First of the autumn Chats

A fresh breeze from east to SE. Overcast all day with a few showers.

First, three pictures of yesterday's birds:

These two from Howard 

Alba wagtail possibly White (rump not visible) 

Wheatear 

This one from Kevin

Adult Mediterranean gull on Red Nab

Everything below is from today:

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet managed these excellent shots of a Roe Deer

Roe Deer - probably a doe. It's a bit early for bucks to have shed
their antlers, especially without leaving any trace (MD)

All the six image above are high resolution and are best appreciated by opening them to view.

Shaun had a thorough look around today:

Heysham Head 10:15 - 11:45

Whinchat 2 (female) 

Stonechat 1 (imm)

These are the first chat records here this autumn 

Whitethroat 3, Blackcap m + f, Chiffchaff 3. 

{Then walked to the harbour and back, but didn't note down times}

Smithy Lane: Chiffchaff 1

Heysham Nature Reserve: 

Chiffchaff 3 with large Long-tailed Tit flock c.15 birds + 3 Coal Tit's with them.

Money Close Dog Walk Path: 

Chiffchaff 2 and Blackcap female. 

2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Red Nab: 

Mediterranean Gull 5 adults

5 Rock Pipits. 

Wheatear 2. 

Little Egret 6. 

Pair of Pergrines over Power Station.

Outfall 1 / Wooden Pier: 

Mediterranean Gull 6 adults + 2 1st winters. 

Cormorant 57. 

Turnstone 9.

Scrub along south side of harbour: 

Whitethroat 2, Chiffchaff 2 and a Blackcap female. 

Wheatear 2.

Heysham Head late afternoon just before and during light rain shower 

Wheatear 14 moving through and along the beach 

c 25 House Martins 

5 Swallows over wood. 

Rock Pipit 3 on beach 

3 Little Egrets.

Red Nab and Ocean Edge towards high water (MD)

The prime objective of this walk was to locate the ringed Meds seen by Pete and Jean yesterday. I was fortunate enough to find the white ringed bird, but I wasn't going to find the "red" ringed bird, as I totally misread Pete's message, it was a yellow ring! But that wasn't around either.

Mediterranean gulls:

Beach out from Ocean Edge - 3 adult (including Belgium white ringed bird also seen last year, let's hope it has been recorded elsewhere in between). Plus 1 x 2nd winter.

Red Nab - at least 2 adult plus 4 1st winter

So absolute minimum birds today 11 adult (RN and jetty birds definitely different) 1 x 2nd winter, 4 x 1st winter.

Rock Pipit 3 Red Nab (these will be some of what Shaun saw earlier)

Wheatear 6

Kestrel 1 - the bird that has been hunting over the saltmarsh at high water was waiting on the cliffs to the south. It would have been a long wait, today's tide was not high enough to cover it. I suspect it is a juvenile, it looks very thin! 

Emancipated looking Kestrel 

Shelduck 75 - were the most I saw at one time flying south, but prior to that I had counted 56 on beach between Red Nab and Saltmarsh - both adult and juvenile. This is a sudden increase from the previous autumn record of 4!

Most of the waders were further south towards Potts Corner

Nearer to the saltmarsh were

Redshank 23

Ringed Plover 16

Grey Plover 2

Knot c30

Bar-Tailed Godwit 47 - most of the godwit moved on quickly as the tide rose, but this one hung around.