Even more going on today

Very light variable breezes, very warm after the sun got high

Middleton Nature Reserve (JR. PM)

NE F1, mostly thin cloud with sun breaking through later in the morning and then becoming quite hot. Vis was recorded during a ringing session but is probably a serious undercount of what went over.

Summary:

Grey wagtails moving from first hint of civil twilight with 32 or so over and 18 of these colour ringed - the highest daily ringing total (and nine were missed first thing!).  Other things on the move were Meadow Pipit and pink-footed goose with low three figures of MP.   A few warblers about: two Willow Warbler, one new Reed Warbler, at least 7 Chiffchaff and 5 Blackcap and a couple of Goldcrest.  Best individual bird was a Juv Marsh Harrier low to the south over the golf course and the western side of MNR.  Flock of 22 Jackdaw south and about 10 Carrion Crow heading south.  Swallow (16) and Pied Wagtail in pitiful numbers though.  No obvious finch movement   

Detail:

Vis 0625-1310 

Greylag Goose 2

Pink-footed Goose 208

Marsh Harrier 1 juvenile 

Carrion Crow c10

Jackdaw 22

Snipe 1

Skylark 4

Swallow 16

Goldcrest 2

Grey Wagtail 32

alba wagtail 16

Meadow Pipit 89

Linnet 2

Reed Bunting 2

Ringing totals

Mostly young birds passing through so very few retraps from previous days. Retraps are in brackets.

Grey Wagtail 18

Meadow Pipit 42

Reed Warbler 2 (1)

Willow Warbler 1

Chiffchaff  8

Blackcap 7

Robin 3

Goldcrest 2

Reed Bunting 2

Goldfinch 1

Dunnock 1

Blue Tit 2 (1)

Great Tit 3 (1)

Long-tailed Tit 1 (1)

Wren 1 (1)

South Shore (MD)

Mid morning - towards high water

Bar-Tailed Godwit c120 on the last remaining island of mud out from the saltmarsh 

Mute 2

Wheatear 1

White Wagtail 2

Meadow Pipit 18

Rock Pipit 2

Sandwich Tern 1

Looking less "comical" in flight.

Wigeon 1 male

The first returning Wigeon.

A check of the beach near wooden jetty in the afternoon found it empty. Presumably the Meds were off catching insects again (see yesterday's post)

Insects:

It was very hot and lots of insect movement again, but the almost lack of wind meant that there was no focus in direction.

Migrant Hawker two out south and one east along the sea wall

Common Darter - bizarrely there were three on the rocks around No.2 outflow. They appeared to be defending territories around the rock pools. This is salt water!

This one with the periwinkles and barnacles 

This one preferred sea anemones for company!

Large (cabbage) whites are not routinely recorded

but this second generation female looked very smart

Another short spell of "excitement" resulted from a yellow butterfly flitting in and out of view through the brambles

unfortunately it turned out to be a male Brimstone. 

Still nice though.