Overcast with a few showers. A light south wind.
Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)
Just a passing check of the two main ponds.
Mute Swan 2 adult 2 cygnet
Mallard 16 - 1 male rest female/immature
Gadwall 1 female with 2 well developed young
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Female Gadwall at the back then her two young. Three Mallard in front |
Moorhen 2 adults
Little Grebe - none seen on the main pond, but probably just missed. 4 adult and 4 young on the "no swimming" pond. All the young are now feeding themselves, not beyond a bit of begging though.
No Damsel or Dragonflies and the only butterfly was a single Gatekeeper, but it was only 09:30, a bit early on the best of days.
South shore (Malcolm)
A mid morning walk with the tide out and the beach next to the wooden jetty not providing, never looked promising, and it didn't disappoint!
Mediterranean gull 13, 1 adult feeding on No.2 outflow, an adult and a second summer resting on mud, 8 adult (possibly one or more were second summer) feeding at the seaward end of No.1 outflow, and 2 adult out from the harbour mouth. Didn't see any first summer.
These are some of the Meds feeding at the end of No.1 outflow.
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First two juvenile Cormorants were on the wooden jetty. This is one of them (centre) |
Peregrine Falcon 2 chasing gulls.....
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......and occasionally resting |