Another dry day, but today it was overcast. The almost nonexistent NE breeze remains.
Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Malcolm
No sign of the Shovelers this morning.
Tufted Duck 8
Gadwall 6
Little Grebe 1
Mute, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen unchanged
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| Still some ice but much of the pond is now ice free |
The Tufted Ducks were happily feeding again.
Heysham skear - Malcolm 12:00 - 13:00
Pale-bellied Brent geese 8 - 3 flew north, 5 arrived from the west and headed to the play area rocks. There would likely have been more Brent there, but not checked today.
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| Pale-bellied Brent geese |
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Great Crested grebe 4
No Little Egrets
Oystercatcher 1500
Curlew 30
Bar-Tailed Godwit 13
Redshank just 12 and all along the northern edge feeding in the drain
No Knot
Turnstone 40
Dunlin 15
Ringed Plover 13
The low Knot and Redshank numbers will be linked to the lack of shrimps in the shallows due to the clear water. The significant reduction in mussel cover is likely linked to the low numbers of Eider.
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| Bar-Tailed Godwit and Dunlin |
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| One of the Godwits still with a blush of summer plumage |
The Ringed Plovers were high up the shore, where they usually feed. They seemed to be finding plenty to eat.
Imperial Rd - Malcolm
No Stonechats seen
Water Rail 2 calling
Heron 2
Kestrel 2
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| This female hovered over a few locations |
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| Before deciding to watch from a pylon |
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| This shows just how sharp their eyesight is. The Kestrel spotted a rodent in a quite overgrown area, and flew this 100m flight line to catch it. |
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| It then flew to this lamppost to eat it. No sign of a tail on the rodent, so presumably a Vole. |
By the time I had got close enough for a better view, it was just cleaning up after its meal. I don't suppose the designers of this light sensor envisioned this use of their product, but this won't be the first time it has been used as a face wipe.
Just out of the recording area, Heaton marsh - Pete
Adult Russian White-fronted goose with 246 greylag
