Sedge warbler arrives

An overcast morning with hardly any breeze, what little there was started from the east then swung round to west. Sunny spells from lunchtime onwards.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Jean:

It was fairly quiet this morning at Middleton NR - like the weather.

Vis consisted of 9 Meadow Pipits, 9 Lesser Redpolls and 4 Woodpigeons (the latter heading high SSE for some reason).

Ringing from 0730-1130 comprised a few migrants and some residents:

Lesser Redpoll 6 

Blackcap 2

Willow Warbler 2

Greenfinch 4 new birds and one retrap which had been ringed at Heysham NR as a juvenile on 8 Sept 2019

Goldfinch 1

Bullfinch 1

Cetti's Warbler - a retrap first ringed at Middleton NR as a juv on 1 July last year, and also caught in September.

Janet took some nice shots:

Female Roe deer, one of two seen

There were at least 4 male Pheasant calling - this is one of them

Three of the Gadwall, gadabouting.

The Canada geese seem determined to stay

An early evening check located:

Mute 11 on main pond plus two breeding pairs

Canada goose 2

Teal 4

Gadwall 5

Tufted 1 male

Mallard 4

Cetti's warbler Central marsh and Western scrape males singing

Sedge warbler, just a couple of bursts of song from western scrape 17:10 (first record of the year)

Willow warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing all around the reserve.

Reed Bunting 1

South shore mid morning

Linnet 6 Red Nab

Wheatear 1 Ocean Edge foreshore 

Goldfinch - a single bird on the sea wall, unusual to see just one, anywhere.

Rock Pipits 4 one on the sea wall plus:

This is the lighthouse female taking nest material to the nest hole. You would have to imagine its only a flimsy construction, she doesn't appear to be the most dexterous of birds.

The ringed male appeared to be standing guard

The dark blue background is the StenaLine going out

But just after this shot another bird turns up and one chases the other off. Later the ringed bird was keeping an eye on me half way along the wall. So it isn't certain yet if the ringed bird is the lighthouse male. But further observations will sort it out (MD)

Finally just a short clip of, probably the least liked rodent, taking advantage on the kindness of visitors to Middleton. You have to admire the opportunism of Brown Rats.