Spoonbill passes over and Whitethroat arrive

A light SE breeze switched to NW in the afternoon. Dry with sunny spells.

Report by Nick Godden (part of a more detailed report on  Lancaster and District BW society web page https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/forum/bird-insect-sightings/ -  or use link on sidebar). 

Seen from the Stone Jetty, any birds to the south are within the recording area, those flying north have flown through the area.

7:00-8:50

Red-throated diver 3
Shelduck 8 in
Teal 6 in
Common scoter 1f
Arctic tern 11 in
Osprey caught a fish near the end of the Jetty then flew NW
Spoonbill adult flew N 8.01
Whimbrel 8
Swallow 31N
Sand martin 4N
Redpoll 4 N
Siskin 2 N

Report from Pete Crooks (also copied from LDBWS webpage)

Heysham North Harbour Wall (7.10 – 9.30 am) – with Jean Roberts, Mark Prestwood and Pete Marsh
1 Merlin – female flew into the Bay low over the sea at 9.15 am
7 Common Scoter
2 Sandwich Tern – mostly resting on buoy
60 Swallow – steady northerly movement in groups of up to 8
1 Harbour Porpoise

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Shaun made an early morning circuit 06:30-08:45. 

Reed Warbler 1

Common Whitethroat 1 (first one this year bringing the warbler species tally up to 9)

Lesser Whitethroat 6

Blackcap 7

Willow Warbler 7

Chiffchaff 5

Cetti's Warbler at least 7 singing (probably 8) and an extra 2 singing in southern section of the reserve. 

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Alan:

Three nets set in the rides by the office.  Very slow start again from 06.15 but then a trickle of birds until 11.30 with just 15 captures in all.

Dunock  1 + 1 retrap

Lesser Whitethroat  1

Blackcap  2

Chiffchaff  2

Long-tailed Tit  1

Great Tit  2 retraps

Jay  1

Chaffinch  1

Goldfinch  1

Lesser Redpoll  2

South shore

I just checked waders on the waterline out from Ocean Edge (Malcolm)

No Brent geese on Red Nab today.

Pink-Footed goose a single bird flew high to the east - fortunately calling

Shelduck 3

Waders:

Whimbel 2 - 1 flew from the saltmarsh plus 1 heard heading north

Redshank 30 close to the saltmarsh 

Along the waterline 

Oystercatcher 90

Curlew 3

Bar-Tailed Godwit 180

Grey Plover 1

Knot 250

Dunlin 160

Some of the godwits are starting to move to breeding plumage 

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and a single Grey Plover in partial breeding plumage

The waders were very flighty, no sgn of any raptors attacking while I was there, but presumably there had been earlier. One Peregrine was flying around Red Nab

Cetti's warbler 1 singing from the western edge of the old Pontins grounds. I could hear it 300m out through the clamour of the waders!

Wheatear 12

Four Wheatears

White Wagtail 1 on the edge of the saltmarsh, before continuing north - sorry about the shaky nature of this clip, but I was precariously balanced

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

Glossy Ibis there mid morning at least.

Another singing Cetti's warbler at Middleton Towers area off Carr Lane Middleton - Janet

 Not the one heard from the shore. So 11 probably 12 males singing in and just outside the recording area today