Kingfisher(s) continue to entertain

Another dry day with an east wind. Sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve

First some shots taken by Peter and Rosemary Silvester over recent days.

Common Darters

Migrant Hawkers

Ringing and vis summary - Pete

Flock of 10 pheasant along ringing concrete road

Vis included 9 migrant song thrush around then inland , 5 grey wagtail,  a southbound crow flock and pink feet.  

Ringing included three chiffchaff, two blackcap and a goldcrest

Angela Gillon this afternoon 

Kingfisher flew across the main pond 

Tufted Duck 9

Cormorant 1

Male and female Chaffinch on the feeders

Heysham Skear - low water 08:50 (Malcolm)

Little Egret 16

Some of the Little Egret

Great Crested grebe 1

Eider 2

Red-Breasted Merganser 13 in small groups (3, 5, 4, 1)

Red-breasted Merganser coming in to land

There is Sea lettuce all over the skear at the moment. This is the favoured 
weed of the Brent Geese when they arrive. But presumably it is also 
plentiful on the other side of the Bay

There were hardly any waders on the south side of the skear, just 2 Ringed Plover close in. These spring tides expose so much of the bay that many waders take advantage of feeding on areas less frequently exposed. There was a few more walking back along the northern edge. Although not really the edge, a large long honeycomb worm reef flanks the north side.

This is the reef that runs along the northern edge of the skear, it is over
2m above the water level here

Oystercatcher 200

Curlew 23

Redshank 16

Turnstone 14

Knot 23 (including an orange flagged bird, unfortunately too distant to read)

South shore

There were quite a lot of Large Whites about, but little else when Kevin checked early afternoon.

By the time I (Malcolm) checked in the evening the only insects were a couple of Red Admirals in off.

Shelduck 48

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult flying behind the dredger in the harbour mouth.

The Med is just to the right of the bridge

A fine looking first calendar year Herring Gull. One of many in the harbour 

Kingfisher at least 1. As I walked out one flew from the culvert on Red Nab. When I reached No.2 outfall one was fishing, but not in the outfall itself but the rock pools beside it.

Kingfisher perched above a rock pool, the low evening light playing 
with its iridescent plumage

It soon caught a fish

On the return leg, it had switched to the other side.

Kestrel 1 female/immature has taken to patrolling the Power Station grounds and perching near by watching for movement

Kestrel 

Rock Pipit 2 (1 each Red Nab and Lighthouse)

Pied Wagtail 37 most on Ocean Edge grass