with the bright light masking the wing markings. (MD)

Dark-bellied Brent stops off

The light NE wind continues. Dry all day with some sunshine, but feeling cool in the wind.

Heysham skear - low water 09:20 (MD)

Eider 39

Shoveler 2 male 

Red-breasted Merganser 6

Great Crested Grebe 12 - this one has a small flattie (looks like a Plaice). But it must be too wide to swallow. The grebe reminds me of a magician doing a card trick. It seems to swallow the fish, then it magically reappears in its bill!

Little Egret 3

Whimbrel 20 - these are some coming in to land on the skear. You can't really see much but it's a nice panoramic of the skear. The brown lumpy bits are Honeycomb worm beds and reefs.

Curlew 2

Oystercatcher c1500

Redshank c40

Turnstone 80+

Bar-Tailed Godwit 6. They don't often feed on the skear itself, they rest here till the incoming tide softens the waterline mud (see yesterday's post).

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Swallow - a steady stream of single birds along the sea wall but none seen out on the shore.

Sand Martin 3 together over the skear

South shore 

Janet had a walk along the sea wall on the rising tide.

Kittiwake 1 x 2nd calendar year (later 3 seen by Jean and Pete)

Grey Seal 1

I checked at high water (MD)

Wheatear 5 (these shots were actually taken over the weekend by Mark Jones)

Wheatear on Red Nab

Linnet 12

Shag 1 immature on the wooden jetty

Rock Pipit 2 (sea wall and lighthouse)

Little Egret 3 on Red Nab

Dark-Bellied Brent goose 1. Also on Red Nab. Initially in the freshwater runoff. Even in the water it was very obviously a dark-bellied.

Dark-bellied Brent goose in the freshwater runoff on Red Nab

It then rested on the rocks

It seems to have plenty of fat reserves for its journey to their breeding grounds

Even so, when I returned, it was feeding at the edge of Red Nab. In the absence of other ducks and geese, the gutweed has gone from being a bowling green to a lush meadow.

There was obviously a serious fire near Blackpool. It turned out to be an empty Hotel on Blackpool seafront. The seafront in this clip is actually Fleetwood with Blackpool behind. You can see the extent of the smoke in comparison to Blackpool Tower. Hopefully, and as far as I know, no one was hurt.

Avocets join the year list

A light North wind, NE to begin with then NW. the rain held off till mid afternoon, even then just a few showers.

Seawatch report from Pete Crooks:

A largely uneventful 3 hour 10 minute sea-watch (8.30 – 11.30 am) from the lighthouse at the mouth of Heysham Harbour produced:
7 Little Gull (5 adults, 2 1st summer). A distant group of 4 adult Little Gull on the sea south of the Wooden Pier at 10.50 am, were soon joined by another adult and 2 1st summer as they floated towards the Wooden Pier on the incoming tide. At 11.05 am 5 of the group flew up and headed off towards Red Nab, gained height and presumably headed off inland. Two adults remained on the sea floating past the Wooden Pier, but suddenly disappeared – presumably also heading off inland.

Also offshore:
1 Shag – presumably the regular bird stood near a Cormorant on a distant sand bar off the North Harbour Wall
2 Sandwich Tern – appeared as the tide began to turn at 9.30 am
2 Common Tern – flew into the Bay at 10.00 am
2 Teal – flew in at 10.15 am
1 Harbour Porpoise – off the harbour mouth

Vis mig was limited to 19 Swallow, 3 House Martin and 1 Sand Martin heading into the bay low over the sea.

2 1st summer Kittiwake – on the horizontal pipe near the outfall at the SW corner of the harbour.

Pete (M) checked a few areas:

Avocet 2 flew south past Ocean Edge mid morning possibly landing at Potts - there were no Avocets seen in the recording during 2022.

Swallow 44

Sand Martin 3 north

Turnstone 2 flocks of 13 and 18 flew high to the north

Teal 5 by the skear

I checked from the shoreline on the rising tide to the south of the skear mid morning (MD)

Teal 11 - originally 7 near the skear (looks like the 2 in had joined the 5).

Two flew off to the north, but another four joined the remaining five. Some minor squabbling ensued!

But the squabbling was soon resolved and the nine remained together, eventually drifting further into the bay when the skear was covered.

Eider 41

Red-breasted Merganser 9

Great Crested Grebe 12 - these two were displaying 

Sandwich Tern 2 fishing (seen by all observers)

Sandwich Tern, screeching as it goes

Swallow 10 (8 in one flock) north

Curlew 2 south

Whimbrel 1 north

Bar-Tailed Godwit 10 feeding. The bird closest to the waterline catches a lugworm here, albeit a small one. (My camera is still making a racket, so we are in silent mode, I keep expecting Charlie Chaplin to shuffle across the frame - maybe that's just my age!)

Little Ringed Plover 1 - flushed from the inner rocks by the rising tide. It flew up to gain height before flying off north

Harbour Porpoise 2 - adult and young together

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Grasshopper warbler 1 singing

Speckled Wood 1

Orange Tip 1 female

Female Orange Tip

Just out of the recording area - Conder Green

White Stork circling - ref Pete

100+ Little gulls......but it wasn't easy! Plus four tern species

Very light breeze continued from NE till c08:00, then drifted to NW. overnight night rain not easing till c10:00.

Report from Pete Crooks:

Heysham North Harbour Wall – A short visit in heavy drizzle and poor visibility produced 1 Rock Pipit, but nothing on the sea at low tide.

Golden Ball, Lune Estuary – An Osprey flew north at 9.55 am and provided the inspiration for a return visit to Heysham.

Heysham North Harbour Wall – A 2-hour sea-watch on the incoming tide (10.15 – 12.15 pm) produced:
103 Little Gull – all adults except for 2 1st summer. Most were fairly distant, flying in or resting on the sea and drifting towards Heysham Head on the incoming tide and most easily identifiable when wing-flapping. Groups included 41 flying in at 10.40, 22 floating in at 11.15 am and the final (and most distant) group of 7 floating in at 11.50 am.
19 Arctic Tern – including a group of 10 flying into the Bay, but also some ‘blogging’, including 4 that flew out towards the outfalls.
4 Sandwich Tern
1 Pale-belied Brent Goose – flew in at 11.08 am
1 Gannet – flew in at 11.30 am
1 1st summer Kittiwake – floated in at 11.40 am

Also: 2 Whimbrel, 18 Eider, 2 Grey Seal and 1 Harbour Porpoise offshore
2 male Wheatear, 1 Rock Pipit – on Near Naze.

I was checking from the lighthouse area just before 10:00 (MD). The weather was clearing and the sea flat, but I couldn't see any Little Gulls on the sea, at that time at least a scope was required.

Common Tern 1 on No.1 outflow (first record this year)

Common Tern - not so common here nowadays 

Kittiwake 1 x 2nd calendar year on outflows 

Shag 1 immature on the wooden jetty

Shelduck 2 

Eider 10 out

Whimbrel 4 - these two near No.2 outflow

Peregrine Falcon 1

Linnet 14

Wheatear 3 in the morning, 7 in an evening check

Male Pied Wagtail 

Male White Wagtail 

Black Tern 1 flew in this evening, quite a distance out, but fortunately quite a distinctive bird!

Distant Black Tern

Also this evening. Alison and Kevin found this Tissue moth on the end of the wall on the harbour arm.

Tissue Moth

Heysham Head

Grasshopper Warbler singing above the old go kart track - ref Janet

Another 26 Little gulls

The light NE to east wind continues, sunshine in the morning but overcast after lunch.

Pete and Jean managed another thorough check of the south side, Pete scoping from Ocean Edge and Jean scoping from the lighthouse allowing maximum sea coverage.

Little Gull 26 in one flock drifted in with the tide c09:50 before "disappearing" presumably flew high before heading inland.

Arctic Tern 25 - in off then high to the east over Red Nab

Sandwich Tern 8 minimum blogging, mainly on north side

Shag 1 probably 2cy briefly on wooden jetty

Common Sandpiper 1 (first record this year)

Lesser Redpoll 10

Linnet 13

Common Scoter 1

House Martin 1

Sand Martin 5

Swallow 79 - the main flight line was in off then NE just south of Red Nab

Jean didn't have here camera yesterday when some of the Little gulls flew over. She was prepared today, but typically the Little gulls were much too distant to photograph. Still she took this shot of the, mainly 2cy Common gulls, at the seaward end of No.1 outflow.

Mainly 2cy Common gulls feeding at the end of No.1 outflow

There were c300 Common gulls between new yellow outfall post south of the outfalls and Heysham skear with about 130 Black-Headed gulls

Heysham skear - low water 07:30

Pete had a look from Knowlys Rd:

Great Crested Grebe 12

Red-breasted Merganser 7

Herring Gulls 820, the main group on the seed mussels in the middle of the skear, rest spread around.

Sandwich Tern 3

I had a walk down (MD)

Some of the Herring Gulls feeding on the seed mussels. 
The Lesser Black-Backed gulls don't take advantage of this easy snack.....yet.
Perhaps they will start this year.

Eider 55

This is one of the Sandwich Tern fishing, unsuccessfully on this occasion. When it dives, you can see a second bird also diving behind it.

This one has caught a small fish, a young Black-Headed Gull naively tries to catch it, but the tern is in a different league when it comes to manoeuvrability!

Four small ducks near the green marker post looked promising, but they turned out to be Teal. This clip also includes two Great Crested Grebe and two Red-breasted Merganser.

They flew off north, led by the ladies

Oystercatcher c1,000

Redshank c50

Turnstone c150

Curlew 4

Whimbrel 3

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers

Swallow 17

Sand Martin 4

Incredible 187 Little Gulls! Plus even more just to the south.

 A light NE overnight wind freshened slightly by mid morning and remained E-NE all day. Sunny.

Pete and Jean made an early start and were duly rewarded with a phenomenal Little gull spectacle!

Little gull 187! - summary from Pete:

Initially, 62 little gulls were located in the channel south of the outfalls on arrival in two compact groups on the water in the middle of the feeding trail of mainly 2cy Common Gull.  Then they got up and spiralled high into the sky heading east to the south of Heysham two power station.  No hesitancy as is usual in clear conditions and if they had aborted and spun back round we would have seen them do that.  I’m convinced all three groups (62, 55, 70) were separate birds as were the 43 over Knott end and 50 going high east at Rossall to the south of us

There were 270 Common gulls here plus more strung out to Heysham Head. 

Also:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 19 north (1 plus 18)

Whimbrel 2 north, 

2 Sand martin

48 Swallow

1 House Martin

1 White Wagtail

4 blogging Sandwich Tern on northern yellow buoy 

Myself and Kevin Eaves also checked the south shore but too late to see the Little Gulls.

Wheatear 4

Kittiwake 2 x 2nd calendar year 

Swallow 10 in addition to above

Rock Pipit 3

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

Grey Seal 1

It was a nice morning for a swim, for these Red Nab Redshank

I had another walk along the sea wall early evening (MD). Really just in the hope that some interesting insects had come in (and it was a nice day!). There was lots of small stuff, beyond my identification skills. This Devil's Coach Horse was also seeing what was around.

Devil's Coach Horse

The only other large insects seen were a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Shelduck 2

Little Egret 8 including 2 flying into the bay.

Great White Egret 1 flying into the bay

This pigeon was asleep on the wall, and looked to have been there a while (it was surprisingly quiet)

I had to wake it as a couple were approaching with a dog.

Presumably a racing pigeon, but previous ones I've seen had brightly coloured rings

It looked weary, but managed to fly off before the dog arrived.

This male Black Blackcap was in the Nature Park. My camera almost behaved itself (noise wise) you can hear a burst of song at the end of the clip.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a very quick check

Mute swan - pair nesting plus 2 non-breeding adults and today only 4 immature on the main pond

Mallard 5 male and a female with at least 10 chicks 

You get a sense that this was their first outing. They reminded me of kids getting out of lessons and running to the playground (there's always one tearaway!) 

Hope they fare better than last year's clutch here

Coot 4

Moorhen 2

In a 15 minute visit 4 warbler species heard:

Willow Warbler 3

Chiffchaff 4

Cetti's Warbler 4

Sedge Warbler 1 - first record this year

But as far as singing goes, the tiny Wren takes some beating!

Kevin Singleton also paid a brief visit:

Brimstone male , Speckled wood , Small Tortoiseshell.

warblers included:

Cettis near the small pond, chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap and common whitethroat.

two shelduck circling pond

Litter Grebe

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Mark Jones saw a pair of Kestrel mating on one of the pylons.

Kevin Eaves had this Puss Moth in his overnight trap.

Always nice to have one of these in the trap. I seem to get just the one every year!