Is the lamppost Med back in town?

Very light north to NNE wind. High cloud with sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by John

Three nets set this morning from 7am to 10.30am. No Geese and little overhead movement of birds recorded, with a just a few Grey Wagtails and Meadow Pipits responding to mp3 lures.

Ringing List:

Grey Wagtail         5

Meadow Pipit        6

Blackcap              3

Bullfinch               2

Cetti's Warbler      2 (Quite a few dispersing Cetti’s around - four ringed this week)

Goldcrest              2

Chiffchaff              2

Reed Bunting         1

Great Tit               1

South Shore - high water 11:25 (MD)

Wigeon 11 on Red Nab plus 4 south

Little Egret 11 most on saltmarsh 

Lapwing 53 on saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 1

Linnet 13 on saltmarsh 

Goldfinch 4 on saltmarsh - this youngster is eating Sea Aster seeds.

Meadow Pipit a steady movement NE into the wind - 43 between 09:45 and 11:15

Swallow 5 east

Peregrine 1 probably more, were flushing the waders all the time I was checking, most waders ended up towards Potts Corner.

The only semi stable group of waders were the ones just in front of the saltmarsh, and they were very jittery.

In this group:

Dunlin 160

Knot 150

Redshank 28

Grey Plover 3

The tide brought the Knot and Dunlin close to me, but I couldn't see any ringed birds today.

There were 294 gulls resting on the mud, most Black-Headed gulls.

This one has a recent injury, but although it looks nasty, it never once tended to it, which it would if it was causing discomfort. Also when the tide reached it it flew off normally. I suppose white feathers will spread a little blood a long way.

BHG with what is hopefully a superficial injury 

Mediterranean gull 1 - was the only one in this group. Its face and bill pattern match the one that took to resting on the lamppost near the junction of Oxcliffe and Heysham roads last winter. But, even more telling is that the tips of its bill appear to be crossed, as was the lamppost bird. 

Adult Mediterranean gull 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet took these shots of Roe Deer this morning. There must be at least 5 deer involved, as the first image has a Buck with antlers in the background