Chiffchaff arrive.....in numbers

A dry morning with a warm sunny spell. Overcast in the afternoon with light showers.

Myself (Malcolm), Shaun Coyle and Josh Hedley covered roughly the same areas at different times today. The following is Josh's report amended with aggregate counts when there is definitely no overlap.

Middleton NR 

Mute Swan- 8 (2 adult each No Swimming and Tim Butler ponds,  4 immature Main)

Gadwall- 1 (Main)

Mallard- 5 (Main)

Goosander- 2 redheads (No swimming)

Little Grebe- 2 (1 each No swimming and Main)

Coot- 4 (2 Main, 2 No swimming)

Moorhen- 5

Cetti's Warbler 6 singing males

Chiffchaff- 16+ (8 birds in song)

Goldcrest 2

Song Thrush- 1

Reed Bunting- 1 

Stock Dove- 3

Meadow Pipit- 5 over

This is one of the Meadow Pipit taking a break to spruce up

Harbour/ Outfalls area

Red-breasted Merganser- 2 drakes near wooden jetty

Rock Pipit- 3 (1 Red Nab, 1 Waterfall, 1 sea wall)

Waterfall Rock Pipit by Josh

Wheatear 2 males grounded on the roundhead during an afternoon shower

Pale-bellied Brent goose 28 (24 and 4) arrived at Red Nab from the north side towards high water.

Pink-Footed goose a lone, and lonely sounding, individual flew north

Pinkfoot, calling so much that I was expecting a flock to fly over (Malcolm)

These three Long-Tailed Tits were on the wispy willow growing out of the sea wall at Red Nab. 

Wren soaking up the morning sun in the Nature Park

Chiffchaff 3 together by the small anemometer in the Nature Park. Just one visible in this clip.

Ringed Chiffchaff (nice to have them back)

Heysham NR

Sparrowhawk- 1

Peregrine- 1 

Goldcrest- 4 along dog walk track

Chiffchaff- 1 dog walk track (bringing the absolute minimum this morning to 20)

Meadow Pipit- 1

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis still feeding