Wigeon numbers slowly increasing

The bulk of the day was like yesterday, but with more rain. It did brighten up a bit later in the afternoon. A NE breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

I just checked the two large ponds

Main pond

Mute Swan pair

Mallard 3

Coot 2

Moorhen 2

Little Grebe 1 in summer plumage 

Grey Heron 1

"no swimming" pond

Mute Swan 1

Mallard 3 (2 males and a female)

Gadwall 3 (2 males and a female)

Tufted Duck 1 female

Coot 1

Little Grebe 1

Tufted Duck covered with raindrops 

Male Gadwall

Little Grebe. Summer plumage fading

Tufted Duck and Little Grebe

South shore - Malcolm 13:45 - 15:30

It was still raining as I walked through the caravan park. Something had scattered all the Linnet they were flying in all directions around the caravans in small to large groups. Plus there was a group in the air as I reached the saltmarsh. Impossible to be confident of total numbers, but definitely more than 150.

Linnet over the saltmarsh 

Wheatear 2 along the foreshore 

Wheatear

2 Pied and a White Wagtail along the sea wall

White Wagtail 

Shelduck 23

Shelduck 

Wigeon 16 by No.2 outfall

Wigeon

Plenty of Black-Headed gulls on both outfalls, but nothing else

More gulls feeding on the waterfall that we have seen for some while 

There were no Mediterranean Gulls on the beach by the wooden jetty 

Pink-Footed goose 43 south

Pink-Footed geese

In the Nature Park 

No butterflies seen but 2 Common Darters were resting on the wooden gate.

Common Darters

The woodchip pile by the small anemometer has seen a variety of fungi over the year. But now there is a newcomer, and not a particularly handsome one! And not even a fungus. Kevin took these shots and both he and Alison believe that it is probably Dog Vomit Slime Mould

Dog Vomit Slime Mould (its name flatters it!) - probably 

Janet had this flock of geese over to the south on Heysham Head. And again it wasn't obvious which species 

Geese sp

Just out of the recording area - Heaton marsh

The three Glossy Ibis are still there