Osprey and Skuas

Another dry and largely sunny day. A light east wind drifting to NE later.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Ringing this morning in rather 'nothing' conditions predictably produced little except for birds at the feeders. Two Meadow Pipits were trapped from one group of 5 flying north that were followed another group of 7. These were the only birds seen flying over. The session was livened up by two pairs of Ravens bothering each other and a pair of Carrion Crows very noisily throughout the morning around the transmission towers towards the power stations.

Meadow Pipit 2

Wren 1

Dunnock 1 retrap

Robin 2

Chiffchaff 1

Long-tailed Tit 1 retrap

Great Tit 1 + 1 retrap

Chaffinch 1

Greenfinch 4 + 1 retrap

Goldfinch 7 + 2 retraps

Bullfinch 1 retrap

Reed Bunting 1

Pete and Jean made a good check of the coast again.

Report from Jean:

Here are the scores on the doors from this morning's seawatch 0815-0950hrs:

Sandwich Tern 40 in and 2 remained on the red buoy, later increasing to 5

Kittiwake 70 in, most distantly but a close flock of 35 whizzed in

Arctic Skua 6 (a flock of 4 dark morph and 1 light morph, and 1 dark morph on its own)

Osprey 1 in at 0830hrs

Common Scoter 5 in

Red-throated Diver 1 in

Pink-footed Goose 20 north

Carrion Crow 13 north in small groups, one of which included a hybrid Carrion x Hooded Crow

3 cetaceans seen, or at least their fins and a bit of their bodies as they breached. Possibly Harbour Porpoise.

No small passerines or hirundines seen. Still no gannets.

Harbour

2 x 2CY Kittiwakes were on the pipe in the inner harbour

A pair of Rock Pipits were at the harbour with the female checking out nest holes (at least that's what it looked like) and the male standing guard. A possible third one was feeding on the sea wall at the seaward end of the harbour. 2 more on Red Nab.

A Dunnock and a Linnet were singing in the brambles.

Red Nab (or should that be Green Nab as the rocks are coated in gutweed)

7 Pale-bellied Brents

6 Little Egrets

A Goldcrest called - no doubt a migrant.

Greenfinches were singing and displaying on the landward side indicating a breeding record. 

10 Linnets were active in the gorse area and also going onto the foreshore and back, one or two were singing.

Wooden jetty

Female Eider was asleep at the base of the wooden jetty. Only 8 cormorants on the top of the wooden jetty.

South shore

3 Wheatear

I checked the south shore, but saw nothing not covered by Jean above (MD). These are some of my shots.

Pale-bellied Brent geese arriving at Red Nab

4 of the 6 Little Egret on Red Nab, this is the most for a while

Second calendar year Kittiwakes on their pipe in the harbour

Five Sandwich Tern on No.8 buoy

I could see an angling boat was just about to pass, I hoped it might lift one or two.

No reaction, although the boat was further away from the buoy than it looks.

Jean took this shot of the white flowering plant growing in many of the crevices along the sea wall. It's one of those times when you realise that you don't know what something is, even though you've seen it so many times. Jean checked and came up with Scurvy Grass. Looks right to me (MD).

Scurvy Grass, unless someone can advise otherwise 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds to see if the female Goosander is hanging around. She was still on the no swimming pond. There has been increased Cormorant feeding on this pond over winter, the fish stocks must be increasing (originally no fish in this pond, but there has been small Perch seen for a few years now, perhaps they have been joined by another species). It will be interesting to see how long the Goosander remains.

Also

Teal 2

Gadwall 2 (pair)

Mallard 5 male

Little Grebe 2 (one trilling and one feeding)

Cetti's warbler 1 singing 

The only other warbler heard were Chiffchaff