Shoveler hanging around

Another overnight frost, but not so severe. A dry and mainly sunny day with a very gentle NE breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I checked the main pond mid morning - Malcolm. The pond was ice covered except near the feeding area. The Tufted and Gadwall were nowhere to be seen. The Shoveler pair were still here though.

Shovelers on thin ice

Janet checked this afternoon. Much of the ice had melted, some of the gadwall had returned and the Shovelers were on the water.

Male Shoveler 

Female Shoveler

This Coot was finding the pond weed.....

.......but not this one

This Blue Tit's ring code is clear enough to identify it as one ringed at
Middleton Nature Reserve in 2023, it was retrapped in both 2024 and 2025

Pheasant a group of 5 were accidentally flushed.

Heliport - Malcolm 15:30

Pale-bellied Brent geese 16 feeding below the sloping wall just out from the slipway near the cafe.

Shag 1 juvenile feeding by the Near Naze rocks.

It caught a Common Blenny

Three dives later it caught a Shore Crab. This sequence begins with it having a lump in its throat where the Blenny was refusing to go down.

Middleton village - Malcolm

These are the trees on the north side of Middleton Rd that mark the southern 
boundary of the recording area. It is where a Rookery began 2 years ago. Both
Carrion Crows and Rooks were in the trees today.

Carrion Crow

Rook

Just across the road in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall, were 2 Redwings. Technically outside of the recording area, but easily seen from it.

Redwing

Plenty going on today

An overnight frost left the ponds with ice over much of them. A sunny day with a very light NE breeze.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:15 -10:30

Pale-bellied Brent geese 6 (3 x 2) around the skear, the higher shore not checked

Pale-bellied Brent goose

Eider 4

Red-breasted Merganser 7

Great Crested Grebe 7

Little Egret 4

Shag 1 juvenile 

Waders pretty much as recent, including just 150 Knot in small groups

Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Turnstone 

The recent set of spring tides has reset the course of the main drain, and it now
once again runs along the northern edge of the skear. All we need now are some
onshore winds to stir up the mud and attract large numbers of shrimp here.

South shore - Janet

There were several Snipe on the saltmarsh , this one just managed to land
before having its picture taken

Linnet

Robin

Shelduck

Goldcrest in the Nature Park 

Imperial Rd - Malcolm 15:00

Both the male and female Stonechats turned up as soon as I arrived.

Male Stonechat

Female Stonechat looking pale in the sunshine.....

.......but the side in the shade looking much darker

This is a location shot. The female is centre shot, just beside my car
parked on the road by the blocked entrance 50m from the bypass 

Green Sandpiper 1 - it flew from the edge of the road and headed to the horse paddock just beyond the roundabout 

Green Sandpiper. Not a great shot, but it was calling as it flew

I went to check the horse paddock, but the small pools there were completely 
frozen over and there was no sign of the sandpiper 

Little Egret 3

Great White Egret 1 - it was flying north over the fields to the east of Imperial Rd, unfortunately landing out of sight.

Great White Egret and Little Egret

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked at lunchtime. The main pond was largely frozen and the gulls were standing on the ice, unfortunately none of them were ringed.

Black-Headed gulls and Mallard

First winter Black-Headed gull

Teal and Gadwall

Female Tufted Duck

The Coot can't help but chase each other!

Long-Tailed Tits

Female Chaffinch 

I checked at 15:15 - Malcolm

Loads of gulls but still none ringed

Gadwall 24

Tufted Duck 4

Mallard 30+

Teal 7 on the "no swimming" pond

Shoveler pair

Gadwall and Coot

This pair of Shoveler wasn't here when Janet checked earlier

Grey Heron

I had gone to watch from the south side to see what was roosting. These seen between 15:20 to 16:00. 

Jackdaw 100+

Wood Pigeon 24

Stock Dove 56. They came from the north, east and south, the biggest group was 7

Wood Pigeon 

Stock Doves, the earlier birds tinted by the setting sun

Some of 49 Lapwings heading towards the River Lune

Just out of the recording area Heaton Marsh - Jean and Pete

White-Fronted goose 10 adult and 4 juvenile 

Easily visible from the high point Heysham end of Golden Ball road.

Butterfly.....thought it was spring!

A light overnight frost followed by a sunny day. It felt quite warm out of the cold NE breeze.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly looking out at the sunshine and flowers from
Janet's house. Presumably, it had been hibernating in her loft. It was released and
hopefully had time for a quick meal before finding an alternative resting place

Also from Janet. This Roebuck antler was in Middleton Nature Reserve.
It will have been shed recently as part of the natural cycle of antler development.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 08:45 - 10:30

Pale-bellied Brent goose 32 at least

There were two on the north side, here passing what turned out to be the
largest group of Knot

Others were feeding high up the shore, that's the tip of Sunnyslopes groyne
just above the Brent geese

Then a couple of noisy quad bikes flushed 30 from the shore 

Many landed in the SE skear corner 

You can hear a few of their soft grunts in this clip

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Great Crested grebe 1

Little Egret 2

Imperial Rd - Malcolm 10:45

No Stonechats seen

Buzzard 1

Little Egret 2

Grey Heron 1

Water Rail 1 calling

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Malcolm 13:45 - 14:30

Reed Bunting 2 

Reed Bunting 

Linnet 4

Linnet

Also, Robin 1, Dunnock 1, Song Thrush 1

Dunnock

Shelduck 66

Shelduck lifting off the sea out from the foreshore 

Wigeon 150

Pale-bellied Brent geese at least 20 on Red Nab, but it was difficult checking into the low sun

Pale-bellied Brent and Wigeon

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Little Egret 2