Mmmmm....."showers"

The forecast said light showers, and sure enough that's what we got this morning. But after lunch, although we did have some showers of light rain, they were interspersed with showers of very heavy rain!

A lightish south wind early on freshened as it moved to the west.

Strong SW - W winds with "light showers" forecast for tomorrow. Bet the showers won't feel light!

Just my stuff so far (MD)

Heysham Nature Reserve 

I had a walk around this morning while the showers genuinely were light.

Plenty of tits around, mainly along the north side near the road to the harbour.

Chiffchaff at least 2 with a mixed tit flock plus another calling near the office.

Not much else located.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a very brief check of the two main ponds in passing, but still managed a soaking!

Mute, no sign of the adults (they won't be far away) a single cygnet on main pond plus 3 more on "no swimming" pond.

Mallard 11

Gadwall 10

Moorhen 3

South shore 

Just a quick check from saltmarsh to Red Nab in the evening downpour (another soaking!)

And saw virtually nothing.......

Lapwing 14 on Ocean Edge field

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Grey Wagtail 1 on the newt pond, but it took flight before I could check for rings. I assumed it wasn't the ringed bird as it gained height and set off east. But when I reached the small anemometer it, or another, was feeding. This bird was definitely ringed. Clearly saw the metal over Red and a yellow on the other leg. Almost certainly the same bird seen here last Friday and Saturday.

There was no chance of a picture today, even if there had been an opportunity the rain was bucketing down!

But John took these shots of the retrapped bird on Middleton yesterday.

Grey Wagtail ringed on passage here last September 
Unfortunately no sightings in between

I did manage to find Jean's Fly Agaric (see yesterday's post), but it had been got at!

No sign of any teeth marks so I assumed a slug was the culprit.

But it's a sizeable hole to eat in one session, presumably a big slug.
No doubt it will return for seconds.

Fly Agaric are toxic to humans and others, they are named thus as they were once used as poison to kill flies. Don't be tempted!