Tuesday 22 March 2022

Meds and Meadows

Light east to SE wind, plenty of sunshine and getting quite warm in the afternoon.

Heysham skear low water 08:15 (MD)
No sign of any Brent geese, both this morning and later at Red Nad - of course, absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.
Eider well scattered but probably about 200
Great Crested Grebe 13
Red-breasted Merganser 11
This clip is quite distant, but shows two GCG displaying and some of the mergansers feeding.
Little Egret 8

This clip is from an unusual angle, plus no indication of scale. See if you can identify the bird, before it reveals itself 
I've hidden the answer in this rambling text, just so you didn't accidentally see the identity before watching the clip. Obviously a godwit turned out to be a bar tailed one. I do like it when a bird is comfortable enough in my company to go back to sleep.

Pink-Footed goose 7 to SE
Meadow Pipit a steady overhead passage. Heard on 18 occasions but unknown numbers
Pied or White Wagtail 2 over

Red Nab to Saltmarsh towards high water
Wigeon 26
Wheatear 4
Male Wheatear, showing the white rump. The inverted black "T" not visible on this pose
Meadow Pipits coming in off - a 10 minute walk along foreshore saw 25. Altogether 42 counted
Brimstone 1 male in the Nature Park.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Just a quick check of the main ponds on my way home.
Mute 1 female sitting on nest. Altogether 6 adult plus 7 immature 
Coot 3 
Moorhen 4
Little grebe 2 
Mallard 6
Gadwall 10
Chiffchaff 2 singing near the car park

Pete had a look around:
Mediterranean gull 2 x 2nd calendar year briefly on the seaward end of No.1 outflow
Chiffchaff 7 heard along Moneyclose Lane between the traffic lights and Ocean Edge

Just an aside, I sometimes receive comments that I would like to answer. Unfortunately there is no way to answer a comment unless you include an email address. Alternatively email me directly, my address is on the side bar - Malcolm