Crossbill tops bill, and a good day was had by all

A dry sunny day. Almost no air movement early on, what there was came from the east. A light west breeze from lunchtime.

Heysham Nature Reserve

Jean and Pete had a ringing and visible migration morning. Report by Jean:

Good variety and number of birds ringed this morning. 57 caught, 17 species:

Robin 4

Great Tit 2

Blue Tit 7

MARSH TIT 1 

Goldfinch 6

Chiffchaff 4

GOLDCREST 8

GREY WAGTAIL 9 colour ringed (out of 15 flying over)

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Greenfinch 2

Long-tailed Tit 1

TREECREEPER 1

Coal Tit 2

Dunnock 4

Chaffinch 1

Blackcap 1

Whitethroat 1

Vis:

CROSSBILL 1

Pink-footed Goose 6 skeins

Redpoll 1

Marsh Tit

Migrant Hawkers

Wall brown flew north along the coastline past half moon bay cafe (this butterfly is not seen every year here) 

South shore (Malcolm) 09:45 - 11:45

The plan was to do the same walk as yesterday, but I didn't manage to check the foreshore today.

Pink-Footed goose 265 in 4 skeins, the last at 10:15

Shelduck 5

Mediterranean gull 1 adult south

Mediterranean gull 

Swallow 1 south

Oystercatchers 450

Curlew 180

Lapwing 4

Grey Plover 6

Redshank 55

Knot 6

Ringed Plover 80

Dunlin 53

Sanderling 2

Ringed Plover and Dunlin

They were feeding high up the shore where it was covered in freshwater yesterday.

The Grey Plovers, Knot and Sanderling were the only waders feeding along the waterline. The Sanderling didn't stay long before continuing south.

Some of the Redshank near the saltmarsh 

Kingfisher 1 flushed from the saltmarsh creek by the rising tide and flew towards Middleton Nature Reserve 

Linnet 40+. Today the were on the west side of the saltmarsh 

Kestrel 1 male on the east side of the saltmarsh 

Not a great shot, but I quite like it.
The dark Kestrel shape bottom left is just the shadow. The Kestrel is mid
frame, you can just make out its distinctive tail.

Clouded Yellow 2 on the saltmarsh. A bright yellow male flew north along the Western edge before continuing north. I just about managed some record shots.

Male Clouded Yellow

In contrast a female in the NE corner was reluctant to fly, providing easy at rest shots, but they always rest with their wings closed, and this one was the pale variant with its upper wings almost white.

Resting Clouded Yellow, but not obviously a female, or pale

So I adopted a strategy of casting my shadow on it to stimulate a reaction.
That's my scary shadow, I wasn't wearing a top hat, just a sun hat.

It worked!

Pale version female Clouded Yellow

She clearly just wanted to rest, presumably after flying some distance, so I left her in peace.

Kevin Eaves checked the foreshore just after lunch.

Clouded Yellow - one bright yellow one looked to be a male flew past quickly, almost certainly different to the earlier one that had continued north, so 3 for the day.

Wheatear 1

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Mute Swan 1 adult and 7 cygnets 

Tufted Duck 30 (8 on "no swimming" pond)

Gadwall 5

Mallard 5

Coot 11

Moorhen 2

Cetti's warbler 1 singing in western marsh

Chiffchaff 1 calling

Mediterranean gull 2 adult high to the west

Red Admiral 4 all drifting high to the east

Large White 1

Speckled Wood 3

Common Darter 2

Migrant Hawker 8

Migrant Hawker