Little Gull, but awkward with the sea wall closed

A few light showers in the morning otherwise dry and mainly sunny. A light west(ish) breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Alan:

Just two nets set this morning owing to intermittent short showers. Four Grey Wagtails caught with a further six attracted but not caught.  One Swallow flew fast northwards over the reserve around 09.30, also ten Meadow Pipits attracted but again not caught.

Grey Wagtail  4

Wren  1

Robin  3

Reed Warbler  1

Lesser Whitethroat  2

Blackcap  5

Chiffchaff   3

Willow Warbler  1

Blue Tit  1

Great Tit  1

Janet had a look after lunch

Cetti's warbler 1 singing from reed bed on the main pond.

Tufted Duck, still 5 on the main pond.

Female/immature Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck drake

Migrant Hawker

Male Emperor 

South shore

Pete checked from Ocean Edge:

Little Gull 1 adult on the inner end of No.1 outfall

Mediterranean gull  7 including 1 1cy on No.1 outfall.

I had a short walk out onto the shore late morning (Malcolm)

Some of the gulls on Red Nab. Great Black-Backed on the left
Herring gull top right, Mediterranean gull top centre.
The rest Black-Headed gulls

Wheatear 2 (foreshore and Ocean Edge grass)

Pied Wagtail 12 and Linnet 8 also on Ocean Edge grass

Little Egret 5 on saltmarsh 

Little Egret 

Grey Plover 2 high up the shore

Male Grey Plover still in summer plumage

There were two main groups of Ringed Plover and Dunlin feeding high up the shore. 294 in total, at least 100 Ringed Plovers.

This is what they are feeding on, countless thousands of tiny snails.
If you zoom in on this shot you can see the tracks the snails leave as they feed.

Although there are other molluscs on the menu. Janet took these shots of a Ringed Plover close to the foreshore.

Each of the specks on the mud surface is a tiny snail

But this one found a larger mollusc just below the surface.

In the Nature Park

Peacock 3

Red Admiral 2

4 singing Robins