Ring Ousel and Redstart

Very light but cool wind. Overcast till mid afternoon, then some sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Another unseasonal cold start at Middleton this morning.

Nets set on both east and west sides from 06.00.

Willow Warbler   7 + 2 retrap

Chiffchaff   1

Blackcap    1

Meadow Pipit   1  caught in a cage trap at 07.10, no other individuals seen.

Treecreeper  1   This is the first spring record for the Observatory 

Song Thrush  1

Goldfinch  2

Blue Tit   1

Great Tit  2

Wren  1 retrap

Nothing seen moving overhead except for two Swallows that briefly showed some interest in a song recording played briefly later in the morning.

Redstart 1 female near hawthorn line between the main pond and Tim Butler pond - reported by Alan Physick.

Cetti's warbler 2 singing, the "no swimming" pond and central marsh birds, also three brief, sightings.

Pete checked south and north shores:

South shore

Ring Ousel 1 briefly grounded on foreshore grass 07:55

Sandwich Tern 1

North shore

Low tide channel:  

Eider 326

Red-breasted Merganser 13 

Great-crested Grebe 9 - these two started displaying, before being interrupted 

Massive large seagull influx on to skeers but not the honeycomb worm ones but those furthest out - 470 counted - they should increase from now

These followed the dredger in, they reminded me of gulls following a trawler as it was discarding unwanted fish. But a dredger, in calm conditions? Perhaps they were just appreciating the graceful lines of this grab hopper dredger.......(MD)

When the dredger reached the harbour, the gulls settled on the sea and drifted in with the tide.

There were 26 Carrion Crow on the beach as the tide was making, 21 near the green marker post, plus another 5 nearer the north wall, I don't think it was passage, they drifted off east in twos and threes. These are just some of the marker post birds.

This time last year I saw 30+ on the skear early one morning. I think these must have come from there, presumably they find something good for breakfast. Most days there are only two birds feeding there.