In contrast to yesterday, the weather was positively balmy, even on the fells. There was also quite a bit around - especially along the north harbour wall:
Purple Sandpiper - THREE birds in the morning, one with plain lesser and median coverts and this remained during the afternoon with one of the other two long-staying birds
Med Gull - the ad and regular 2nd W were joined by another 2nd winter (with reduced black tips to the primaries) late afternoon
Red-throated Diver - one materialised very close inshore late afternoon, spending very little time on the surface!
Shag - juvenile on the wooden jetty in the morning, it or another flew into the harbour late afternoon.
Middleton IE WeBS
The main feature was a significant flock of c30 Meadow Pipit along with 2 Reed Bunting. 550 Pink-footed Geese also flew NE during the early morning. On/around the ponds: 2 Mute Swan, 6 Coot, 3 Moorhen, 9 Mallard, 11 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 22 teal, 23 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 2 Grey Heron.
Elsewhere
Snow Bunting Ringstones this afternoon - thanks Mark and Margaret
Great White Egret still at Leighton Moss. The male Snow Bunting was at Ringstones Lane until about 1100hrs whence it started calling and was joined briefly by TWO Snow Bunting, which flew in from the SE, before all three flew off to the west. However, the original bird returned. 4 Crossbill in Thrushgill plantation mid-morning which flew towards the western end. Ad Ring-billed Gull (with pale iris etc. seen) reported last Thursday with 500 mobile field-feeding gulls in the Clapham station area. c10 Snow Bunting on Ingleborough last Friday.
