Almost no wind early on then a light NW(ish) breeze freshened slightly during the day. Sunny all day.
South Shore
Pete had a morning check from Ocean Edge
Yellow Wagtail 1 in-off then south (only record so far this year, no records last year)
Greenshank 1 nosy juvenile just below the foreshore
Meadow Pipits 5 also in-off then south
I walked out to have a look at the waders along the waterline on the rising tide. (Malcolm).
The waders were all on a mud spit at the very edge of the recording area. I was expecting the waders on the spit to move closer when moved on by the tide, but the spit is longer and higher than recent years and it wasn't even covered at high water. By that time the feeding area closer in was already covered. The waders returned to the spit twice after being flushed by Peregrines.
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| Some of the waders flushed by Peregrines |
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| A sample of waders on the mud spit |
Knot 1,000
Grey Plover 450
Bar-Tailed Godwit 40
Dunlin 50
Closer in
Ringed Plover 8
Mediterranean gulls 3 adult
Linnet c60 on the saltmarsh as I walked out, but on return it was strangely silent.
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| Any large number of small birds, invariably attracts small bird eaters! Sparrowhawk |
Little Egret 8 on the saltmarsh
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| Adult Little Egret with black legs and yellow feet. Juvenile Little Egret with completely yellow legs |
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| Meadow Pipit on foreshore |
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| One of three Rock Pipits along the foreshore |
Heysham Nature Reserve (Janet)
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| Female Common Darter |
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| Peacock |
Middleton Nature Reserve
Ringing report by John
A ringing session this morning caught the first Grey Wagtails of the year, with hopefully many more to follow. The total catch was only eighteen birds, but all new ones. They comprised of;
Grey Wagtail x4
Chiffchaff x6
Blackcap x2
Reed Warbler x2
Reed Bunting x1
Great Tit x1
Chaffinch x1
Wren x1
These shots from Janet
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| Lesser Whitethroat |
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| Common Darters |
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| Male Black-Tailed Skimmer |
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| Male Emperor |
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| Brimstone |
I checked out the main ponds (Malcolm).
An increase in wildfowl
Mute pair plus a cygnet on main pond another adult on the "no swimming" pond.
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| Mute Swan on the "no swimming" pond |
Coot 13 including 2 small young
Moorhen 3
Little grebe just 1 summer plumage adult seen.
Mallard 24 mainly female/immature
Gadwall 6 - 3 male, 1 female and 2 female/immature
The males were scuffling over the female.
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| Teal (left), two Mallard and an immature Coot |
Cetti's Warbler 1 burst of song
Chiffchaff 2 calling
Swallow 2
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| One of Janet's shots from yesterday |
Other butterflies
Large White 1
Meadow Brown 1
Speckled Wood 2
Other dragonflies
Migrant Hawker 2
Brown Hawker 2
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| Male Brown Hawker |
Broad-bodied Chaser........
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| .........didn't quite make it today but this male, dead on the surface can't have been there long. |
