Four Goosander and a Zebra hunting clip

A dry and sunny day with a light SE wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve

Otter - spraint seen by the main pond yesterday, first one for ages. Linda Renshaw.

I just did a quick check of the "no swimming" pond (Malcolm)

Goosander now 4. A male plus 3 female. I've still not seen one feeding, but that surely must be why they are here.

Little Grebe 1

Grey Heron 2 - unusually, they were flying around together and making soft calls, unlike their normal hoarse croaking. You can just make out a couple of calls at the start of this clip.

Cetti's warbler 4 singing - central marsh 1, "no swimming" pond 2 and main pond 1.

Sparrowhawk 1

Song Thrush

Janet checked the main pond a little later.

Tufted Duck

One of several Mallard

One of many Black-Headed gulls

Small Tortoiseshell

Heysham skear - low water 14:10 (MD)

Little Egret just 1

Pale-bellied Brent goose 2 resting on the sea to the west of the skear.

(Later 29  per David Yates)

Eider 16

Red-breasted Merganser 4. These are a pair preening together

Great Crested Grebe 1 in summer plumage feeding close to the shore.  These are two clips joined together, the first is just it diving. The second, resulting from this dive it catches a small fish, but for some reason it wasn't going down properly, so it brings it back up and then swallows it again without a problem.

Shag 1 adult resting on Conger rock. 

Initially it had to play second fiddle to a Cormorant 

When the Cormorant left the Shag took the top spot

And it wasn't for relinquishing top spot when another Cormorant arrived. It looks quite pleased with itself when it is accepted as being dominant.

It was facing the wind most of the time, which tended to flatten its crest.
But it was more obvious when it looked the other way.

Waders similar to recent.

Alba Wagtail 1 north

The water must be warming slightly as the anemones are opening again

This is the Zebra hunting clip, not some intrepid "white hunter" bravely slaughtering Zebras on the Serengeti. But a Zebra Spider tackling a fly almost twice its size on the south sea wall. Taken by Kevin Eaves today, it was the first he's seen here this year. (Not one for arachnophobes!)

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis - it wasn't there during a quick passing look in the morning, but it was entertaining several birders in the afternoon. 

Rock Pipits return to the Head, 3 Goosander and first butterfly of the year.

Another dry and largely sunny day. The light wind initially from SE but ended up from the west.

Brimstone butterfly 1 male flew through Janet's garden this morning.

Heysham Head 

Report from John Dent:

I noticed a couple of weeks ago you mentioned looking for rock pipits on Heysham Head.

My daily walk is usually round the Head and I have also been looking for the pipits.

Today is the first day I have seen any there. At least three birds possibly four were around the usual nest site.

One was being territorial and chased off one of the others.

No sign of the Kestrel this last few weeks, it was a regular through the Winter.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult

Greylag Goose 3

Mistle thrush 2 - one had been singing. It attracted another, they both perched on the pylon near the bypass roundabout.

This is the bird that had been singing perched high on the pylon

The second one perched lower but was keeping an eye on the other bird.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick check of the "no swimming" pond, there was a lot of noisy landscape work underway around the main pond.

The Mute pair were preparing a nesting platform.

Goosander 3  - a second female had joined them. Can't say the male looks overly enthusiastic 

Cetti's warbler 2 singing

South shore (JP, MD)

Shelduck 49

Two of the Shelduck on Red Nab

Wigeon 150

Little Egret 3

This bird resting on the divider in the middle of No.2 outflow looked "interesting " (Malcolm)

Turned out to be just a Redshank resting in an unusual manner 
Possibly ill, but there had been a lot of frantic wader activity further out and they were clearly being
attacked, probably by a Peregrine. Perhaps this Redshank had been hit but escaped and needed a rest.

Rock,Pipit 5

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis - Janet took some stunning shots today.

It has a grub in this shot

This one shows the current stage of its moult

A nice variety

Another overnight frost left ice on shallow pools. A dry day with plenty of sunshine, but cool in a fresh SE wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I had a look first thing (Malcolm)

Goosander male and female still on the "no swimming" pond, today joined by

Tufted Duck 3 - 2 males and a female

Teal 2 pairs

Not seen the Goosanders feeding yet, but they must be. The Tufted certainly were.

Cetti's warbler 2 at least singing around the "no swimming" pond

Janet had a look a little later

One of five Coot on the main pond

Pink-Footed geese heading north

Two Reed Buntings in the main pond car park

Blue Tit (for overseas readers. Everyone in the UK recognises Blue Tits)

Long-Tailed Tit on the car park feeders

South Shore

I had a walk out onto the shore beyond the saltmarsh on the rising evening tide (Malcolm)

Once again there were lots of waders, but on three occasions everything was lifted when a Peregrine was hunting. These are just the best estimates on the waders closest to the shore, there were many more further south.

Oystercatcher 80

Curlew 40

Bar-Tailed Godwit 200

Grey Plover 130

Knot 400

Dunlin 350

Redshank 40

This clip shows the location.

This Godwit does catch a worm at the end of this clip, but you need to be quick to see it (or watch in slow motion)

Many of the Grey Plover are in this clip.

Grey Plover (top) with Dunlin and a Knot

Snow covered hills of the South Lakes

Also:

Common Snipe 10 (accidentally flushed from the seagrass clumps just beyond the saltmarsh.

Shelduck 21

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve

Janet had a look this morning 

Roe Deer 6

Female Roe Deer

Male Roe Deer, shedding the velvet from his antlers

The velvet covers the antlers as they are growing, it supplies the antlers with the blood they need to grow. This leaves the antlers red when it is first shed, as this nice series of shots shows well.

Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis still feeding In the field next to the paddock.

Five singing warblers......two species

A dry sunny day with a light SW wind.

Heysham skear - low water 10:00 

It was a pleasant morning walk, but not a lot to see (Malcolm)

Eider 65

Great Crested Grebe 2

Oystercatcher 1500

Knot 400

Redshank 100

Turnstone 80

Curlew 20

Dunlin 12

Ringed Plover 6.

These are a couple of Dunlin feeding.

The tide was coming in and these Knot were having a bath before moving on. This channel is where the freshwater runoff flows, at this point largely filled with saltwater, but it will still be quite fresh along this edge.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the two main ponds on my way home (Malcolm)

Cetti's Warbler 4 singing/calling. There were at least two around the "no swimming" pond almost constantly calling with the odd burst of song. Another singing from the reeds in the SE corner of the main pond, plus this one singing just beyond the NW corner of the main pond.

About as good a view as you get of a Cetti's warbler

The above Cetti's is in this clip. The Blue Tit calling is virtually sat on my shoulder, even so, the single burst of song from the Cetti's at 10m away is still louder than the Blue Tit.

Chiffchaff 1 singing briefly near the "no swimming" pond  - Pete advises that it is probably an overwintering bird.

Goosander 2 - male and female on the "no swimming" pond. This is the male, the Chiffchaff is singing in this clip, but it is mixed with a Great Tit.

Female Goosander

Other wildfowl unchanged.

Stock Dove 1

Bullfinch pair

Both Goosander were still present when Angela Gillon checked at 16:00, also a Cetti's warbler singing at the main pond car park at that time, plus a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming on the south side.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Just a quick stop off early evening 

Buzzard 1 - the light morphed bird resting in the trees

Mute Swan 2

Mallard 2

Grey Heron 2

Meadow Pipit 4

Two of the Meadow Pipits

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis still feeding In the field next to the paddock, but closer to the hedgerow this morning.

Lots of corvids

An overnight frost resulting in ice on the shallow pools. Followed by a showery day with a light NE breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult on the main pond chasing the remaining 4 immature birds around. Unfortunately 1 immature was also dead on the peninsula. Foxes had been eating it but would not have killed it.

Little Grebe 2 on the main pond.

Goosander 2 a male and a female on the no swimming pond (historically, Goosander have been very scarce here, but there has been a significant increase in recent years, no doubt related to the developing fish stocks - for years there were no fish in these ponds)

This is the female

Lots of corvid activity today, much of it to do with defining territories.

Raven 1 at least - individual bird seen on three occasions but possibly all the same mobile bird.

3 Carrion Crows managed to see off this Raven

Carrion Crow 9

No Jackdaw despite large numbers roosting overnight 

Magpie 28 including this bickering group(s) of 18

Reed Bunting 1 male

Cetti's Warbler 2 singing males (main and "no swimming" ponds)

Jack Snipe 1 - accidentally flushed from the west bank of the main pond.

Jack Snipe

South shore (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 22 visible on Red Nab, but probably others obscured by the far rocks.

Wigeon 220

Shelduck 6

Eider 1 female

Shag 1 adult on the wooden jetty

This Black-Headed gull has found a fish too large for it to easily swallow

This clip shows it being chased by two other Black-Headed gulls (note the Eider on the sea at one point). But when a young Common gull joins in with the chase the BHG realises that it is hopeless and drops the fish.

The Common Gull makes off with the fish, the BHGs chase a while, then give up
The Common Gull then quickly headed out of the area to avoid the larger gulls pinching his prize.

Rock Pipit 3 - 2 and 1 along the sea wall

Imperial Rd (MD)

Again, just a quick check in passing.

Buzzard 1 flew of to SE

Greylag goose 17

Teal 4

Roe Deer 1 buck. As well as the obvious masculine features (antlers etc) you can tell he's a male as he doesn't have the white rump tuft sported by the females at this time of year.

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis still feeding 

Two Goosander

A bitingly cold east wind in the morning drifted more to SE and became less cold. Rain started mid morning and didn't really stop for the rest of the day.

Just my stuff so far (Malcolm)

Heysham skear - low water 09:10

Pale-bellied Brent goose 29 - they were sat in the SE corner hunkered down against the cold wind. There is nothing for them to eat here this year.

Eider 43

Red-breasted Merganser 11

Great Crested Grebe 2

Little Egret 2

Oystercatcher 1500

Knot 1000

Redshank 40

Turnstone 30

Curlew 25

Dunlin 12

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I just called on on my way home to see if the Goosander was still around. Not only was the male still on the "no swimming" pond, he had been joined by a female.

Female Goosander 

Male Goosander

Also on the pond this morning were; Gadwall 2, Tufted Duck 1 and Coot 2. Just a female Gadwall and a Coot missing from this clip.

Two of the Little Grebes on the main pond were feeding together.

Cetti's Warbler 1 singing from "no swimming" pond

Imperial Rd

Just a brief in passing check this afternoon

Raven 1 resting on top of the trees near the recycling centre gates. It showed no inclination to move, despite several Magpies that were clearly uncomfortable with it.

Raven

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis feeding in the morning at least.

Dock eating weevil found in the dock! And a nice variety of birds.

Another dry day, but mainly overcast. A light SW wind.

South shore

I had a walk out on the rising tide (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 28 flew from the north side to Red Nab. They are approaching the Roundhead (past the not very buoyant buoy - see yesterday's post)

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 230 

Little Egret 3

Shag 1 adult on the wooden jetty

Adult Shag with Cormorants 

Redshank 80

Rock Pipit 2

Peregrine Falcon 2 both idly flying around. This one just hanging on the breeze as it is deflected up the sloping sea wall.

The other had somewhere to go.

This Carrion Crow was removing the last morsels from what little there remained of a
Starling. No doubt an earlier victim of a raptor. At least nothing is wasted in nature 

And this is what today's title refers to. Thanks to Kevin for the shot and Alison for the identification.

This Weevil is probably Apion frumentarium. One of the Dock Weevils.

It was in the scrub near the harbour wall. When Kevin said it was one of the "Dock Weevils", I imagined a weevil that preferred to live in docklands. Turns out that Dock is just their favoured food plant (sorry if today's title was potentially misleading. Malcolm)

Imperial Rd (MD)

A very quick evening check

Buzzard 1

Wood Pigeon 16

Stock Dove 1

Stock Dove

Goldfinch 25 - they were making a right racket in this tree, not feeding, just bickering.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I went down this evening to see how the Glossy Ibis behaved today (Malcolm). 

Completely different to the other day when it flew around for at least 3 minutes. Today it lifted at 17:34 just flew low over a couple of rooftops and disappeared somewhere in or around Middleton village.

Wood Pigeon 35 went to roost

Stock dove 7 at least went to roost

Four Stock Dove with these Wood Pigeon

Goosander 1 male on the "no swimming" pond.

A nice view of his hooked bill tip

In this clip, first a Dunnock sings, then a Cetti's Warbler

This clip provides a more all round view.

The immature Swan in the above clip had just been exiled from the main pond by the two adults. Didn't see any ducks other than Mallard. Still at least 2 Little Grebes on the main pond.