Nice mixture for Malcolm's rounds

Rock Pipit - what is hopefully the off-duty male was around a moored boat on the south quay today before slipping away:

Little Grebe - pair with two young Middleton no swimming pond
Stock Dove one flew east over Middleton NR
Gadwall - 6 adult, 16 young
Curlew - 280 Red Nab incoming tide
Med Gull - 2 x ad Red Nab incoming tide
Shag - 2CY wooden jetty (PM)

Porpoise poss two offshore

No sign of yesterdays probable White-letter Hairstreak along the golf course edge between the reserve entrance and the five barred gate.  Gatekeeper yesterday at Middleton = early

Meds think its still spring!

Just received this pic from Heysham head in my in-box!   Live-rug rat.

Returning Meds were still displaying on the sandflats off Ocean Edge this morning

Med Gull - 3 x adult - one metal-ringed on right leg - and one 3CY - all four in lower photo

No sign of any Rock Pipit activity as viewed from along the seawall (none expected in the time available if female is sitting)

Grey Seal inshore feeding on mullet

Grey Heron in-off

Ringing by office
A surprising number of juvenile Great Tits which were unringed - nine caught, otherwise a few finches and a couple of warbler fledglings.  Missing from the Middleton session and this morning were the (on arrival dates) the earliest nesters - just one Chiffchaff and Blackcap and no Lesser Whitethroat from the two sessions - have they dispersed already/too dry to attract them into the trapping areas/failed?

Young Birds are about at Middleton

Post for Sunday 24th:

A ringing session at Middleton NR this morning produced a decent number of juvenile captures including:

Blackcap 1, Blue Tit 1, Chiffchaff 1, GreatTit 3, Reed Warbler 1 (+3 adults), Robin 3, Sedge Warbler 5 (+4 adults), Whitethroat 6, Willow Warbler 3 (+1 adult in primary moult).

ajd

Bits and pieces

Possible distant Rock Pipit flying into the power station area by wooden jetty

Middleton WEBS:
Mute 1 pair plus 2 individuals. Don't know what happened to the young one on Tim Butler. Perhaps it was just out of sight somewhere.
0 Coot
4 Moorhen
2 female Gadwall with 3 & 5 young.
1 Little grebe ("no swimming")
1 Heron

Another ad Med

Missed out on an early morning seawatch due to alarm problems!

Manx Shearwater - one out
Med Gull - 2CY am, Ad pm
Shag - wooden jetty
Lapwing - one Red Nab unseasonal

A nice mixed bag from Janet's travels today - thanks for these Janet

Nothing new today

One brief Rock Pipit sighting

1x 2cy med (one with blackish head)

Shag 2cy around

Linnet breeding in SD35Z -  carrying nest material

Quite a few moths in the trap including Blackneck and Heart and Club

Arctic Skua shock and more Rock Pipit observation

Malcolm was out on Heyshsm skeer pre tide and a light morph Arctic Skua flew close above his head heading into the Bay

At least one Rock Pipit seen carrying nesting material into the power station this pm - must surely have almost finished building a ??(time of year) second attempt

Both of the 2cy meds were on Red Nab

2CY Shag wooden jetty

Breeding Rock Pipit

Two were seen together on Thursday with one carrying nesting material.  Unfortunately the observer had to leave before they could track the bird to the nest site.  Awkward time - the ringing team don't seem to have any time to follow this up and the same goes for any of the rest of us.  Watch this space and hopefully not predated before we can absolutely confirm a nest site (I've not seen either of the two birds and they are incredibly elusive)

Note the nesting material carried by bird on the left

Family party of Pied Wagtail and a few Linnet in the same area

Shag still present on wooden jetty - another novelty - a summering Shag!

Sat 16th

Lift off with seagulls

2 x 2CY Meds - one with mask, the other with blackish head
250 Black-headed
35 Common

Shag - 2CY

2 x Little Egret Red Nab

160 Curlew Red Nab

Friday 15th

3 x Manx
Shag
2Cy Med with mask