Yellow Browed warbler

A cold calm start the light east breeze eventually drifting round to the south. Sun for most of the day.

Comment from Pete - Despite the Crystal clear conditions with moon at dawn, the day delivered, highlighted by yellow browed warbler at Heysham Nature Reserve and a big Carrion crow passage.

 In the conditions, the Grey Phalarope was predictably searched for without success.

This Guillemot was second prize in the harbour today
Picture by Kevin Eaves

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean

Ringing was quite varied today with 60 birds caught of 16 species:
Cetti’s Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Lesser Redpoll 2
Chaffinch 4
Goldfinch 13 (12 new, 1 retrap)
Greenfinch 5
Robin 4 (1 new, 3 retraps including one from 2017)
Dunnock 6 (4 new, 2 retraps)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 retrap (female)
Great Tit 4 (1 new, 3 retraps)
Blue Tit 2 (1 new, 1 retrap)
Long-tailed Tit 9 (8 new, 1 retrap)
Treecreeper 1
Goldcrest 6 (3 new, 3 retraps)
Wren 1

Vis:
Carrion Crow 75
Jackdaw 23
Raven 2
Mistle Thrush 10
Collared Dove 3 (high to the south, definite movement)
Chaffinch 20
Meadow Pipit 6
Linnet 1
Pied Wagtail 3
Grey Wagtail 1
Skylark 1

Chiffchaff 1 singing along Moneyclose Lane - Janet

This Terrapin was fished out of the Dipping pond

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from John:

Cold start this morning, with some ground frost making for icy poles.

Only observed overhead movement, were a few Pinkfeet heading north early on. Twenty seven birds caught in total which comprised:

Goldcrest             x10

Chiffchaff             x6

Wren                   x4

Cettis Warbler      x2  (1 new and 1 retrap)

and singles of Reed Bunting :  Bluetit : Redwing : Blackcap: Long-tailed Tit.

I had a walk around in the afternoon (MD)

Mute unchanged

No Mallard

Gadwall just 2

Moorhen 5

Grey Heron 1

Jack Snipe 2. One flushed from western edge of main pond and another near the small scrapes on the western  marsh, unlikely to be same bird.

Thrush sp (looked like Redwing) 15 south

Buzzard 2 north plus a juvenile chased south by a Carrion Crow.

Carrion Crow and juvenile Common Buzzard

Plenty of dragonflies 

Migrant Hawker 7+

Common Darter 15+

The only butterfly seen was a distant White. Looked to be a Small White.

Heysham skear - low water 08:40 (MD)

Red-breasted Merganser 9

Great Crested Grebe 6

Eider 3

Shag 1

Not a great shot, but from front to back
Herring Gull, female/immature Eider, 2cy Shag and diving Merganser

More Knot around today. 100 south plus c50 + 8 resting on skear and 18 resting on beach.

Skylark 4 together east

Grey Wagtail 4 (2, 1 and 1) east