Black Tern and Pinks return

A dry day with sunny spells. A fresh NW wind drifting round to the west by evening 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Just a quick passing check of the two main ponds mid morning.

The solitary Mute Swan on the "no swimming" pond was swimming around today.

Tufted Duck 19 (15 males)

Male Tufted Duck

Female/immature Tufted Duck

All but one were on the main pond. There are 15 in this clip.

Cetti's warbler 1 singing

Chiffchaff 2 calling

House Martin 24 - the sun had come out for the first time in the day, and within a few minutes two groups of 6 and 18 hurried through to the west.

Swallow 1 south

Common Darter 2

Migrant Hawker 5

South shore

I had a walk to the waterline from the saltmarsh on the rising tide this afternoon (Malcolm).

The bulk of the waders were to the south of the recording area, and moved further south as the tide rose. 

Waders inside the recording area just:

Oystercatcher 40

Curlew 150

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4

There was just a small feeding group of 8 Ringed Plover and 6 Dunlin higher up the shore. The large groups tend to feed here on the first tides to cover the beach after a series of neap tides. 

There was a nice mixed group of waders resting high up the beach though.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Grey Plover 19

Knot 22

Dunlin 13

Some of the resting group, all four species here

On the saltmarsh 

Redshank 24

Lapwing 6

Little Egret 5

A nice view of the creek running through the saltmarsh. The marsh grass
and samphire are now well established on the far bank.

Mediterranean gull 1

Mediterranean gull

Wheatear 5

Linnet 14

Pied Wagtail 8

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the sea wall as soon as it was opened up for the evening.

Black Tern 1 first calendar year was feeding on No.2 outfall.

First calendar year Black Tern

It was still around when I got there later (Malcolm). Although, not always feeding it rested on the rail a couple of times.

A nice size comparison to a Black-Headed gull

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Pink-Footed goose 56 south

Nice having Pinks back

House Martins 27 feeding high between the anemometers - making 51 seen today