Fowl weather

It rained all morning, heavily at times, just the odd light shower in the afternoon. A light west(ish) breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

It was still raining when I set out, but a check of the two main ponds usually provides some interest on a wet day. 

Main pond:

Mute Swan pair

Mallard 8

Shoveler 1 

Coot 4

Moorhen 2

Cormorant 1

 Shoveler 

Mallard pair and a Coot

Mallard pair and a Moorhen 

"no swimming" pond. Surprisingly just two birds!

Mute Swan 1 although it wasn't Mute and was making contact calls, unfortunately no other Mute around to hear

Little Grebe 1

Mute Swan with a wry neck

Little Grebe

South shore - Malcolm 13:00 - 14:30

I was planning on just checking Red Nab, but somehow the rain largely held off and I managed a walk along the sea wall too

Linnet at least 120 at the saltmarsh 

Shelduck 22 out from the saltmarsh 

Shelduck and Redshank

Wigeon 45 around Red Nab

The males are starting to moult into breeding plumage

This one was having a good preen

Little Egret 4

Little Egret with Black-Headed gulls, Oystercatcher and a Redshank

Grey Heron 1

Fishing on the walk out

Resting on the way back

Mediterranean Gull just 1 adult seen

Mediterranean Gull (top) with a Black-Headed Gull and Oystercatcher 

There were lots of Black-Headed gulls feeding on No.2 outfall. There was
clearly plenty of food for them again, but nothing else was with them.
You can see the remains of the old wooden jetty behind 

Plenty of Cormorants on the wooden jetty, but I couldn't see any Shag

Pied/White Wagtails 5. I struggle separating them when they are wet

Rock Pipit 1

Rock Pipit

Shrimps on the menu today

A dry day with long sunny periods. A light south wind became fresher as it moved to SW

Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:30

Eider 11

Red-breasted Merganser 8

Red-breasted Merganser pair

Shag 1 immature feeding

Little Egret 16

Plenty going on here. The tide is rising quickly the Egrets, gulls and waders were after shrimps 

This Black-Headed gull had its own little channel, but it was quickly filled by the tide (Knot in the background)

It managed to catch one before the tide moved it on

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 60

Bar-Tailed Godwit 15 (10 + 5)

Bar-Tailed Godwits

Redshank 200

Knot several small groups scattered around eventually merged into one flock of 150 and headed off to the north

Turnstone 45

Ringed Plover 12 together high up the shore

One of two Barrel Jellyfish. This one is up side down 

Janet also saw this Barrel Jellyfish out from the Midland. This one the right way up
with its tentacles buried in the mud. There must be a few around. They can be quite
large, but they are not dangerous to people or pets (unless you have pet shrimps!)

South shore Malcolm 12:45 - 14:00

I walked along the sea wall to see if the Arctic Tern was still around. It wasn't.

Wigeon 52 on Red Nab

Wigeon

Mediterranean Gull 2 on Red Nab

Adult Mediterranean Gull

1st calendar year Mediterranean Gull (top) with 1st calendar year Black-Headed Gull

The density of Harlequin Ladybirds continues to increase along the fence
that leads to Ocean Edge entrance

The forecast is looking a bit grim for tomorrow!

More than enough food to go around

 A fresh west(ish) wind. Heavy showers, but sunny periods in between.

South shore - Malcolm 10:00 - 11:45

Linnet c200 and Greenfinch 15 feeding around the saltmarsh 

Shelduck 30

It was very nice to be out in the sunshine, but it made looking south almost 
impossible with the low sun reflecting off the wet mud and sea. This is a full
colour shot of some of the Shelduck out from the saltmarsh 

Wigeon 30+ they were starting to gather beside No.2 outfall as I was walking out, then on Red Nab on my return.

Black-Headed Gulls, Wigeon and a Little Egret beside No.2 outfall

There were a lot of Black-Headed gulls feeding on both outfalls, there was clearly plenty of food available for them today.

These are some of the Black-Headed gulls on No.1 outfall. It was easy 
looking to the west, but the gulls were flying into the west wind, so you only
see the back of them from this angle.

This young Herring gull is just out from the waterfall by the water intakes
in the harbour. This returns any fish etc removed by the initial screening
of the cooling water. Normally a prize like this is a premium and the gull
flies off with it, often chased by others.....

.......but today it was playing with it and could barely be bothered to actually
eat it. There must have been a lot around for a good while this morning 

On the way back a tern had joined the gulls on No.1 outfall. It was feeding more than half way along the outfall and looking into the bright light made it tricky to identify. In real time I thought it could be either a juvenile Common or Arctic Tern. But I had set my camera to low exposure and it got better views than I did! Revealing it to be a juvenile Arctic Tern

After finding this Whitebait it disappeared. But I expect it would have 
returned to such easy pickings 

Common Gull past the roundhead

The bright low sun was illuminating the Cormorants on the wooden jetty nicely 

Curlew  - a steady passage from the north side in small groups 

Oystercatcher, just a few birds seen, they were probably on the heliport

Knot 6 flocks 200 - 500 south, likely flushed off the skear by the rapidly rising tide.

Redshank 23 between the outfalls then into the harbour to roost

Turnstone 6 - this one was feeding on one of the platforms in the harbour, looking for whatever it could find between the barnacles. Another bird that has clearly been finding enough food......

A couple of lovely shots of the Glossy Ibis at Heaton Marsh - thanks Craig

Three Yellow-Browed Warblers!

A basically dry day with just the occasional very light shower. Mainly overcast. A SE breeze freshening during the day.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Pete:

Vis mig included 16 plus 40 Redwing south, flock of 20 starling south, 120 pink feet north.   Two redwing/song thrush flew out of the bushes then high inland
Ringing saw 16 new Chiffchaff, two migrant Cetti’s Warbler, single Yellow Browed Warbler which was colour ringed and single unringed Robin, Blue tit, Dunnock probably passing through along with five unringed LTT.  No attempt to ring at the feeder (wind)

Yellow-Browed Warbler - Caught by office 0900 - released by fire pond
also low double figures chiffchaff.

Another Yellow-Browed Warbler opposite power station security lodge with tits (unringed) - Shaun

Shaun had a walk around 

A single Chiffchaff was the only migrant on the HNR extra to above. Very quiet.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Shaun:

Middleton NR North Section. No migrants! 

Gadwall 3 and a pair of Little Grebes on No Swimming Pond and a Tufted Duck on Main Pond. 

Three Cetti's Warblers singing along the footpath & marsh opposite Sulby Tate kennels on Carr Road. 

Yellow-browed Warbler at Middleton NR South Section with 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Blackcaps. Another 2 Chiffchaffs and a group of 7 Long-tailed Tits were also seen. 

The red marker showing the location of the YBW with Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
The main pond and the smaller "no swimming" pond are where it says Middleton Nature Reserve 
The Tim Butler pond is in the top left corner, and the pond on the south side circled.

Little Grebe - Janet

Peter and Rosemary visited yesterday 

We hadn't expected seeing a great deal and were pleasantly surprised by the amount of Common Darters around, particularly at the Southern End.

Southern End

Common Darters Mating 3 prs

Common Darter in Tandem 2 prs

Male Common Darter 9

Hawker Spec 1 (It was only a very fleeting sighting and too far away to determine whether it was a Migrant or Southern)

Speckled Wood 2

Heard

Chiffchaff

Main Pond

Male Common Darter 8

Harlequin Ladybird 1

Mute Swans 1 pr

Moorhen 4

Coot 2

Heard

Cettis Warbler

Common Darters mating in a typical location

This pair choosing the clothing option 

Ovipositoring pair of Common Darters

Harlequin Ladybird

Speckled Wood

Close up of a Blow Fly. It looks to be singing!

Heysham skear Malcolm 16:00 - 15:30

Eider 56

Eider

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Male merganser

Shag 1 immature 

Shag

Shag on the rock on the left, Cormorant on the one on the right

Little Egret 15

Little Egret, Eider, Carrion Crow, Oystercatchers and a Curlew

The Lesser Black-Backed gull was screaming at the Egret forcing them to leave.

Grey Heron 1

Curlew, a flock of 40 was arriving from the east as I set out.

Oystercatcher 1000 but more on the shore to the south

Redshank c250

Knot were arriving all the time, I checked c1500 for almost 30 minutes but I could only find the same juvenile flagged bird that I seem to see every visit. Later another 500 arrived but the light was already fading quickly.

Turnstone 40

Oystercatchers and Knot

Knot

The light quickly drained away, time to leave