A lovely autumn day. A cool night followed by a warm sunny day with a light and variable breeze.
Heysham Nature Reserve
Report from Jean:
Another busy ringing session at Heysham NR with 84 birds caught - 74 new and 10 retraps
New birds:
Greenfinch 21
Blue Tit 9
Chiffchaff 8 - John caught 16 at Middleton NR so in total 24 were caught today. It's certainly a day record this year but not sure about previous years. On those numbers we should have had a Yellow-browed Warbler but it wasn't to be today, maybe at the weekend??
Goldfinch 7
Goldcrest 6
Chaffinch 6
Robin 4
Great Tit 3
Dunnock 3
Wren 2
Coal Tit 2
Long-tailed Tit 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Retraps
Dunnock 3 - two recent ones and one which was caught over last winter and last seen on 8 April then reappeared on 7 September for this winter.
Long-tailed Tit 2 - one of which hadn't been caught since February
Goldcrest 1 (recent)
Robin 1 (recent)
Great Tit 1 (recent)
Blue Tit 1 (recent)
Goldfinch 1 - last caught in March
Visible migration
Jackdaw - flock of 175 south and flock of 24 south - both flocks in addition to those seen at Ocean Edge
Pink-footed Goose - 280 north, 90 south
Pied Wagtail - 2
Linnet - 1
Chaffinch - 14
Skylark - 1 late morning
Other
Raven and Peregrine were slugging it out over one of the pylons. The Raven (possibly 2) only appeared in the last few days and is encroaching on the eastern edge of the Peregrine's territory so the latter was very vocal. The pylon in question is also in a Carrion Crow territory so they were cawing loudly as well!
A Cetti's Warbler sang briefly in the tank farm.
South Shore (MD)
I had a walk out on the shore beyond the saltmarsh on the morning rising tide.
Whooper Swan - a single bird flew south almost as soon as I reached the shore. I started a tally sheet, and the final tally was........one!
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| Whooper Swan |
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| The only other swan seen was this Mute feeding on the saltmarsh towards high water |
Pink-Footed Goose 150 south in two skeins
Shelduck 16 on the sea
Wigeon 25 around Red Nab
Waders:
Oystercatcher 500
Curlew 20
Bar-Tailed Godwit 110
Lapwing 51 on the saltmarsh
Grey Plover 15
Redshank 40
Knot 1,000
Turnstone 4
Dunlin 500
Ringed Plover 23
These are most of the Godwits plus a few Grey Plover
Redshank rarely get a show, these are some chasing in the tide and obviously finding plenty to eat. Meanwhile the Black-Headed Gulls and Knot (end of clip) look less than impressed!
Greenfinch 6 on saltmarsh
Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh - this is a bit of a different viewing angle.
Wheatear 2 (foreshore and Red Nab)
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| Wheatear |
Red Admiral 2 south
Heysham skear low water 17:40 (MD)
A very pleasant evening stroll, but nothing new to see.
Eider 4
Great Crested Grebe 5
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Little Egret 21
Grey Heron 1
Oystercatcher c1,000
Curlew 25
Bar-Tailed Godwit 6 - in SE muddy corner
Redshank 30
Turnstone 15 (inner skear not checked.
Knot c2,000 - no rings seen
