It's more about what there wasn't today

Another dry day, but today it was overcast. The almost nonexistent NE breeze remains.

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Malcolm

No sign of the Shovelers this morning.

Tufted Duck 8

Gadwall 6

Little Grebe 1

Mute, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen unchanged 

Still some ice but much of the pond is now ice free

The Tufted Ducks were happily feeding again.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 12:00 - 13:00

Pale-bellied Brent geese 8 - 3 flew north, 5 arrived from the west and headed to the play area rocks. There would likely have been more Brent there, but not checked today.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

No Eider

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested grebe 4

No Little Egrets

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 30

Bar-Tailed Godwit 13

Redshank just 12 and all along the northern edge feeding in the drain

No Knot 

Turnstone 40

Dunlin 15

Ringed Plover 13

The low Knot and Redshank numbers will be linked to the lack of shrimps in the shallows due to the clear water. The significant reduction in mussel cover is likely linked to the low numbers of Eider.

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Dunlin

One of the Godwits still with a blush of summer plumage 

The Ringed Plovers were high up the shore, where they usually feed. They seemed to be finding plenty to eat.

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

No Stonechats seen

Water Rail 2 calling

Heron 2

Kestrel 2

This female hovered over a few locations 

Before deciding to watch from a pylon

This shows just how sharp their eyesight is. The Kestrel spotted a rodent
in a quite overgrown area, and flew this 100m flight line to catch it. 

It then flew to this lamppost to eat it. No sign of a tail on the rodent,
so presumably a Vole.

By the time I had got close enough for a better view, it was just cleaning up after its meal. I don't suppose the designers of this light sensor envisioned this use of their product, but this won't be the first time it has been used as a face wipe. 

Just out of the recording area, Heaton marsh - Pete

Adult Russian White-fronted goose with 246 greylag 

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.