Singing lessons

A light SE wind freshened slightly when the rain started after lunch.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean:

Vis: 
85 PF Geese heading north

Ringing:
(Retraps in brackets)
Chiffchaff 3
Blackcap 1
Goldcrest 1
Dunnock 4 (3)
Goldfinch 9 (2)
Coal Tit 1 (4)
Greenfinch 4
Blue Tit 10 (2) - bird of the day!!
Great Tit 2 (4)
Chaffinch (2) 
Robin 2

South shore

Black Tern 4 juvenile on No.2 outflow at 08:00 - ref Pete

I checked at 09:15 (MD). At that time there was only 1 on No.2 outflow and none were showing when I walked back at 10:00. A quick (wet) evening check saw at least 3 on No.2 outflow.

Shelduck 35 beyond Red Nab

Wigeon 3 in the channel next to No.2 outflow - waiting for the tide to reach Red Nab

Pink-Footed goose - in the morning there were plenty heading south but the flight line was inland and only visible when I was at Ocean Edge and a quick visit to Middleton Nature Reserve. 219 in about 20 minutes.

In the evening this individual was grounded near the lighthouse.

A rain affected Pink-Footed Goose

No sign of the Greylag Goose today, but a Guillemot was in the middle of the harbour.

Rock Pipit - in the morning there were 3 (Red Nab, sea wall and lighthouse), but in the evening there were 3 on the sloping wall by the lighthouse. These are 2 of them.

Linnet 4 near the lighthouse, 40+ on the saltmarsh 

The only passage seen while along the sea wall in the morning was:

Thrush sp (probably Song) 6 south

But as soon as I reached the foreshore, overhead movement began. These records from the 10 minutes it takes to walk the length of the foreshore 

Meadow Pipit 47 east 

Skylark 2 south

Pied/White Wagtail 2 east

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a 10 minute check of the two main ponds proved interesting 

Mute Swan 2 adult with 7 cygnets 

Coot 9

Moorhen 2

Little Grebe 1

Mallard 9

Gadwall 4 

Sparrowhawk 1

Cetti's warbler 2 male. One at the "no swimming" pond just announced itself with a typical short burst of song. But one in the SE corner of the main pond was going through its repertoire of song and calls, almost as though it was practicing. Nothing to see in this clip, even though the bird is only a couple of metres away. We are only 20m away from the feeding area and you can also hear a young family feeding the swans.

He eventually nailed it and produced a loud burst of typical song.