Tuesday 29 March 2022

Better, but hard won!

 The very light breeze continued, mainly north. Mainly overcast with some periods of light rain.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Ringing report from Alan:

Three nets set this morning from just before seven o'clock until eleven resulted in just six captures. However, one was a Lesser Redpoll wearing a ring fitted at another site. We will receive information on this in due course.

The other captures were singles of Meadow Pipit, Blackcap, Great Tit, Chiffchaff and a retrapped Reed Bunting. 

No movement of migrants over the site was apparent.


South Shore

Pete and Jean checked from Ocean Edge to the Wooden Jetty

31 Turnstone on the wooden jetty. 

Rock Pipit near the lighthouse plus 5 others flew along the south harbour wall. Also 1 on territory on north side.

Chiffchaff 1 also on north side

Pale-bellied Brent goose 48 (42 originally on Red Nab, later joined by 6 that had been out from Potts)

Wigeon 20

On the shore out from Ocean Edge

Bar-Tailed Godwit 62

Black-Tailed Godwit 1

Grey Plover 28

Knot 2,240

Dunlin 220


I checked from Saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD)

Shelduck 20

Meadow Pipit 3 over

Wheatear 6 moving along foreshore to Red Nab together.

A slightly better shot of the inverted black "T" on the tip of the tail

4 Wheatear on Red Nab (2 on each rock)

Heysham Nature Reserve 
Jean took this excellent shot of a Common Toad

I had a quick walk around
Chiffchaff 6
Bullfinch 8
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 - one drumming 
Jay 1

Heysham skear - low water 17:25
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Eider c150
Teal 8 - originally just out of positive recognition range to the south of the skear. Fortunately 6 eventually flew to the skear corner. Still quite distant, and this clip is accordingly poor quality, but I thought interesting as it shows the males displaying (or arguing).


This shot from Jean is the Deo Gloria dredger working just out from the harbour mouth. It is a suction dredger. Although it does "muddy the water", it does take the bulk of the mud away to be dumped in the Lune deeps.