A Little, surprising.

The east wind was fresher today, both stronger and cooler. Dry with sunny periods.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

I set a couple of nets this morning and achieved a rather poor catch with nothing caught after 09.40.  One Grey Wagtail only was colour ringed.  Meadow Pipits were trickling over from seven o'clock but petered out by nine - a couple were caught in the cage trap but none in the mist net.

 

Blackcap  2

Goldcrest  1

Chiffchaff  2

Long tailed Tit  2

Robin  1

Meadow Pipit  2

Reed Bunting  3

Grey Wagtail  1

South shore

I had two walks along the sea wall today (Malcolm). On the rising tide this morning and ebbing tide this evening.

Shelduck 98

Little Gull 1 adult on No.2 outfall this morning, quite a pleasant surprise. 

Little gull

Mediterranean gull 10 at least. In the morning there was at least one adult and a first calendar year feeding on the seaward end of No.1 outfall. This evening there were two adult and a second calendar year on the beach by the wooden jetty. Later Cornelius Jones saw another 6 out from Red Nab.

Adult Mediterranean gull

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull

This is interesting (as long as you are interested in worms!). 

This Curlew has pulled out a complete Sandmason worm tube, the mud must
have been quite fluidised. There are short side appendages, that obviously act
to secure the tube in the mud. I had no idea they did this.

Unfortunately for this worm it didn't help, it was quickly separated from
its tube. You can see the worm being swallowed 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 on the beach by the wooden jetty

Redshank 46

Knot 2 

Kingfisher 1 at least. It was on No.2 outfall this morning. Then it, or another flew south from Red Nab along the foreshore 

Kingfisher flying from Red Nab

By this evening she was back on No.2 outfall

This Cormorant made short work of a Bass

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab

Wheatear 2 along sea wall

There was more insect movement this morning than this evening, but it didn't really begin till 10:15.

These all came in off the sea 10:15 - 10:45:

Small White 10

Red Admiral 3

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Small White having a rest after arriving in off

Wheatear with a Red Admiral (right) coming in off 

Grey Seal 1

This shot is just to show what to look out for. A cluster of gulls like this
invariably means a source of food below. You can just make out the seal's
 head below the gulls, it was eating a fish (they are messy eaters!)

This is a slightly better view as it drifted past the end of No.1 outfall. By this time the gulls had lost interest as it was no longer feeding.

There is a wooden gate 30m west of the small anemometer in the Nature Park that catches the sun all day. It is literally a hot spot for insects. Kevin Eaves took this clip just after lunch, when nine Common Darters were resting on it.

Swallow 2 this evening - Cornelius Jones

Tides, and fools, rush in.

Another sunny day with a light east(ish) breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by John:

A session ringing this morning, proved less productive, than yesterday.

With only 16 birds being caught. However 5 more Grey Wagtails, added to the nicely growing number caught this year. The catch comprised;

Chiffchaff        x 6

Grey Wagtail   x 5

Singles of Cetti's Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit.

Only overhead movements observed were two large groups of Pink - footed Geese, totalling around 400.

South shore (Malcolm)

I went to the waterline, out from Ocean Edge, on the rising tide this morning (Malcolm).

Initially there were a lot of waders feeding along the waterline, but I suspected they would soon move on. They did, and long before I reached them.

Mainly Knot heading further south

Minimum numbers along waterline 

Oystercatcher 500

Curlew 150

Bar-Tailed Godwit 40

Grey Plover 23

Knot 400

Dunlin 30

This is what moved them on. Not only do these spring tides come in very quickly (the term spring is nothing to do with the season, but spring as in springing forth). there are no waves to  speak of in these calm conditions and all the birds in a flock are forced to move on at the same time, often causing them to take flight.

It wasn't coming in quite as quickly as I walk, but not far off, and it caught me up each time I stopped. It was time to stop stopping and keep walking!

A group of Grey Plover further up the shore

Near the saltmarsh 

Redshank 26

Lapwing 12

Cetti's warbler singing just south of the caravan park

Skylark 1 in/off

Linnet 22

Wheatear 1

Pied Wagtail 22 on foreshore and Ocean Edge grass

Insects in/off

Migrant Hawker 1

Small White 4

Small Tortoiseshell 2

A walk along the sea wall this evening saw very few insects. The only thing of note was.

Kingfisher 1 - it was fishing from the rails of No.2 outflow, unfortunately with the light behind it.

I like the Lesser Black-Backed showing "mild interest"

It's not clear if the Kingfisher is after small live fish in the margins,
or the same titbits that the gulls feed on. I suspect the former.

A nice selection of warblers

Another sunny day, a variable breeze, but mainly from the east.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Despite the clear, sunny conditions  following last night's bright "supermoon" there were quite a few birds moving through, especially , Chiffchaffs, Meadow Pipits and Grey Wagtails. 40 new birds of 13 species were caught in 4.75 hours. 

Here's the list of new birds:

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit 1

Cetti's Warbler 2

Willow Warbler 1

Chiffchaff 10

Blackcap 4

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Robin 1

Grey Wagtail 8 (must be up to 53 Grey Wagtails colour ringed now).

Meadow Pipit 8

Chaffinch 1

Reed Bunting 1

Retraps:

Bullfinch 1 

Possible control ie bird from elsewhere:

Cetti's Warbler 

I checked mid afternoon (Malcolm)

The wildfowl not counted, but all the usual were present in similar numbers to recent.

Water Rail 1 squealing from the western marsh

Mediterranean gull 2 adults with a few Black-Headed gulls were doing a bit of anting (feeding on flying ants).

Cetti's warbler 2 singing

Chiffchaff 2 calling

Common Darter c20

Migrant Hawker 10

Southern Hawker 3 - 1 female

Male Southern Hawker

South shore

Just a check from saltmarsh to Red Nab this morning (Malcolm)

This took me back to my youth, when many ships billowed smoke and steam.
This morning conditions clearly condensed the water vapour in this ones
diesel exhaust 

Shelduck 38

Linnet 14

Seven Linnet in this shot

Meadow Pipits 4

Rock Pipit 1

Wheatear 2

Wheatear (deliberately framed by a black hole - I was in an arty mood!)

Pied Wagtail 10

Both me (Malcolm) and Kevin were at the beginning of the sea wall this evening, waiting for it to be opened after maintenance work ceased for the day. The steady east wind and warm sunshine, plus the tide being out all lends itself to insect migration in/off and along the wall. There was some, but nothing spectacular.

These are totals along the sea wall.

Small White 14

Red Admiral 3

Comma 1 

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Silver Y moth 2

Treble-bar moth 1

Treble-bar moth flying against the east wind, complete with swept back antennae

Common Darter 1

Migrant Hawker 3

In the Nature Park 

Large White 1

Small White 3

Peacock 2

Red Admiral 3

Speckled Wood 3

Common Darter several

Migrant Hawker 3 (16 Migrant Hawker for the day, not including 3 seen within the recording area while driving)

A particularly pristine Migrant Hawker in the Nature Park

There were a "lot" (feel free to count them) of Oystercatcher on the Heliport roost at high water. These are some coming in.

Three Hawker Species

Sunny all day, with a light breeze starting in the east before switching to NW.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

Just a couple of nets set this morning.  A total of 23 captures only, included four more Grey Wagtails colour ringed and a 'rare' Song Thrush - the only one caught so far this year at this site.  Meadow Pipits came to an MP3 player in small groups, 37 birds in total.   Just one flock of c 150 Pink-footed Geese seen flying south to the west of the reserve at 09.10 - these were probably recorded from Heysham also.  A group of ten Swallows also passed through southwards.

 

A Red Fox trotted across the road near my ringing position.

 

Meadow Pipit  5

Grey Wagtail  4

Chiffchaff  3 + 1 retrap

Great Tit  2 + 1 retrap of a nestbox bird from this year

Wren  1 + 1 retrap

Singles of  Robin, Song Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Blackcap and Blue Tit 

This shot of Common Darter from yesterday will be the last from Janet for some while.
Shortly after taking this shot she took a nasty fall off the platform where the old brick
building used to be. Landing on the concrete below, breaking her wrist and cracking
ribs. Get well soon Janet!

I had a quick look this evening (Malcolm)

Mute Swan pair with a well grown cygnet - the other adult is now on the fence pond. The "no swimming" pond is 2m above its normal height.

Tufted Duck 11

Cetti's warbler 3 singing in the central marsh

This young pheasant walked into a dead end and didn't know what to do, other than whimper! (It could have flown away)

Common Darter several

Migrant Hawker 4

Male Migrant Hawker

Southern Hawker 1

Male Southern Hawker

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Jean did indeed see the 09:10 Pink-Footed goose skein and took this clip of them.

Today's report from Jean:

Today was a complete contrast to yesterday with clear skies, bright sunshine and virtually calm. Nothing much came on the feeders and there were no warblers so I only caught 8 birds - 2 retrapped Dunnocks, a Wren, a Greenfinch, a Goldfinch and the stars of the show - 3 Grey Wagtails. We've now colour ringed 45 Grey Wagtails this season which is very good. We try to get a sample of 50 Grey Wagtails and from those we usually get one or two sightings. Hopefully we'll get a few more Grey Wagtails this week.

Overhead vis consisted of about 4 Chaffinches and a total of 240 Pink-footed Geese in 3 flocks (the video shows the last of these at 09:10hrs). 

The only other bird of note was a Raven which upset the Carrion Crows on the pylon opposite the office.

South shore (Malcolm)

The same walk as yesterday out from the saltmarsh on the rising tide this morning. We are now back to full spring tides and the gulls soon learn that they will be moved on from the beach. There was a group of Black-Headed early on, but most of the gulls on Red Nab just flew directly towards the estuary when moved on. No Mediterranean gulls seen today.

Cetti's warbler 1 still singing just south of the caravan park.

Pink- Footed goose 320. The 09:10 Pinkfoot skein passed over, plus two other skeins south along the shipping lane. (So 410 for today with Jean's earlier skeins)

Shelduck 14

Shelduck with a Grey Plover above

Curlew 90

Oystercatcher 300 including some moved on from Red Nab

Bar-Tailed Godwit 95 - a small group were feeding on the waterline briefly, but were picked up by a larger flock heading south.

Knot 4

Dunlin 50

Grey Plover 8

Grey plover moulting from summer plumage

Closer to the saltmarsh 

Redshank 35

Lapwing 16

Lapwing just beyond the saltmarsh 

On Red Nab

Ringed Plover 12

Turnstone 2

Ringed Plover, Turnstone and an Oystercatcher on the red sandstone of Red Nab

Linnet 6 by the saltmarsh 

Linnet 

Wheatear 2 along the foreshore

Kingfisher 1 female fishing from above the culverted freshwater runoff along Red Nab sloping wall. The tide was full now and it caught one fish as I watched, unfortunately from a distance as the sea wall was closed for maintenance.

The breeze had been from the east and there were quite a lot of insects about.

Small White 7 between saltmarsh and Red Nab

Red Admiral 1 on foreshore rocks

Silver Y 1 along foreshore 

Common Darter 3 along foreshore 

In the Nature Park

Common Hawker 1 female

Female Common Hawker - first record here for over four years

Dim.........but nice.

The dimness in the title refers to the visibility this morning. A very heavy mist till late morning. The sun broke through at lunchtime, it then remained warm and sunny with a light variable breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Thick fog put paid to the vis for most of the morning. Seven flocks of Pink-footed Geese heard throughout the morning but not seen ie invisible vis. 

Ringing

32 new birds of 9 species were caught, plus 6 retraps

Ringing consisted mainly of birds coming to the feeders, especially Goldfinches. 14 were caught and ringed but when the sun finally came out at half eleven and dried the knapweed seeds, 50 Goldfinches descended on the natural food instead of going to the nyjer feeders and so evaded the nets.

Other migrants ringed included 4 Grey Wagtails, 2 Blackcaps, a Reed Warbler and 4 Robins. Robins are included as a migrant as previous captures at Heysham have shown some move south from Scotland. 

Also ringed:

3 Blue Tits 

3 Great Tits

1 Dunnock

1 Greenfinch

There were a few retraps:

1 Blue Tit from earlier this year

2 Great Tits, one recent one and one that was ringed as a nestling in one of the nest boxes in the Landscape Strip in 2021

1 Dunnock from this year

A male Blackcap with a shiny new looking ring appeared but the number on it was one I didn't recognise. Waiting for details. 

South Shore

I had a walk out on the shore from the saltmarsh on the rising tide this morning (Malcolm).

It felt surreal, the mist cut out all external noise. The only sounds were the regular cackle of Pink Footed geese above the mist (no way of knowing how many birds involved) The haunting calls of 100+ Curlew. And a singing Cetti's warbler just to the south of the caravan park.

Pink-Footed goose at least 7 skeins involved, but possibly some going round in circles.

Shelduck 7

Shelduck through the mist

Mediterranean gulls 11 - 10 adult plus a 2nd calendar year (none ringed)

Adult Mediterranean gulls

Adult and 2cy Mediterranean gull (right)

Common gull 6

Adult Common gull

Waders on the shore

Some of today's waders, many more were out of sight

Minimum numbers:

Curlew 100

Oystercatcher 80

Grey Plover 21

Ringed Plover 2

Knot 10

Dunlin 60

Sanderling 1 juvenile - fortunately it was moving in with the tide and approached quite close (the silence is plain to hear)

Sanderling and Dunlin

Waders closer to saltmarsh:

Turnstone 1

Redshank 60

Lapwing 7

Swallow 4 south - they appeared out of the mist and zipped past me, two either side of my head!

Meadow Pipit 2 heard only

Wheatear 1 on foreshore, slightly unusual, as it was sat rather then stood 

Wheatear

Sedge Warbler 1 (two warblers seen/heard, not bad for a shore walk). It was at the RedNab end of the foreshore, just before the wood plank barrier.

Sedge Warbler 

This is two clips together, in the second half it is polishing off a crane fly. By this time the mist was lifting and the sounds of the world returning.

Kevin Eaves checked from the saltmarsh to Red Nab early evening, by that time there were:

Wheatear 2 - one each foreshore and Red Nab

Stonechat 1 female type, by the saltmarsh 

Stonechat