Wednesday 31 March 2021

Quite a bit moving through, plus an early Red Admiral!

The light breeze started SE shifting to west by lunchtime. Plenty of sunshine again.

Visible migration report from Jean:

Heysham Head 0740-1100 All north unless stated.

Pink-footed Goose 1345 in 9 flocks 

Whooper Swan 14 floating in. 

Meadow Pipit 86 in mostly ones and twos.

Skylark 2

Lesser Redpoll 3

Siskin heard but not seen

Linnet 3 plus 5 in the gorse areas.

Chaffinch 1 

alba Wagtail 10

Carrion Crow 4

Goldfinch 2

Sparrowhawk 1 - May have been a local bird spiralling upwards till lost from view.

Grey Heron 3 together high going south


Chiffchaff 3 singing in the wood.


South shore
Wheatear at least 3
Rock Pipits 4

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid afternoon 
Mute swan 9 on the main pond plus one pair nesting, the second pair that had been nesting not seen today.
Mallard 3
Coot 2
Moorhen 4
Jackdaw 27 (22, hopefully, moving through - they devastate the emerging dragonflies)

This clip of a male Bullfinch calling, also includes two other bird songs.
Bullfinch, Great Tit and Chiffchaff 

The remaining buds on the tree that the Bullfinch was eating have emerged (see post 18/03/21)
Showing them to be Blackthorn. You can understand how there would have been plenty of
sustenance in the buds - lots of pollen on the flowers.
Chiffchaff were everywhere, this is the easiest time of year to see them.
Plenty about and still very little plumage on the trees.

Insects:
Between, Kevin, Alison, Janet and myself we managed:
South shore: 
7 spot Ladybird 1
Comma 1
Brimstone 2 (male and female)
Peacock 3
Small Tortoiseshell 5

Middleton Nature Reserve:
Peacock 2
Small Tortoiseshell 4
Brimstone 1 female
Red Admiral 1 - this species is not supposed to over winter in the UK. Spring arrivals from the continent do not usually arrive till May. Janet managed a couple of record shots:

Although in good condition it doesn't look fresh.
So it's either over wintered or arrived very early from the continent (MD)

Finally, the Palmate newts in the pond behind Red Nab are "active". This is a male