A warm overcast day with light showers. Light breeze mainly from SE.
First this nice shot from Peter and Rosemary Silvester, of a Four-spotted Chaser on Heysham Nature Reserve yesterday.
Ringing report from Alan
Just two nets set at Middleton this morning after a rather long break. Little evidence of juvenile birds around (except for a group of Blue Tits). Perhaps most have left the very dry habitat already to find more food-rich areas.
24 birds captured comprised:
Willow Warbler 1 adult
Blackbird 1 ad
Common Whitethroat 1 ad + 1 juvenile
Reed Warbler 3 retraps + 1 ad
Lesser Whitethroat 1 retrap + 2 ads
Dunnock 3 juvs
Blue Tit 6 juvs + 2 ads
Cetti's Warbler 1 ad
Blackcap 1 retrap
South shore (MD)
Basically just an early stroll along the sea wall so the sea breeze would cool me down a bit. I even managed a sprinkling of rain in a light shower! But, predictably, there was little to see.
Curlew 67 in several groups heading from the north side to Red Nab
Linnet 4 near the lighthouse
Rock Pipit 3 - 2 near the lighthouse and one above the waterfall.
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| Great Black-Backed with Herring Gulls in the harbour |
Small Tortoiseshell 1 in off the sea
Later Kevin Eaves took this shot of a Gatekeeper in the Nature Park.
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| Female Gatekeeper - first record this year |
Canada Goose 12 . 14:30 low to the south seen by both Janet as they passed over Heysham Nature Reserve and by Kevin as they went over Red Nab.
Janet located a group of at least 5 Ringlet in a small area of Middleton Nature Reserve, as ever they were very active, but she eventually managed some nice shots.
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| Ringlet - this one has already lost a number of scales from its wings. |
A Coal Tit has resumed visiting my garden feeder (MD). This is the first one I've seen or had reported in the recording area since the cold spell in December. They are frustrating feeders, they constantly take seeds and nuts from the feeders during autumn and stash them for "later". Then as soon as it get cold they disappear! Still, nice to have then back.
