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