Tawny Owl saves the day!

ESE light wind in the morning shifting to SW in the afternoon. Overcast all day but it remained dry.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Common Snipe 2 flushed from edge of the main pond - Janet

There were several Migrant Hawker around, this shot by Janet

Male Migrant Hawker

I had precious little time today, but managed a quick check of the two main ponds in passing (MD)

Mute unchanged 

Mallard 9 on main pond, several looking immature 

Gadwall 20 on "no swimming" pond

Shoveler 1 male coming out of eclipse.

Coot 2

Moorhen 5 including 1 immature 

Little grebe 1 now almost in winter plumage

If you've ever wondered why this pond is called the "no swimming" pond. It's this sign, once prominent, now surrounded by scrub and trees. I'm probably the only person to have read it in a decade!

It says: Danger. Keep out. Do not swim
Well, you have to call a pond something!

Heysham skear - low water 15:40 (MD)

This was the only walk I managed today, and this was really just a quick look.

Great Crested Grebe 2

Red-breasted Merganser 4 (2+2)

Eider 7

Little Egret 8

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and Dunlin 5

Cormorant and Herring gull resting on skear edge

Thanks to Jimmy (via Janet) for this shot and clip of a Tawny Owl, heard most evenings at Sylvan Place. Presumably based on Heysham Head.