Tuesday 21 December 2021

Midwinter Day

 Light SE breeze, mainly overcast, but still reasonably clear.
So, we've reached the winter solstice, tonight is the longest night of the year. Tomorrow, the days slowly start to get a little longer.

I only had chance for one quick walk this morning, plus a stop off at Middleton Nature Reserve (MD).
Mute 2 adult 9 cygnets 
Moorhen 7
Coot 1
Mallard 7
Gadwall 36
Wigeon 1 male,1 couldn't find the female
Tufted duck 3 male
Teal 4 (2 pair)
One of the two pairs of Teal with a male Gadwall in foreground 

This is a nice clip of the male Wigeon plus a male Teal preening. The increasing clamour in the background is the Mallard becoming restless then taking flight. Nothing spooked any of the other ducks, so it must just have been time to move on.

Red Nab and saltmarsh area
Pale-bellied Brent goose 18 on Red Nab
Wigeon c100
Shelduck c40
Rock Pipit 3 (one on Red Nab plus two on the western end of Red Nab/sea wall)

Great Black-Backed gull, we have now had an update on the green ringed juvenile first seen 9/12/21 (thanks Colin). It was ringed as a nestling at South Walney on 06-Jul-2021.

Pete has received news of a female Common Scoter seen in the harbour on 13th December 

Just out of the recording area:
Mediterranean gull 1 adult - 14:45. again resting on the 2nd lamppost north of the traffic lights junction between Oxcliffe Road and Heysham Road. It's the lamppost on the east side of Heysham Road.