Very light SE breeze in the morning switched to NNW and became fresher after lunch. Rain pretty much all day, but lighter than yesterday.
Middleton Nature Reserve
The aggressive male and his family have now abandoned the main pond, now, apparently, empty of other mute and were sat on their "no swimming" pond nest site this morning.
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| The Mute family back at the family home |
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| The main pond isn't quite bereft of Mute though, this one was still "hiding" on the NE corner Even with the aggressive male on a different pond, it was still not prepared to come out of the reeds |
Two more adult Mute on the Tim Butler pond
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| The Mallard and her young were hunkered down on the peninsula |
Gadwall 3
Coot 2
Moorhen 3
Little Grebe 1 adult seen on both Main and "no swimming" ponds, just possibly the same bird
Main pond fish:
For the past few years, there have been large numbers of goldfish/Rudd or Roach hybrids shoaling at this time of year. I have seen none so far this year, plus the number of Cormorants feeding on the pond has declined significantly. The laws of predator/prey relationships would suggest that all the fish will have not gone (eventually the low numbers of prey means they are not worth hunting for). So unless another factor is involved there will be some fish to continue breeding, presumably a more natural balance will now be maintained.
Warblers:
Everything seems more businesslike at the moment. Plenty of warblers to be seen feeding, but not as many singing males. Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed warblers were the only species heard.
Reed Bunting 1
Roe deer 1 female
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| I know fungi isn't of many people's interest, but I think this fresh Yellow Fieldcap has an elegant beauty (At least that's what I think it is! MD) |
South shore
Plenty of large gulls feeding at the seaward end of No.1 outflow (No2 outflow is on reduced capacity at the moment).
Grey seal at least three
By the time I took this clip, many of the feeding large gulls had moved on, it pans from them towards where the seals were feeding and resting. Just two seals visible on this occasion.
Rock Pipits 2 feeding on the south wall, including the ringed male. A third bird was stood over the lighthouse nesting area.
I'd just settled down for the evening and was about to download today's images from my camera when two Siskin, very kindly, started feeding on my feeder. Two visits 17:30 and 18:30. I do get occasional passage in my garden, not quite annual, but the previous latest spring record was on 12th March 2018 (MD)
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| Male Siskin |
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| Female Siskin |
This is a clip of both of them feeding, they ate a lot of seeds!
On this one the female gets moved on by one of the regular House Sparrows
Presumably, wherever they came from, they are accustomed to feeding from feeders. This feeder is directly in front of my living room window, not a natural flight line.
