Heysham Nature Reserve
Report by Jean:
I set the nets in the feeder ride hoping to attract any Chaffinches or Redpolls passing over but the only vis all morning was a Skylark! There were Chaffinches that had been roosting in the Tank Farm but they disappeared south instead of north into the net!
It was a morning of two halves - a cloudy half and a sunny half. The cloudy half was a cold front which moved off eastwards at 11am. What was interesting was the effect of this on birds: during the cloudy half nearly all the birds caught were recent retraps but when the sky cleared all the birds were new ones. The weather also had an effect on the Carrion Crows which were silent while it was cloudy but as soon as blue sky appeared they began to gather on the pylon opposite the office making a great racket and calling in 32 birds. Once all the gang had gathered and exchanged caws they moved off southwards in small groups until none were left. The noise attracted a Peregrine, ready to chase off any Crows that were going to encroach on its favourite pylon (which is the next one to the west).
Ringing summary
17 new birds, 8 retraps, 10 species
Woodpigeon 1 new
Blue Tit 0 new, 2 retraps
Great Tit 1 new, 1 retrap.
Chiffchaff 1 new
Blackcap 2 new (both males)
Goldcrest 2 new (i male, 1 female - they often appear in pairs)
Wren 0 new, 1 retrap
Dunnock 0 new, 3 retraps
Greenfinch 2 new
Goldfinch 8 new 1 retrap
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| The new Great Tit was a young female, and was going grey on top. |
A fox trotted across the grass and disappeared into an area of brambles. Whether it was responsible for the half eaten rat behind the office I'm not sure.
Pete Crooks had a look this afternoon:
A 90-minute afternoon wander around the reserve proved fairly quiet. A mixed passerine flock by the Dipping Pond included Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and 1 male Blackcap. Not the species of warbler I was hoping for!
21 Eider in low tide channel out from Knowlys Rd - Pete (M)
South shore (Malcolm)
A walk from saltmarsh then along the sea wall on the rising tide late morning.
Linnet, just 3 on the edge of the saltmarsh.
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| Linnet |
Skylark 1 south
Meadow Pipit 2 south
Rock Pipit 2 - sea wall and lighthouse
Shelduck 29 feeding
Wigeon 59 were beside No.2 outfall as I passed, probably more arrived later.
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| Wigeon waiting for the tide to reach Red Nab |
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| Heron and Black-Headed gulls on No.2 outfall rail |
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| Turnstone and Redshank on No.1 outfall |
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| Oystercatchers flying past the Cormorants on the wooden jetty |
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Cetti's warbler 2-3 singing in central marshes
Reed Bunting 1
Sparrowhawk one circling very high
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| Female Tufted Ducks with Black-Headed gulls |
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| Grey Heron in its second favourite resting place. First choice is the lower car park, but only when it's quiet |
Migrant Hawker 1
Common Darter several
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| Male Common Darter |
A different day tomorrow with high winds and rain. A possibility of something on the outfalls by the afternoon.