New egret high count

A light, but cold north wind early on quickly freshened. Sunshine for most of the morning becoming cloudier by mid afternoon.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

It was cool and very clear first thing with a northerly breeze that increased to 15mph by 10 o'clock - no good for mist nets.

There were few grounded migrants and little overhead besides around 370 Pink footed Geese in five separate groups plus another couple of groups heard but not seen. Three swallows flew low over the reserve from south to north into the wind. Three more Grey Wagtails were ringed for the colour ringing project.

A very meagre total today:

Grey Wagtail 3

Robin 2 +1 retrap

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 1 + 1 retrap

Reed Bunting 2

I had a walk around mid morning (MD)

Mute pair still with their 7 cygnets on main pond.

"No swimming" pond:

Coot 2 together

Moorhen 2 adult 1 immature 

Gadwall 16 (8 male and 8 female)

Shoveler 4 seemed to be 2 male, 1 female and 1 female/immature)

Male Shoveler left with either a female or immature

The other male was slightly further out of eclipse and was following, what was presumably an adult, female around. Although she didn't seem overly interested.

Little grebe 1 adult in fading summer plumage. In this clip the female Gadwall is totally oblivious to the grebe till it dives.

Common Snipe 1 flushed from main pond

And that was it bird wise.

Dragonflies 

Emperor 1 male (a late record for this species)

Migrant Hawker 3 male 1 female

Common darter several male and female but all aged

Butterflies 

Red Admiral 2

Speckled Wood several

Comma 2

Very fresh looking Comma

Heysham inner skear

Yesterday Kevin Singleton counted 41 Little Egret on and around the bay formed at the edge of the inner skear as the tide rises. Birds were already moving inland so there could have been more. Pretty sure this is the highest count for the recording area. Unfortunately Kevin didn't have his camera with him at the time, and only visits Heysham about once a week, so I said I would go down today (MD)

Other duties today meant that I could only get there an hour earlier in the tide than Kevin yesterday. Even so there were at least 33 Little Egret strung along the waterline and in the small pools in the stretch between Whinnysty Lane and Grovenor Rd. Not much point taking a picture of the birds today as they were so well spread, but this shot shows the northern half of the area, the large pool on the left is what will become the "bay" later. No Egrets feeding in there in this shot, but it will be filled with fresh water from the run offs. Only when the tide reaches it will the shrimps and small fish move in.

About half of today's 33 Little Egret are "technically" in this shot
Nice picture of the bay, if nothing else!

Kevin did have his camera with him earlier yesterday 
and took this nice shot of a Turnstone 

South shore (MD)

I checked the beach out from saltmarsh first. There were no waders feeding inshore today. Along the tideline were:

Grey Plover 150

Knot 90

Dunlin 30

This clip shows a wall of spume being pushed up the shore by the wind and waves. I have covered spume before. It is perfectly natural and just made up of bubbles created by the breaking waves, proteins in the water (a sign of healthy water) sustain the bubbles. Originally white, but they pick up the silt in the shallow water and take on the colour of the mud.

On the way back to the saltmarsh a flock of c50 Ringed Plover shot past and headed towards Red Nab.

Linnet 25 on saltmarsh 

Starlings 200+ feeding on brambles around saltmarsh 

Starling laden brambles

No Wheatears today

As soon as I saw this morning's third quarter moon, I realised that I had given poor advice about timings for checking Red Nab yesterday. Either quarter moon means that we are in neap tides not approaching them as yesterday's 8.7m tide suggested. I'd forgotten how high this set has been, and how quickly they needed to drop. I had expected (always check the tide tables!) today's tide to be about 8.5m it was in fact 8.2m and tomorrow 7.6m will barely reach Red Nab! Today's tide too was a long way from the sea wall. The Ringed Plover were there, but just tiny silhouettes. No chance of spotting anything more interesting with them.

Goldcrest 1 with Long-Tailed Tits in the Nature Park (David Kaye)

Grey Wagtail 2 - 1 on Red Nab plus 1 on Nature Park newt pond this evening  (Angela Gillion)

Angela managed a record shot with her phone

Finally, on the 21st September I posted a picture of an Alder Leaf Beetle, saying that it was the first I'd seen. Rob from Wigan sent a comment saying that they were everywhere there and devastating the local, Alders. Well, Rob was right, they are everywhere here now and devastating the Alders. Perhaps I've missed them in the past. This shot is from the Alders at the entrance to the bottom car park at Middleton Nature Reserve. The Alders below the small anemometer are no better!

Damage caused by Alder Leaf beetle