Middleton Nature Reserve
Report by Jean:
Ringing was slow this morning and despite having the nets up at dawn, the first bird, a single Goldcrest, only turned up at 0825. It wasn’t until 0930 that a small flock of Chiffchaffs appeared:
Goldcrest 1
Chiffchaff 3
Reed Bunting 1
Great Tit 1
Blue Tit 1
Wren 1
Unfortunately I had to take the nets down at 1030 and as soon as I’d finished putting them away a Yellow-browed Warbler appeared. Typical!
There was little vis up to 1030, mostly Pink-footed Geese. A total of 290 flew over, a flock of 40 north then four flocks south. Other visitors comprised 2 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 10 Redwing and 2 Swallows
Going nowhere were 3 Cetti’s Warblers, a couple of Water Rails, 2 Robins, 3 Pheasants, a Coot and what sounded like a Gadwall. A Snipe was heard but I wasn’t sure if it was arriving or going.
Goldcrest 1
Chiffchaff 3
Reed Bunting 1
Great Tit 1
Blue Tit 1
Wren 1
Unfortunately I had to take the nets down at 1030 and as soon as I’d finished putting them away a Yellow-browed Warbler appeared. Typical!
There was little vis up to 1030, mostly Pink-footed Geese. A total of 290 flew over, a flock of 40 north then four flocks south. Other visitors comprised 2 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 10 Redwing and 2 Swallows
Going nowhere were 3 Cetti’s Warblers, a couple of Water Rails, 2 Robins, 3 Pheasants, a Coot and what sounded like a Gadwall. A Snipe was heard but I wasn’t sure if it was arriving or going.
A couple of phone shots from Janet this morning (arm still in cast so no camerawork for a while).
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| Male Migrant Hawker |
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| Male Common Darter |
Shaun checked likely warbler habitats early this morning and was rewarded with the target species.
Yellow-Browed Warbler 1 seen and calling occasionally, from the wooded area on Smithy Lane opposite Moon-Bay Wharf.
Chiffchaff 2 same area
Heysham Head:
3 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap (2 tit flocks on here).
Heysham Nature Reserve :
2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrest (large tit flock with at least 10 LTTits in it near the quarry)
1 Chiffchaff at the Fire Water Pool.
South shore
I just had a short walk from Nature Park to the Saltmarsh late morning (Malcolm)
In the Nature Park.
Red Admiral 4
Small White 4
Painted Lady 1 - there have been very few this year
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| Painted Lady |
Silver Y 3
Common Darter 4
A feeding Flock of Long-Tailed Tits with at least 1 Coal Tit, but no warblers seen or heard.
Pink Footed Goose two small skeins south 11 and 16, then later, probably the same 16 north (additional to Jean's birds)
Greylag Goose 1 south
Shelduck 170 feeding on the mud
Wigeon 7 on Red Nab
Mediterranean gull 3 adults on the shore
Wheatear 1 on foreshore
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| Wheatear |
Linnet c80 - one large flock feeding on the saltmarsh, smaller feeding groups all along the marsh grass finger that runs along the east shore.
Merlin 1 female/immature flew south along the finger of marsh grass, presumably after the Linnet. Possibly it is what made yesterday's waders so skittish.
Lapwing 46 - before the Merlin zipped past I had counted 9 but the small raptor managed to lift everything off the saltmarsh allowing an accurate count.
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| Lapwing top and Linnet below, both coming back down to land |
The Lapwing landed on the shore. The tide is rising quickly at this point, this clip gives a flavour of the activity here.
Redshank 50
Grey Plover 6
Feeding flock of 31 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plover
Swallow 3 in/off together then SE
Kevin Eaves had a walk along the sea wall this evening
Kingfisher 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Just out of the recording area
Yellow-browed Warbler Potts Corner 1130 (Stuart Piner)
