Easy Meds

Heavy overnight rain didn't really stop till lunchtime, after that overcast. A light NE breeze.

South shore (Malcolm)

The rain didn't stop till lunchtime, but it eased for a while mid morning. So I checked what was grounded on the foreshore.

There were extra Robins in the Nature Park plus 2 along the foreshore 

Wet Robin

Rock Pipit 10 - one group of at least 6, a single bird, plus another group of 3. These are 5 of the 6.

Wheatear 4 together

Rock Pipit and a Wheatear

Linnet 5

Goldfinch 6

2 more Wheatear on Heliport

95 Cormorant on the wooden jetty - Pete

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

I just checked the main pond on my way home before lunch. At that time there were no Tufted Duck, but five Gadwall (four males).

I returned mid afternoon when the rain had stopped, this time there were no Gadwall but 

6 Tufted Duck.

12 Mallard

Mute pair plus 1 cygnet 

14 Coot

3 Moorhen 

1 Grey Heron

1 Water Rail squealing

1 Common Snipe 

The water level on the "no swimming" pond is still 2m above normal

The only warblers seen or heard were 3 Cetti's 

Jackdaw 31 milling around 

Migrant Hawker 2

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

What was going to be a quick check on the way home turned out to be an interesting, albeit smelly, session. The farmer had sprayed "slurry" on the field just to the east of the road and it had attracted hundreds of gulls, mainly Black-Headed, but at least

7 Mediterranean gulls - 5 adult (probably more they were very mobile), 1 x 2nd calendar year and 1 x 1st calendar year. Unfortunately viewing was a bit awkward as the hedge has grown high in many places and peeping over the top invariably spooked them - inevitable with so many eyes on lookout.

This is just a small proportion of the gulls, and many were initially in 
the "browner' strip just beyond the hedge.

Three adults and a 2nd calendar year (middle) Mediterranean gull.
The adult on the left has a red ring, 

It was impossible to see rings when they were stood in the grass

Mediterranean gull in first winter plumage

The farmer was still spreading slurry, this is another batch of gulls further east.

Jackdaw 130+ also feeding on the brown field just beyond the hedge, this is just a fraction on them.

Buzzard 1 flying around the copse on the west side.

Kestrel 1 female/immature