Poor visibility and wet

Six Meadow Pipit by the Near Naze had obviously wandered from the heliport grassland

Ringing in November was unremarkable and very office feeder-net orientated, which meant a decent passage of Blackbird was not reflected in the ringing totals.  144 of 17 species.   Most notably, just two of these were Blue Tits and none were Great Tits!  Continental Song Thrushes have been like hen's teeth this autumn and the only one caught was given the Yellow-brow level of minor excitement!  A high, over 50%, ratio of new birds until a sudden change on 22nd Nov when just 8 out of 34 were unringed and no further ringing was undertaken after 23rd.  Top five were Greenfinch (41), Goldfinch (30), Chaffinch (19), Blackbird (18), Goldcrest (8).  One Greenfinch control. 

Standard seawatching fodder

Shag - the presumed long staying bird still around
Little gull - ad out
Kittiwake - 52 out including flocks of 6,11,31
Auk spp - one long range
Duck spp - one at long range and not a lot to go on but possibly of interest!
Common Scoter -usual flock of 7-8 with Eider
Eider - c400

Wild

Little gull - ad out during 40 min seawatching
Common Scoter - drake in
Shoveler - Male Still middleton
Gadwall - c23 middleton
Coot - 1
Teal - female with Wigeon Red Nab
R b merg- 3 red nab (2 drake)

No seaduck check

Wet and Windies but too southerly

 Common Scoter - flock of eight and Singleton off Heysham Head
Red-breasted Merganser - three as above

Bits and bobs before the rain

Guillemot in harbour new in
Med gull - ad harbour mouth area
Common Scoter - tight flock of 8-9 bouncing up and down in channel off Heysham Head
Great-crested Grebe - 14 close inshore North side of Heysham Head
Meadow pipit - at least one ocean edge

Hen Harrier harried

A ring-tailed Hen Harrier, the first for many years, was harassed by corvids on Middleton

Thanks Malcolm

Subad Shag on wooden jetty with 124 Cormorant

 

NO Common Darter seen on Middleton on last possible afternoon, weather-wise

 

Middleton NR rest

Main pond
Mute 8

Gadwall 20

Mallard 4

Teal 1

Moorhen 2

No swimming pond

Mute 2

Coot 1

Moorhen 4

Shoveler 2 (m&f)

Teal 2

Gadwall 6

Tim Butler pond

Moorhen 2

Teal 2

Water rail 1

New small ponds

Teal 2

Water rail 1

Meadow pipit 4 grounded

Green woodpecker 1

Common snipe 1

Woodcock 1

A lot of not a lot

There was a heaving great flock of what seemed to be mainly Knot off Potts corner to the south of OE - one for the murm fans and possibly as many as 15-17k, the biggest number for a few years

Otherwise...…
Jack Snipe - one OE saltmarsh
Great-crested Grebe - 8 off Heysham Head as tide dropping but too early for seaduck in numbers

The day the earth stood still

If only this was late September or October - murky NE with bits of sunshine.  There was absolutely nowt happening today with three new finches the only "arrivals" caught in the feeder nets run from 0830-1330!  Reed Bunting by HNR office notable. Tides a bit awkward but no obvious sign of the Brent Geese

Green Woodpecker - around office most of am and would be a site ringing tick if.....
Chiffchaff - by the fire pond near office still
Common Scoter - 8 off Heysham Head
Skylark - one flushed by tide off OE saltmarsh but only one (Common) Snipe
Shoveler - just one male Middleton
Coot - one Middleton still

Are they back?

Pale-bellied Brent - three south past OE close inshore at 1020 - tidally-related feeding movt or just passage?
Snipe 56 OE Salt
Jack Snipe - one OE salt
Chiffchaff - collybita female ringed Heysham NR office
Wigeon - 223 Red Nab including male with maybe 15-20% American genes

Scoters again Wednesday

6 Common Scoter off Heysham Head
Two RB mergs Red Nab