Osprey.....not missed today!

A light, but increasing SW wind Sunshine all day after the early mist cleared.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

First a ringing report from John for yesterday:

Nets set at Middleton yesterday morning. Bright conditions and slow start, only five birds in first two hours. Then a movement of birds through, helped to increase this to a total of twenty, which comprised:

Blackcap 4

Chiffchaff 6

Robin 3

Great Tit 2

Blue Tit 2

Willow Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Wren 1

South shore (MD)

A late morning check on the rising tide

Mediterranean gull 9 at least - the gulls on Red Nab were all sat down, many with their heads tucked in, so difficult to check. 6 adult, 2 second calendar year and 1 first calendar year. A first calendar year at the end of No.1 outflow may have been the same bird.

Shelduck 26 flew off to the west, presumably they had been on the shore as they started off low.

Osprey 1 - it had caught what looks to be a decent sized Grey Mullet. When first seen it was out from No.1 outflow and gripping the fish towards its tail.

Osprey with a blue ring on its right leg

It clearly wasn't satisfied with its grip, it spent over a minute circling out at sea till it was gripping it towards the front. This clip it the last 30 seconds of this process.

Fish gripped to its satisfaction it was ready to run the gauntlet of the inshore gulls

It managed to get through the gulls and headed east.

Falcon sp probably Peregrine 1 came in off high from the west and continued SE

Swallow 2 south

Ringed Plover 13 plus a single Dunlin near Red Nab - these are a few of them.

Just out of the recording area (actually quite a way out of the recording area, but still of interest) Pilling.

Little Tern 2 - ref Pete