High egret and corvid counts

Light NNW breeze moved more to NW and freshened slightly. Mainly sunny.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Ringing this morning at Middleton was from before dawn in clear conditions. It was calm to start with but a light NNW wind soon got up.

A respectable 32 birds were trapped, including 5 Lesser Redpoll.

Meadow Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 3

Wren 2

Dunnock 1

Robin 2

Cetti's Warbler 1

Chiffchaff 2

Long-tailed Tit 8

Blue Tit 1 + 2 retraps

Great Tit 2

Chaffinch 1

Lesser Redpoll 5

Reed Bunting 1

Vis report from Jean:

0820-0940. Corvids were the most numerous species again.

Pink-footed Goose 102N, 86S

Jackdaw 36N, 203S

Rook 10N (uncommon in the recording area)

Carrion Crow 13NW, 2S

Raven 1 SW

Woodpigeon 4S

Redwing 1N,

Song Thrush 1SE

Blackbird 1N, 1SE

Chaffinch 2SE

Redpoll 1SE

Meadow Pipit 2N, 19S

Goldfinch 3SE

Linnet 1

Pied Wagtail 1

Swallow 3 S

Greenfinch 4W

Reed Bunting 2

Pete did a thorough check of the shore between Red Nab to the Sunny Slopes, at low water:

Great Crested Grebe 18

Little Egret 32 (I think this is the highest ever count for the observation area (MD))

Mediterranean gull just 2 adult off Red Nab.

Stonechat 1 female on the mound viewed from the back of the harbour 

Grey Wagtail 1 SE

At least 160 jackdaw and 45 carrion crow south eventually! 

Heysham skear - low water 09:10 (MD)

Little Egret 20

Great Crested grebe 11

Both the above are included in Pete's count.

Red-breasted Merganser 5 - including 1 male

Grey Heron 3

Eider 19

Pink-Footed Goose 70 south

Skylark 1 south

Mediterranean gull 1 adult on the north edge of the skear. It's head pattern suggest it is the same bird seen here previously. The tide is coming in quickly by this time, which makes all the gulls more mobile.

In this next clip, the Med is doing an "Alfred Hitchcock", and just happens to be wandering in the background as I was checking out a moulting male Eider.

Along the north side of the skear at low water on these high spring tides, there are plenty of areas of sea lettuce available. Unfortunately they would only provide a short feeding opportunity, but sea lettuce seemed to be the Brent Geese's favourite last winter, so it might just tempt some, if they can find out it's there.

Sea lettuce floating in shallow pools, ideal for Brent to feed on,
but the window of opportunity at low water on spring tides is small.

Finally, it was a lovely morning, and the sun was shining all, around the bay. Unless you were in one of the south lakes valleys where the mist was laying like glaciers.

Dense mist rolling down the Lyth Valley 
It didn't clear till 10:30