Saturday 30 March 2024

A nice day, but nothing new.

A very pleasant sunny morning, some cloud cover later in the afternoon, but dry. A light SE breeze.

A nice shot of a male Eider by the wooden jetty - Kevin Eaves

Heysham skear low water - 08:25 (MD)
Pale-bellied Brent goose 11 - they were just resting on small islands on the western edge of the skear, till moved on by the tide. They then drifted round to the south of the skear. One of them has two white darvic rings. The clip begins with a few Knot coming in to land.
It wasn't possible to read the rings, but it is likely the Icelandic ringed bird seen earlier in the winter.

Pink-Footed goose 30 east.
Pinkfoot passing over, becoming a less frequent event now

Eider were similar numbers to yesterday. Pete managed to count 64 from Heysham Head
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Shag 1 feeding on the south side
There were a few more waders around today.
Oystercatcher 1,500
Bar-Tailed Godwit 3
Curlew 34
Knot 1,000
Redshank 60
Turnstone 80
Dunlin 50

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Just the briefest of checks at the "no swimming" pond. Still 1 female Goosander, the male mute having given up trying to chase her off. For now.
Cetti's warbler 2 singing 
Chiffchaff 2

Just out of the recording area

Scaup 1 drake near Teal Bay (where most of the Eider are too) - Pete

 

Glossy Ibis in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. This morning at least.

I didn't check today (Malcolm), but took this clip yesterday as its feeding habits have changed. It was feeling, not probing in the water. It catches something at the end of this clip which appears to be a tadpole.


Glossy Ibis with what can only be a tadpole. It has been such an effective feeder in
this terrain. It almost seems like it evolved specifically to live in this horse paddock!
Obviously, it's real skill is locating an area that it is ideally adapted for.