More geese over

 A few showers this morning, but mainly dry this afternoon with some sunny spells. A light SE wind.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Jean

You could almost call the ringing session today “Before the rain” as that’s when most of the 53 birds were caught. 

The target was Grey Wagtail and 7 were colour ringed. 

The commonest bird was Goldfinch, specifically young Goldfinches - 14 of those and mostly in one flock (plus one retrapped adult). 

After them (literally) were Blue Tits - 14 of those. 

Robins were on the move and 4 accidentally blundered into the net. 

The rest consisted of Dunnock (3), Wrens (2), Greenfinch (2 plus 2 retraps), Great Tit (1 plus a retrap). The only warbler was a Chiffchaff (1) which arrived after the rain as did an exceedingly plump Woodpigeon.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet early afternoon 

Greylag geese c50 south, more than we typically see here

Male Tufted Duck on the main pond

Female Tufted Duck on the main pond

Dabchick (Little Grebe)

Ruddy Darter by the pond in the southern section 

Common Darter

Small Copper 1 seen

Field Grasshopper 

Noon Fly, sunbathing after the showers

A couple of additional shots from Peter and Rosemary Silvester's visit yesterday 

A very nice inflight shot of the male Clouded Yellow

Common Darters ovipositoring 

North shore

Hummingbird Hawk-moth on the play area buddleia - Kevin Eaves

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:15 - 14:40

Eider 1

Red-Breasted Merganser 6

Red-breasted Mergansers and an Eider

Red-breasted Mergansers

Little Egret 5

Gulls, mainly Herring gulls c250. Two previously seen colour ringed birds seen

This one ringed at Walney in 2014

The lack of gutweed on Red Nab might be frustrating for any returning Brent Geese,
but any early arrivals will enjoy this Sea Lettuce in the SE corner. It won't last long
though

But the fallback option of gutweed is plentiful here, hopefully this should
see them through winter.

Oystercatcher c1000

Curlew 30

Redshank 35

Knot 10 together

Turnstone 50

Ringed Plover 3

Knot

Ringed Plover

The generation of the post was only moderately annoying this evening. Perhaps the demon has a day off on Sundays

Another Clouded Yellow

 A dry sunny day with a diminishing west wind.

These shots by Kevin Singleton at Half Moon Bay yesterday 

Lapwing on the Heliport wall

This young Turnstone found a meal in the strandline 

South shore - Malcolm 08:30 - 10:00

Linnet 60+ feeding on the saltmarsh 

Pied Wagtail 1 along the foreshore and 1 near the lighthouse 

Rock Pipits 5 - 1 each saltmarsh and foreshore, 3 on Red Nab

Robin 1 near the lighthouse 

Canada Goose 14 came from the north and flew SE directly over my head

Canada Goose

Mediterranean gull just two turned up at the feeding beach beside the wooden jetty. The Sandmason worm tubes were barely showing above the mud.

Mediterranean gull (centre). You can just about make out a few worm tubes.
The gulls resorted to paddling in the hope of finding feeding worms, but I didn't 
see any success 

Lesser Black-Backed gull and Mediterranean gull

Middleton Nature Reserve 

This from Rosemary and Peter Silvester 

We saw the following at the Southern End:

Specked Wood 2

Small White 2

Red Admiral 1

Ruddy Darter 1

Common Darters abundant (along with at least 3 pairs ovipositing)

Brown Hawker

There were another 2 Hawker species but they were not close enough to tell whether they were Migrant or Southern

Ruddy Darter

Common Darters

We saw the following at the Main Pond:

Small White 2

Clouded Yellow 1

Speckled Wood

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Blue Damselfly

Common Darters (abundant)

Clouded Yellow in the typical at rest position with wings closed

Wings open showing it to be a male
Just got this shot in time, as soon as it settled, it folded it's wings

Speckled Wood

Migrant Hawker

Common Blue Damselfly 

Janet also checked the south side

Large White

Comma

Painted Lady

Common Darter

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, the largest of the Hoverflies - it was big

Just a footnote - Malcolm

Every time there is a system "upgrade" there are more and more obstacles in creating the posts. It has been really difficult doing these last two. Don't be surprised if one evening there isn't a post, I've probably thrown my iPad through the window!

It was an ill wind.....

Overnight rain then amazingly a dry day with a sunny afternoon. A strong west wind.

North shore - Janet

Oystercatchers just out from Heysham Village, before flying to the Heliport
roost. The one with a white leucistic head is among them

South shore  

Malcolm 14:45 - 16:00

Nothing of note blown in by the strong wind, or at least nothing seen.

Wheatear 2 - one on Red Nab and another near the lighthouse 

Wheatear

Pied Wagtail 1 along the foreshore 

Rock Pipit 4 - one along the foreshore and three on Red Nab

There is some nice gutweed in this shot, but this is near the freshwater runoff,
generally on Red Nab the hot dry spell has left it with lower amounts of gutweed 
than typical at this time of year. There is still time for it to become more lush, but I
expect it to be "disappointing" for the returning Wigeon and Brent Geese

Several lots of Oystercatcher flew to Red Nab, likely including the ones
seen by Janet earlier

No Cormorants on the rails today, they were all hunkered down on the boards

This Black-Headed gull looked to be living dangerously, but it was actually feeding on the flotsam below the north roundhead

In the Nature Park

Red Admiral 2

Small White 6

Common Darter 7

Male Common Darter

Female Common Darter

This Small White seemed to be visiting every floret on this Buddleia. The little time spent at each suggesting that the cupboard was bare.

Pete - Nothing in 30 min Seawatch mid pm (but Leachs out past Rossall 1900hrs).  

c10 Mediterranean gulls red nab 

53 shelduck nearby on mud  

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

Just a wildfowl check of the two largest ponds

Main Pond

Mute Swan 2

Mallard 12

Little Grebe 2

Coot 3

Cormorant 1

Cormorant and Little Grebe

Little Grebe still in summer plumage

"No swimming" pond

No Mute Swan

Tufted Duck 2 females

Gadwall 1 male

Mallard 1 female

Coot 9

Moorhen 3

Tufted Duck

Gadwall

I am currently attracting a lot of birds to my feeders (Malcolm). Bolstered by large numbers of young birds, especially Goldfinch and House Sparrow. This inevitably attracts the small bird eaters!

This male Sparrowhawk was on my fence, you can hear the alarm calls of the other birds. He knew I was there, but he also knew how to make me disappear....

.......and there I was.....gone, at least from his point of view