Peace returns

The 12 squabbling gadwall from yesterday on Middleton Nature reserve have now reduced to a peaceful 7.
Also,
2 tufted
36 snipe circling
12 & 18 pinkfoot low to south
 2 water rail calling
1 pheasant.
Didn't check out the teal

Ocean Edge
Watched as tide covered salt marsh
54 common snipe
0 Jack snipe today

Red Nab
35 widgeon
1 little egret
MD

Good Gadwall

Full troll of Middleton Nature Reserve this morning revealed the following:
2 goldcrest and a chiffchaff (collybita) with mixed tit flock on eastern boundary of golf course. This is less than 100m from earlier chiffchaff sighting near Solrec.
4 adult + 4 juv mute
6 moorhen
5 mallard
2 tufted
12 gadwall, from memory this is the highest record of adult birds for the reserve
c30 teal
10 common snipe accidentally flushed, mainly singles.
8 + 10 flocks common snipe in from Ocean Edge direction, just before high tide.
1 meadow pipit.

MD

 Also seen on Middleton  was an  all white blackbird - thanks Doreen

High tide - Low count

The current 10m tides completely flush Ocean Edge salt marsh twice a day. This, coupled with slightly late start (marsh already 90% covered an hour before high water), resulted in lower than recent counts of snipe.

26 common snipe

1 Jack snipe

17 ringed plover

2 reed bunting

MD

Peacock surprise

Peacock butterfly on scrub on top of cliffs between Heysham Head and Half Moon Bay.
1 Great crested grebe feeding offshore.
MD

Med Gull Again

North Harbour Wall

Brief visit saw the Czech ringed Mediterranean Gull, in flight and on the railings, but no finches at the feeding area, just Starlings, a Robin and a Dunnock.

JM

Ocean Edge salt marsh at high water
106 Common snipe
4 Jack snipe

The return of the ducks

seven gadwall and fourctufted duck graced Middleton today after a lengthy absence

Little to Report?

Heysham Reserve
A low key ringing session by John at the hut feeding area which has only occasionally been topped up with food recently owing to access difficulties produced the following:
Goldcrest - 2 + 2 retraps
Goldfinch - 10 + 6 retraps
Chaffinch - 3 + 1 retrap
Robin - 1 + 1 retrap
Blue tit - 2 retraps
Great tit - 1 retrap
Blackbird - 1
Greenfinch - 2

Heysham Head
Nuthatch present near the Cafe again, apparently becoming resident at this location.

ajd

Partial Access Resumed

Heysham Nature Reserve
Access is now open into the reserve approach road. The car park, feeders and hut area are still closed, but the reserve is accessible via the classroom track and dipping pond area stile.

North Harbour Wall
On the feeding area were:
Linnet - 7, of which 3 were ringed
Goldfinch - 2
Robin - 1
Feral Pigeon - 2

North wall
70Bar-tailed Godwit
2 Little Egret
2 Snipe in heliport grass

MONDAY
Middleton NR
Buzzard still lingering
7 Mallard
Once again no sign of any Cetti's Warbler

SUNDAY
Unseasonal Common Buzzard flew in
Roe Deer - 2
No ducks other than Mallard - most surprising

Thanks Malcolm/Alan

Beauty and the beast

 Thanks to Derek for this Czech Med Gull pic

An 'artistic' tree rat taken through the front windscreen HNR entrance today

The reserve should be open again soon

Friday 2nd December

Ringing took place at a low level on Middleton NR this am and did nothing to change the opinion that most small birds evacuate this area although a flock of 9 retrap Long-tailed Tit did materialise!  No sign of the two Chiffchaff (one collybita and one Siberian) noted on the last thorough search although both of these were a bit away from the mist net sites and how much searching between rounds was done is not known

Malcolm covered Ocean Edge saltmarsh and Red Nab again and counts included at least 84 Snipe, one Jack Snipe and 196 Wigeon - further update tomorrow