......and then there were two!

Heavy early morning showers, and some lighter ones in the afternoon. A light NW wind to begin with, but it drifted to SW by the afternoon.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 08:30 - 09:00

I went this morning to better understand exactly what is happening with the Stonechat family. But ended up being more confused than ever.

The male was still feeding at least three youngsters hidden in the bushes and undergrowth, but today he seemed to be advertising that he had food and waited till a youngster called out to be fed. He seemed to be everywhere!

Then, at one point at least, there were two adult male Stonechats! I only saw two at the same time once, I don't know if the second bird was just attracted by the sounds of feeding and moved on. Or helped with the feeding. Or if he has his own territory nearby. More investigation required!

Buzzard 1 at least. This one flew into the copse through a gauntlet of crows.

Buzzard

Kestrel 1

Shelduck 1 west

Canada geese 12 west

Canada geese

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

Reed Bunting 1

Reed Bunting 

Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush both heard.

Greenfinch 6 including at least 4 juveniles 

Goldfinch several

Chaffinch 1 singing

Linnet 2

The only warblers seen or heard was a Chiffchaff and Sedge warbler.

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 14:30 - 15:30

A check before low water saw very little.

Gulls 400, an increase probably due to the SW wind providing better shrimping opportunities, although most were just resting when I checked. No ringed birds seen.

Little Egret 2

Nothing seen on the sea except gulls and a single cormorant.

Cormorant 

Oystercatcher 500 were the only waders.

Stonechat still delivering but not to the nest

Showers all day, but not as many or as heavy in the afternoon. A light variable wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The male Mute Swan is still persecuting the Mallard with her young. A Moorhen
also getting out of the way, in this shot and a passing House Martin above.

Common Field Grasshopper.

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

A quick circuit towards low water.

Red-breasted Merganser pair

Little Egret 7 - They were catching small fish and shrimps in the shallow pools as they drained. I wonder what this one saw to cause it to sprint over? Possibly disturbance by an abundance of prey.

Oystercatcher 500 and Curlew 1 were the only waders

Gulls 200, a noticeable reduction. No ringed birds seen.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

Mallard 1 female followed by 2 males flew north

Song Thrush 1 singing

Mistle Thrush 1 seen

Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Linnet seen and heard.

Cetti's warbler 1 singing from the wetland closest to the roundabout

Sedge warbler and Common Whitethroat seen

Chiffchaff singing

Stonechat the male was still catching food, but at least some of the young have left the nest, I saw him take food to at least three locations, four if you count a visit to the bush where the nest is. Unfortunately, the young were keeping well out of sight. I was only there 10 minutes, in that time I saw him take food to this location three times, so I knew where he was going to fly to. He has food when he flies down but not when he returns.

This location is further away, and I wasn't sure where he was going to fly to, and he didn't seem to know exactly where, so had to use a wide angle. You can't see that he starts off carrying food, and ends up with none at this range. But I checked before and after with binoculars and that is the case.

He must be worn out! Hopefully the female is incubating another clutch and
we will see her again shortly, meanwhile it will be a while before this batch
are independent.

Four wader species

A similar day to yesterday with showers in the morning but mainly dry in the afternoon. A light SW wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The regular Grey Heron, there must still be plenty of fish for it to catch

House Martin taking a dip

This one is heading off with an insect, presumably to feed young

Male Black-Tailed Skimmer

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

Similar tide and conditions to yesterday and I wasn't optimistic, but it turned out to be more rewarding.

Eider 1 male

Red-breasted Merganser 3 (pair plus a lone male)

Red-breasted Mergansers

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1

This Herring gull took exception to the Heron 

Oystercatchers 500

Curlew 2

Knot 13 (2 and 11 all in non breeding plumage)

Knot finding plenty to eat

Sanderling 5 (3 and 2)

Sanderling 

Gulls 450, I managed to spot three ringed birds, but all seen here before.

This is the Herring gull ringed at the Firth of Fourth
The solitary Merganser behind

Just in case you were wondering what the code is, T:7E2

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Just a passing check confirmed that the male Stonechat is still taking food to the nest.

Cardinals help to feed the young.....but not voluntarily!

Heavy showers in the morning with just a couple of light ones in the afternoon. A lighter SW wind.

These Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet were in the field between Moss estate and the railway line marking the eastern edge of the recording area - Janet

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet - first of the year

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Only seven cygnets remain. The other was found injured and separated from
Mum by an evening visitor. It was taken to Wolfwood animal sanctuary where
it will be well cared for. The extent or cause of the injury is not known

The Mallard young are nearly as big as Mum now

Black-Tailed Skimmer

Common Darter

Common Blue

Red-Headed Cardinal beetle  - more shots to follow......

A sizeable feeding group of Long-Tailed Tits included several youngsters.

Juvenile Long-Tailed Tits

Common Whitethroat feeding young. It seems Cardinal beetles are on today's menu

The male Pheasant was again strutting his stuff

This female wasn't impressed!

Dunnock

Another Bee Orchid, this one just off the main path near the
Water pumping station 

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

I went out at low water, it isn't much of a walk on these very low neap tides.

No Eider or Great Crested grebes seen.

Red-breasted Merganser pair

Red-breasted Mergansers

Little Egret 4 - this one catches quite a large Common Goby.

Little Egret with a Common Goby - this is about as large as Gobies get

The only waders were 500 Oystercatchers

Gulls 350 on the skear, but most just resting, another 150 on the sea further out. I'm sure numbers will increase again as we move back to spring tides, but not as many as last month.

This Herring gull was trying to prize a suitable sized mussel from a rock.
With no success as I watched.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I called in on my way home.

The male Stonechat is still taking food to the nest.

Not sure what this beastie is.......

.........but this looks like a Cardinal beetle
Apparently, despite their bright colouration they are not poisonous to birds, 
just distasteful. I don't suppose that matters when you are stuffing it down
another's throat! 

Grey Heron 1

Song Thrush 1 singing

Common Whitethroat seen

Chiffchaff singing

Cetti's warbler singing - to the wast of the marsh

Sedge wabler seen

Buzzard at least 1 

This one flew to the copse carrying nothing

It settled on a branch, but the Magpie wasn't happy.....

.......and managed to scare it off!

This Buzzard or more likely another was calling almost constantly from the copse.