Easy Meds

Heavy overnight rain didn't really stop till lunchtime, after that overcast. A light NE breeze.

South shore (Malcolm)

The rain didn't stop till lunchtime, but it eased for a while mid morning. So I checked what was grounded on the foreshore.

There were extra Robins in the Nature Park plus 2 along the foreshore 

Wet Robin

Rock Pipit 10 - one group of at least 6, a single bird, plus another group of 3. These are 5 of the 6.

Wheatear 4 together

Rock Pipit and a Wheatear

Linnet 5

Goldfinch 6

2 more Wheatear on Heliport

95 Cormorant on the wooden jetty - Pete

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

I just checked the main pond on my way home before lunch. At that time there were no Tufted Duck, but five Gadwall (four males).

I returned mid afternoon when the rain had stopped, this time there were no Gadwall but 

6 Tufted Duck.

12 Mallard

Mute pair plus 1 cygnet 

14 Coot

3 Moorhen 

1 Grey Heron

1 Water Rail squealing

1 Common Snipe 

The water level on the "no swimming" pond is still 2m above normal

The only warblers seen or heard were 3 Cetti's 

Jackdaw 31 milling around 

Migrant Hawker 2

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

What was going to be a quick check on the way home turned out to be an interesting, albeit smelly, session. The farmer had sprayed "slurry" on the field just to the east of the road and it had attracted hundreds of gulls, mainly Black-Headed, but at least

7 Mediterranean gulls - 5 adult (probably more they were very mobile), 1 x 2nd calendar year and 1 x 1st calendar year. Unfortunately viewing was a bit awkward as the hedge has grown high in many places and peeping over the top invariably spooked them - inevitable with so many eyes on lookout.

This is just a small proportion of the gulls, and many were initially in 
the "browner' strip just beyond the hedge.

Three adults and a 2nd calendar year (middle) Mediterranean gull.
The adult on the left has a red ring, 

It was impossible to see rings when they were stood in the grass

Mediterranean gull in first winter plumage

The farmer was still spreading slurry, this is another batch of gulls further east.

Jackdaw 130+ also feeding on the brown field just beyond the hedge, this is just a fraction on them.

Buzzard 1 flying around the copse on the west side.

Kestrel 1 female/immature 

Male Kingfisher today

A NE breeze. Overcast for most of the day with the odd light shower.

South shore (Malcolm).

A walk along the sea wall late morning as the tide was rising.

Shelduck 135 - they were feeding on the mud, then groups would fly to the freshwater runoff at Red Nab for a drink.

Shelduck taking a drink

Wheatear 1 

Rock Pipit 1 (at lighthouse)

Meadow Pipit 2 in off

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 - it was feeding on the beach next to the wooden jetty. It catches a worm towards the end of this clip.

Kingfisher 1 - it was behind No.1 outfall checking out the rock pools.

This is where it was feeding. It has probably already caught anything worth
catching from this pool, but the tide is about to reach it and restock 

No red on the bill, making this one a male.
So at least two Kingfishers feeding around this area

Just after lunch, I checked the shore out from the saltmarsh as it was being covered.

The recent easterlies have left a layer of soft mud in many areas, a lot of small waders were feeding on it, high up the beach.

Dunlin 450 

Ringed Plover 23 

The rippled mud in the foreground is normal here. The smooth mud where
the waders are feeding has been deposited in recent tides, and obviously suits
the waders better.

It isn't obvious what they are finding, probably small molluscs.

Fortunately, it did seem to be easy pickings for this handicapped Dunlin.

Grey Plover 8 resting on the mud.

Grey Plover

Redshank 37 closer to the saltmarsh 

Mediterranean gull 7

Three Meds and a Black-Headed gull (centre)

Cetti's warbler 1 singing just south of the caravan park

Linnet 33 on saltmarsh 

There was a flock of approximately 30 Goldfinch feeding in the fir tree by the fish pond on the dog walk path. Also a Coal Tit calling nearby - Angela Gillon

Kingfisher(s) continue to entertain

Another dry day with an east wind. Sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve

First some shots taken by Peter and Rosemary Silvester over recent days.

Common Darters

Migrant Hawkers

Ringing and vis summary - Pete

Flock of 10 pheasant along ringing concrete road

Vis included 9 migrant song thrush around then inland , 5 grey wagtail,  a southbound crow flock and pink feet.  

Ringing included three chiffchaff, two blackcap and a goldcrest

Angela Gillon this afternoon 

Kingfisher flew across the main pond 

Tufted Duck 9

Cormorant 1

Male and female Chaffinch on the feeders

Heysham Skear - low water 08:50 (Malcolm)

Little Egret 16

Some of the Little Egret

Great Crested grebe 1

Eider 2

Red-Breasted Merganser 13 in small groups (3, 5, 4, 1)

Red-breasted Merganser coming in to land

There is Sea lettuce all over the skear at the moment. This is the favoured 
weed of the Brent Geese when they arrive. But presumably it is also 
plentiful on the other side of the Bay

There were hardly any waders on the south side of the skear, just 2 Ringed Plover close in. These spring tides expose so much of the bay that many waders take advantage of feeding on areas less frequently exposed. There was a few more walking back along the northern edge. Although not really the edge, a large long honeycomb worm reef flanks the north side.

This is the reef that runs along the northern edge of the skear, it is over
2m above the water level here

Oystercatcher 200

Curlew 23

Redshank 16

Turnstone 14

Knot 23 (including an orange flagged bird, unfortunately too distant to read)

South shore

There were quite a lot of Large Whites about, but little else when Kevin checked early afternoon.

By the time I (Malcolm) checked in the evening the only insects were a couple of Red Admirals in off.

Shelduck 48

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult flying behind the dredger in the harbour mouth.

The Med is just to the right of the bridge

A fine looking first calendar year Herring Gull. One of many in the harbour 

Kingfisher at least 1. As I walked out one flew from the culvert on Red Nab. When I reached No.2 outfall one was fishing, but not in the outfall itself but the rock pools beside it.

Kingfisher perched above a rock pool, the low evening light playing 
with its iridescent plumage

It soon caught a fish

On the return leg, it had switched to the other side.

Kestrel 1 female/immature has taken to patrolling the Power Station grounds and perching near by watching for movement

Kestrel 

Rock Pipit 2 (1 each Red Nab and Lighthouse)

Pied Wagtail 37 most on Ocean Edge grass

A Little, surprising.

The east wind was fresher today, both stronger and cooler. Dry with sunny periods.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

I set a couple of nets this morning and achieved a rather poor catch with nothing caught after 09.40.  One Grey Wagtail only was colour ringed.  Meadow Pipits were trickling over from seven o'clock but petered out by nine - a couple were caught in the cage trap but none in the mist net.

 

Blackcap  2

Goldcrest  1

Chiffchaff  2

Long tailed Tit  2

Robin  1

Meadow Pipit  2

Reed Bunting  3

Grey Wagtail  1

South shore

I had two walks along the sea wall today (Malcolm). On the rising tide this morning and ebbing tide this evening.

Shelduck 98

Little Gull 1 adult on No.2 outfall this morning, quite a pleasant surprise. 

Little gull

Mediterranean gull 10 at least. In the morning there was at least one adult and a first calendar year feeding on the seaward end of No.1 outfall. This evening there were two adult and a second calendar year on the beach by the wooden jetty. Later Cornelius Jones saw another 6 out from Red Nab.

Adult Mediterranean gull

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull

This is interesting (as long as you are interested in worms!). 

This Curlew has pulled out a complete Sandmason worm tube, the mud must
have been quite fluidised. There are short side appendages, that obviously act
to secure the tube in the mud. I had no idea they did this.

Unfortunately for this worm it didn't help, it was quickly separated from
its tube. You can see the worm being swallowed 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 on the beach by the wooden jetty

Redshank 46

Knot 2 

Kingfisher 1 at least. It was on No.2 outfall this morning. Then it, or another flew south from Red Nab along the foreshore 

Kingfisher flying from Red Nab

By this evening she was back on No.2 outfall

This Cormorant made short work of a Bass

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab

Wheatear 2 along sea wall

There was more insect movement this morning than this evening, but it didn't really begin till 10:15.

These all came in off the sea 10:15 - 10:45:

Small White 10

Red Admiral 3

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Small White having a rest after arriving in off

Wheatear with a Red Admiral (right) coming in off 

Grey Seal 1

This shot is just to show what to look out for. A cluster of gulls like this
invariably means a source of food below. You can just make out the seal's
 head below the gulls, it was eating a fish (they are messy eaters!)

This is a slightly better view as it drifted past the end of No.1 outfall. By this time the gulls had lost interest as it was no longer feeding.

There is a wooden gate 30m west of the small anemometer in the Nature Park that catches the sun all day. It is literally a hot spot for insects. Kevin Eaves took this clip just after lunch, when nine Common Darters were resting on it.

Swallow 2 this evening - Cornelius Jones

Tides, and fools, rush in.

Another sunny day with a light east(ish) breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by John:

A session ringing this morning, proved less productive, than yesterday.

With only 16 birds being caught. However 5 more Grey Wagtails, added to the nicely growing number caught this year. The catch comprised;

Chiffchaff        x 6

Grey Wagtail   x 5

Singles of Cetti's Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit.

Only overhead movements observed were two large groups of Pink - footed Geese, totalling around 400.

South shore (Malcolm)

I went to the waterline, out from Ocean Edge, on the rising tide this morning (Malcolm).

Initially there were a lot of waders feeding along the waterline, but I suspected they would soon move on. They did, and long before I reached them.

Mainly Knot heading further south

Minimum numbers along waterline 

Oystercatcher 500

Curlew 150

Bar-Tailed Godwit 40

Grey Plover 23

Knot 400

Dunlin 30

This is what moved them on. Not only do these spring tides come in very quickly (the term spring is nothing to do with the season, but spring as in springing forth). there are no waves to  speak of in these calm conditions and all the birds in a flock are forced to move on at the same time, often causing them to take flight.

It wasn't coming in quite as quickly as I walk, but not far off, and it caught me up each time I stopped. It was time to stop stopping and keep walking!

A group of Grey Plover further up the shore

Near the saltmarsh 

Redshank 26

Lapwing 12

Cetti's warbler singing just south of the caravan park

Skylark 1 in/off

Linnet 22

Wheatear 1

Pied Wagtail 22 on foreshore and Ocean Edge grass

Insects in/off

Migrant Hawker 1

Small White 4

Small Tortoiseshell 2

A walk along the sea wall this evening saw very few insects. The only thing of note was.

Kingfisher 1 - it was fishing from the rails of No.2 outflow, unfortunately with the light behind it.

I like the Lesser Black-Backed showing "mild interest"

It's not clear if the Kingfisher is after small live fish in the margins,
or the same titbits that the gulls feed on. I suspect the former.

A nice selection of warblers

Another sunny day, a variable breeze, but mainly from the east.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Despite the clear, sunny conditions  following last night's bright "supermoon" there were quite a few birds moving through, especially , Chiffchaffs, Meadow Pipits and Grey Wagtails. 40 new birds of 13 species were caught in 4.75 hours. 

Here's the list of new birds:

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit 1

Cetti's Warbler 2

Willow Warbler 1

Chiffchaff 10

Blackcap 4

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Robin 1

Grey Wagtail 8 (must be up to 53 Grey Wagtails colour ringed now).

Meadow Pipit 8

Chaffinch 1

Reed Bunting 1

Retraps:

Bullfinch 1 

Possible control ie bird from elsewhere:

Cetti's Warbler 

I checked mid afternoon (Malcolm)

The wildfowl not counted, but all the usual were present in similar numbers to recent.

Water Rail 1 squealing from the western marsh

Mediterranean gull 2 adults with a few Black-Headed gulls were doing a bit of anting (feeding on flying ants).

Cetti's warbler 2 singing

Chiffchaff 2 calling

Common Darter c20

Migrant Hawker 10

Southern Hawker 3 - 1 female

Male Southern Hawker

South shore

Just a check from saltmarsh to Red Nab this morning (Malcolm)

This took me back to my youth, when many ships billowed smoke and steam.
This morning conditions clearly condensed the water vapour in this ones
diesel exhaust 

Shelduck 38

Linnet 14

Seven Linnet in this shot

Meadow Pipits 4

Rock Pipit 1

Wheatear 2

Wheatear (deliberately framed by a black hole - I was in an arty mood!)

Pied Wagtail 10

Both me (Malcolm) and Kevin were at the beginning of the sea wall this evening, waiting for it to be opened after maintenance work ceased for the day. The steady east wind and warm sunshine, plus the tide being out all lends itself to insect migration in/off and along the wall. There was some, but nothing spectacular.

These are totals along the sea wall.

Small White 14

Red Admiral 3

Comma 1 

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Silver Y moth 2

Treble-bar moth 1

Treble-bar moth flying against the east wind, complete with swept back antennae

Common Darter 1

Migrant Hawker 3

In the Nature Park 

Large White 1

Small White 3

Peacock 2

Red Admiral 3

Speckled Wood 3

Common Darter several

Migrant Hawker 3 (16 Migrant Hawker for the day, not including 3 seen within the recording area while driving)

A particularly pristine Migrant Hawker in the Nature Park

There were a "lot" (feel free to count them) of Oystercatcher on the Heliport roost at high water. These are some coming in.