Monday 12 April 2021

Plenty of warblers in the sunshine

Another sunny day with light wind, initially from south, but quickly moved round to west.

First, some records from yesterday from Pete:
Red-Throated Diver 4 over the sea on the incoming tide
Eider 192
Common Scoter 2
Turnstone 356 on wooden jetty high water roost.

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid morning
Mute swan 9 on main pond including 3 immature. 2 breeding pairs on other ponds.
Canada goose 2 together on main pond at start of walk, but, interestingly, just a single bird on the return.
Coot 3 
Moorhen 4
Gadwall 5
Mallard 5
Tufted 1 male
Teal 2 (male and female). I've attached this clip of the male, not because it does anything, but there is a nice burst of Willow Warbler song in the middle.
Little grebe 1 trilling on "no swimming" pond

Reed Bunting 2

Warblers - sining males
Cetti's warbler 1 on central marsh
Blackcap 3
This male Blackcap is ringed
And a burst of song:

Willow Warbler 8
Chiffchaff  9
I didn't try and count the non singing birds, but there plenty around, although no female Blackcap seen.
Not all the warblers were just passing through.
This one (Chiffchaff I think (MD)) seemed very pleased with this feather

Heysham skear - evening ebbing tide
Eider 104 was the highest single count, but undoubtedly more around
Great Crested grebe 7
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Little Egret at least 8
This clip shows the Egret again finding lots to eat, I suspect it was shrimps on this evening's menu. Also on this clip; Redshank, Turnstone, Lesser Black-Backed and Herring gull.