A dry, largely sunny day with a NW wind.
South shore
I just checked from the saltmarsh to Red Nab in the morning (Malcolm)
Wheatear 8
Linnet 2
Rock Pipit 1
Janet had a walk along the sea wall.
At least 2 more Rock Pipit near the lighthouse
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wocTvXD7wv8aT0CY94661GOyl7uTg_8_nQpYNcP6S1da2NSTgVORvg8EfWLHML95awp2TAxhv80zwWPkWu2hyphenhyphenmm9yWnF0-DeGg4MmZmPw6Ge8R9oe2euj0hFjqi0zzQ8m8fULoixaXBho4kD2-ZyYNQuQwiGsKX6h3nReu3kH7DTxQeWWjgj1vLSp_k/w400-h240/IMG_2684.jpeg) |
This one has a grub |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNPEzcbR9xGbsBLmDQpdvM-2e3sUuaIbM2U6QbCKz-kjmQ1ufTkiKpPLzezSsvgOjzY4Pg-SmfjLZIypo2FhFyyZ3kW398o-nkYxddBjAn3Lq7z_w1cyody23TCSOio7eG2E8eAfDxXXAcS06yBl0R_1UoEa6RBybO38gavXqC0qC9fEAs6DCk_Qqu20/w400-h248/IMG_2685.jpeg) |
Above the nest site |
Linnet - at least one male above their breeding area.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTpdRD1iQnMZK37YkR2d5BxyiCaRlywDGIDHX6-nwyC_sNGXN3E1fD7HzIl8HIUYrNxwmt9JGz_7f9f7xqu_NX8IhhHyUxhElY8tnIotZ-CqwMSRS1hjVjroznSOkV4R73uRUlQ49Kqtpgzp2hmp4H7ROMq0O0RiBb8r83_SxUz4zFiIKAiwAbafMk4I/w400-h220/IMG_2686.jpeg) |
Turnstone |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdt61fe7-z-faNj7t_YCgti9ekc-W_NjAjTpZ9yBTCBelcsK2XgtQnJsP8AZ1OaNBCAJaKBV0DEQhtWEnmby3IZvGCdYEGnePI3JA1GBI81MOXoYDuIHYtXFhVDrai3ZxyYJ-pJiRIDkYvenywvAmAmmeR4A0-BZSc41VsArOxCD-F71td_UtGeRq3gM/w400-h388/IMG_2688.jpeg) |
This gull struggled to swallow this small fish. It looks to be a Sea Scorpion (Bullhead) They have large heads and sharp, but not venomous, spines |
In the evening I walked to the waterline out from Ocean Edge, on the rising tide (Malcolm)
No Godwits today
Oystercatcher 100
Curlew 20
Knot 270
Dunlin 300
Sanderling 1
This is the Sanderling, first with Knot then Dunlin, these already in partial summer plumage.
This winter plumage Dunlin catches a small invertebrate at the beginning of this clip.
Common Gulls 116 immature - they were picking "food" off the water surface as the tide came in. It was difficult seeing what they were eating, as the sun was directly behind them. I can only think of tiny molluscs with some air trapped inside floating up from the mud as it was covered. This clip gives a sense of the activity, the water is only a few centimetres deep here, in what is effectively the estuary of one of the drainage channels.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis84WelYtqd_GzrWjT7whyphenhyphenox1FGKjH-AQ2y4VcXYvGA7KaUjp9faJyjDAOG0Dw4lYigAp-OwkyVyGSiQC0bguu6HUg84q8I1Un7k4qKB9hyfk6Ae-P6oqmkzcTL-Ccig1AVoevMfwkonJMEBDKBB0K4oeZl363-d3MrbBax8LC2ITfY_SfAQzirPgokKc/s16000/IMG_2691.jpeg) |
Whatever the feeding opportunity was, it was soon over and all the gulls left together. This was 16:35 |
Report from Clay Garland, later in the evening.
I had a walk down by the power station and back from about 16:45-18:15.
- 4 little egrets on Red Nab.
- Large gulls only on the outflows on my way out. Then they were joined by some common gulls on the way back. No black-heads at all.
- c60 redshank and c25 turnstone sheltering from the wind on outflow 1. Plus another 30 redshank and 5 turnstone on the inside of the north harbour wall.
- 18 cormorants on the wooden jetty. If the shag was with them, I couldn't see it.
- 1 stubborn cormorant getting hammered by the wind on the outflow railing
- 4 brent geese on Red Nab on my way back.
- Song thrush singing in the bushes by the entrance to Ocean Edge. It was so loud I could still hear it from the slipway even through the wind.
- 1 rock pipit and 1 wheatear on the foreshore.
Middleton Nature Reserve
Just a brief morning check of the central Marsh.
Cetti's warbler 7 singing (2 each western marsh and "no swimming" pond, 3 on central marsh)
Lesser Whitethroat 3 singing (first of the year)
Reed warbler 1 singing
Balckcap 2 male seen
Chiffchaff and Willow warbler 4 each
Orange Tip 4 (3 male and a female)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhvZU4tCV7SsEn-fHEeV1yxqNXBFFd-GkeJDlrL_xINbQDPQt0wYV4nfafPFNPW4ZVGJ3byc4R5aFEDte5dvdjiqJaAPv0y943QBWM_UgyIUYjk9loWFgfnnUlLiYwH1sPkeA8__SuOEMATh4GVavHv1mp8ka5SW1JaU5PSi_oiLXDPLSq4h-bUb_LS4/w400-h261/P1170303.jpeg) |
Male Orange Tip |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIIR8Gzhp_aOx54pd9QHyr6j4zl4i3H2NlpUKhBP8kQVaSswK9qaIUjzBOCnTbkuCYU7cDtxDrskH2UanJVEKMMX9cFBlGobe4iMdaJV9dUrb-xjkRLoVee-jbMZcmfLMucya4-5-2_nAyPElH25WBA9nm3uF_toCKuil6XVkTvIVkjwUoPibuuvvjAs/w400-h280/IMG_2692.jpeg) |
Janet saw this female Small White by the heliport |
Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall
Glossy Ibis still present mid morning at least