Wednesday 30 March 2022

More off passage ducks

The cold NE wind freshened during the day with some showers, later of sleet.

First, this is the ringing information for the Lesser Redpoll caught on Middleton Nature Reserve yesterday:

Y126748               1st W          14/10/20                Castlemorton Common (Worcestershire)

Retrapped             Ad M          21/03/22                Middleton  NR 122km N 


Tim had a lunchtime walk:

Red Nab at c. 11.40 (n) at c.12.40

38 Pale-bellied Brent goose (41) (earlier 44 had flown towards Potts from Red Nab MD)

2 Merganser (0)

19 Wigeon (19) 

1 Little Egret (1)

1 Rock Pipit (0)


Nothing of interest outflows or harbour. Considerably fewer cormorants than recently 


1 little Egret out from HMB statue. 

13.30 30+ Brent flew past towards Playground/ Morecambe 

1 Wheatear on the HMB side of Throbshaw (my first this year)


This is the Red Nab Rock Pipit


Heysham Skear low water 18:10 (MD)

Eider c150 - this is a slightly different clip of a few resting on a sand bar


Great Crested Grebe 4 

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Little Egret 6


There was a tight packed flock of c30 small ducks on the north side, unfortunately they were heading out and the tide was coming in. They took flight briefly and landed even further out. They looked to be all dark on the water and in flight, so I had assumed that they were Common Scoter. But examining my pictures and clips it became obvious that at least some were Teal.

I think these are all of them:


They all appear dark in the above clip, but this next clip reveals that at least some were Teal.

Pete has checked the above clip and is satisfied that they are Teal. It just shows how easy it is to be fooled by initial appearances (it happens to me all the time - one of the reasons I take a camera with me MD)