Cold NW wind drifted to north by the afternoon. Mainly overcast with some very light showers and occasional sunny spells.
It seemed deathly quiet today, mainly because the wind wasn't so thundering, but also the birds seemed subdued, possibly concentrating on catching up after what, for most, would have been a lean day yesterday. Only stuff from my two short walks so far (MD).
Red Nab and saltmarsh towards high water
Wigeon 100+ on Red Nab, 54 moved to saltmarsh
Shelduck none seen
Lapwing just 5
Greenfinch 14 Red Nab + 3 on saltmarsh
Rock Pipit 2 (Red Nab and saltmarsh)
Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh
One of the effects of yesterday's storm and high tide is that everything edible was either blown or swept away, unless it was sheltered behind something. This is a nice clip of a Rock Pipit and a Reed Bunting, both feeding on what has accumulated behind a concrete boulder. The Rock Pipit is finding invertebrates while the bunting seems to be eating pepper seeds.
Common Snipe 4 - I'm confident that this was all of them today, I watched the tide cover the marsh over the period that any would be flushed. The numbers drop over the spring tides, they get fed up of being flushed twice a day.No Jack snipe seen today, although I did leave a little earlier than normal.
Wren, rarely get a mention, but they are always there in the background, there are at least 3 territories around the saltmarsh. This one today was more amenable than usual.
Middleton Nature Reserve mid afternoon
Mute 2 adult 9 cygnets
Moorhen 14 - including 6 in field to east of Tim Butler pond
Mallard 11
Gadwall 15 (2 on main, 9 "no swimming" and 4 Tim Butler pond)
Teal 4 also on field to the east of Tim Butler pond
Wood Pigeon 20+ in trees on golf course boundary
Grey Wagtail 1 over to east, but suspect it had been grounded
Thrushes:
Blackbirds everywhere c40
Redwing c20 two concentrations, one in NW corner near Tradebe, the other in hawthorns just to north of main pond top car park.
 |
| Redwing - there are still lots of hawthorn berries available |
