A warm sunny day with initially a very light east breeze, it freshened later and shifted mor to SE.
South shore:
Report by Shaun Coyle
Red Nab to Harbour. 05:30-09:30.
Canada Goose low flying group of 27 over the harbour entrance, south towards Fylde.
Shelduck 28 (in three groups) into the bay.
Whimbrel 2 roosting on Red Nab.
Bar-tailed Godwit 5 on the beach off Red Nab.
Sanderling 2 roosting on Outfall 1 with 2 Dunlin and 8 Turnstones.
Kittiwake juv on Outfall 1.
Med Gulls 8 adults/3CY and 6 juvs (also 6 juv Common Gulls).
Sandwich Tern adult and juv briefly on Outfall 1, plus 16 into the bay.
Cormorant 34, plus 73 high into the bay (in three groups).
Little Egret 2 ads + juv on Red Nab.
Osprey fishing between the outfalls from 07:30-07:50. After catching a fish it then headed NE. Presumably, the same bird was back again at 09:15. Quickly caught another smaller fish (lots jumping between the two outfalls), before heading south. (So much for my theory about the Osprey(s) only feeding here as a last resort, today's conditions were perfect for large flatfish in the north side channels (Malcolm))
Swallow 5 east.
Wheatear female on seawall.
Single Rock Pipit at the Lighthouse.
Grey Seal 1
Heysham Nature Park 09:30-10:00.
Peacock 9, Red Admiral 6, Painted Lady 2 and 6 Speckled Woods.
I went down mid afternoon to check the gulls on the beach out from the saltmarsh (Malcolm)
They took some checking, there was over 600 and the majority sat down on the dry mud.
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| This is just one of the two main groups |
Mainly Black-Headed Gulls, but at least 10 Mediterranean, one with a red ring sat down before it could be read.
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| A couple of Meds with Black-Headed gulls |
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| Managed to read a white ringed Black-Headed gull. Another Norwegian ringed bird - details awaited |
The gulls started moving off to go anting. Many quite high, but this group low over the caravan site.
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| Bar-Tailed Godwit |
Curlew 150
Whimbrel 3
Swallow 7 south
Middleton Nature Reserve
Ringing report by Alan:
I set three nets at Middleton this morning. It was calm and cool with a high thin cloud layer and a heavy dew. The sun soon cleared the cloud and warmed the air.
The catch of 22 birds was modest but comprised 13 species.
Wren 3
Robin 2
Blackbird 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 3
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Whitethroat 2
Chiffchaff 1 retrap
Willow Warbler 3
Blue Tit 1 retrap
Great Tit 1
Chaffinch 1
Reed Bunting 1
(Jean caught a Treecreeper in a short ringing session at Heysham Nature Reserve yesterday)
Janet had a short walk but was exercising two dogs and therefore was quite restricted.
Demoiselle sp - definitely a Demoiselle but it was too quick for a shot and to confirm species.
Hawker sp - possibly a female Southern Hawker on the south section of the reserve
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| Red Admiral |
I had a quick check of the main pond this evening (Malcolm)
Emperor 1
Black-Tailed Skimmer 2
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| Black-Tailed Skimmers |
Common Darter 5
A juvenile Mediterranean gull was having a bath again.
There were loads of hirundines zipping around, difficult to get a precise count, but at least:
Swallow 6
Sand Martin 5
House Martin 3
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| Swallow and a Sand Martin |
