Thursday 25 August 2022

Knot back

A light WNW wind. Mainly overcast till lunchtime, then mainly sunny.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Report from John

Very slow morning ringing, with just sixteen birds caught in three nets over a four hour period from 6.30am. These comprised :

Reed Bunting             x2

Willow Warbler         x2

Chiffchaff                  x2

Lesser Whitethroat   x2

Blackcap                    x2

Reed Warbler            x1 retrap

Bluetit                        x1

Grey Wagtail              x1

Sedge Warbler           x1


South shore
I checked form Red Nab to the shore out from the saltmarsh this morning on the rising tide (MD)
Sandwich Tern just one on a Red Nab rock
Sandwich Tern
Rock Pipits 5 - three on Red Nab and two together near the rocky outcrop to the south of the saltmarsh.
No Wheatear today
Linnet 18 (6 + 12 around saltmarsh)
Lapwing 6
There were just 800 Oystercatcher resting on the mud out from the saltmarsh then a nice mixed flock of waders arrived from the south, led by Grey Plovers.

Grey Plover 40
Knot 70
Dunlin 130
Bar-Tailed Godwit 10
Not only a nice mixture of species, also a variety of plumages (the background noise was something going on in the Power Station). I pan a bit quickly to get them all in the 30 seconds allowed, but you can opt to watch in slow motion.

This shot is just to show the location, that's, what's left of, the wooden jetty in the background 

When the tide eventually flushed them, they all flew off together. I haven't pre sized this shot, so you will need to open it to see any detail. Each bird is identifiable.
Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plover and Bar-Tailed Godwit 

Nature Park 
Migrant Hawker 4
Common Darter 4

Painted Lady 1
Common Blue 1
Plus several of each
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper 
Speckled Wood 

Janet took these shots of moths on Middleton Nature Reserve this morning
A quite faded Shaded Broad-bar

Straw Dot