Sunday 15 August 2021

First diving duck returns

A fresh west breeze mainly overcast with light showers.

Not a lot today.

Just a quick sweep by Pete from Ocean Edge 90 minutes before high water, located:
Mediterranean gull 10 (3 juvenile)

Heysham skear - low water 11:20
Great Crested Grebe 5 (2 + 1 + 1 on the water plus 1 flying south)
Eider only 4 today
Little Egret 13
No sign of any Mediterranean gulls. Waders similar to yesterday, minus the off passage flock of Redshank.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Just a quick check of the three main ponds in the afternoon 
Mute Swan pair plus 9 cygnets on main pond, pair on Tim Butler, the 2 cygnets not seen but they would have been somewhere nearby. 
Mallard 5
Gadwall 7 - female plus 3 young and a male with 2 female/immature 
The male Gadwall, in the foreground of this clip,  is still in eclipse.

This is one of the female/immature Gadwall having a bath

Tufted duck 1 male.
Male Tufted duck, in at least, partial eclipse.
It was being very secretive.

Little grebe 1 adult on Tim Butler 

No dragonflies seen and the only butterflies were a few, Meadow Brown, 1 Gatekeeper, 2 Large White and a Peacock.