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.