Feeding, or at least trying to feed, Osprey

The light wind started SE and didn't vary much. Overcast with a few very light showers in the morning, but hot and humid in the afternoon, when the sun broke through.

South shore

Report by Pete Crooks:

An unringed adult Osprey lingered over the sea between the end of Heysham Stage One and Stage Two outfalls from 8.35 am to 9.53 am when it was last seen flying off SW towards Rossall Point. During this time it made several half-hearted shallow dives, passing low over the water surface, but only plunged into the sea once and failed to catch anything.

Heysham Stage One – Wooden Pier area:
8 Mediterranean Gull (5 adults – including green darvic ANLT, 2 1st summer>2nd winter, 1 juvenile>1st winter)
Also: 4 Eider, 18 Cormorant, 26 Turnstone

Red Nab:
13 Mediterranean Gull (7 adults – including yellow darvic, not read, 2 2nd summer>3rd winter, 4 1st summer>2nd winter)
Also: 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Rock Pipit

I met up with Pete about 09:15 (MD)

This is the Osprey making one of its shallow dives

This clip starts just after its failed plunge into the sea, you can see it shaking itself dry.

The fish the Osprey would be seeing here will be Bass. Bass have very sharp dorsal fins, this Osprey appears to have learnt, presumably from experience, that it needs to grab them either behind or in front of the dorsal fin. This requires both precision and a bass big enough to present a decent target to grab, probably explaining the number of aborted dives (just speculation, based on today's observations (MD))

Osprey 

The gulls were happy to ignore it whilst it was hunting but became agitated if it moved towards them. This one followed it as it set off south after it did a circle out from the end of the wooden jetty.

A gull following the Osprey as it left

Wheatear 2 along the foreshore 

These ducks flew overhead with the light behind them, and in real time suggested Red-breasted Merganser. But checking my pictures revealed them to be female/immature Goosander (not common here). I've not pre sized these shots, so you can check the detail if you "open" them.

Female/immature Goosander, almost in silhouette 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I just did a quick circuit of the two main ponds. The "no swimming" pond was deserted apart from an adult Little Grebe and a couple of Moorhen. Don't know if yesterday's drama was too much for the Gadwall or if they were just passing through anyway.

Just the regular Mallard and Mute on main pond.

Water Rail 2 squealing 

Common Snipe 3 around edge of main pond

Buzzard 1 soaring on the east side.

Hirundines SW in a 20 minute visit:

Swallow 73

House Martin 4

A very brief check of Imperial way on my way back saw absolutely no hirundines, so it seems the flight path was close to the coast.