Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Plenty of interest

Several showers, but sunny spells in between. A slightly fresher SW wind.

South shore
I only had time for a morning visit today (MD)
Linnet c60 on saltmarsh.
Shelduck 24 feeding quite close to the foreshore today. You can see them filtering invertebrates from the mud. It's no wonder their feeding is punctuated with regular visits to the freshwater run offs for a drink.

Wigeon c80
There was no sign of the juvenile Arctic Tern on the outflows this morning, but there wasn't one yesterday morning. Kevin Eaves saw it early afternoon.
Little Gull 5 at least. 2 adult, 1 second calendar year, at least 2 first calendar year.
Adult Little Gulls

2nd calendar year left and 1st calendar year right,  Little Gulls.
Black-Headed gull centre with wigeon behind 

Black-Tailed Godwit 23 - a distant flock flying south along the fishing lane.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - a female was calling when I got back to my car on Moneyclose Lane. Despite the traffic and rain you can still hear her calling.

Eddie Wilkinson also had a walk along the sea wall this morning, these are some of his fine pictures:

1st calendar year Little Gull

Male Wigeon

Cormorant 

Great Crested Grebe between No.1 outflow and the wooden jetty

Curlew

Redshank 

The Great Spotted Woodpecker was still showing well


Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)
Just the fleetest of passing checks of the two main ponds. Wildfowl as previous except.
Gadwall 5
I managed a brief clip of the Little Grebe on the main pond today.

Janet took this shot of a Grey Squirrel on the Barrows