Plenty of Hirundines

Another sunny day, not quite so warm, particularly this morning with a cold NE wind. The wind more due east this afternoon and not quite as cold.

Ocean Edge (Jean)

08:00-09:30 

2 Wheatears

14 Meadow Pipits going north

2 Swallows north 

29 Linnets - the Linnets were  hanging about the saltmarsh area.

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

08:30-09:45 on ebbing tide

Eider 47

Red-breasted Merganser 8

Red-breasted Merganser pair

Wigeon 1

Wigeon and Oystercaters

Great Crested grebe 6

Little Egret 3

Oystercatcher 800

Bar-Tailed Godwit 105 - here they are coming in to rest on the skear, after feeding along the waterline further south. Pretty much everything else caught in this clip, Eider, Merganser, Oystercatcher, Redshank and a Knot.

Six were in full or partial summer plumage

Curlew 6

Redshank 150

Knot 3

Turnstone 100 - 80+ in one flock

There was a trickle of passerine movement NE, the only ones identified were 7 Meadow Pipit.

Then a female Merlin turned up and the trickle turned into a dash!

Female Merlin

Merlin chasing a small passerine 

It seemed to disappear inland, but a few minutes later, it or another flew north to the west of the skear.

Barrel Jellyfish 

Not a particularly large one. That's my size 9 welly

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Moorhen

Summer plumage Little Grebes

Willow Warbler 

Green-veined White

Heysham Head (David Kaye)

15:00-16:00

Swallow 30

House Martin 3 - first of the year

South shore (Malcolm)

15:20-17:00

I walked to the waterline out from Ocean Edge

Wheatear still 2 along foreshore

Linnets still at least 2 on the saltmarsh 

This male Linnet was carrying a largish seed, a possible gift for his mate?

The only obvious waders along the waterline were 

Oystercatcher 80

Curlew 50

Curlew and Oystercatcher 

Dunlin 4 - I think these must have just come in as initially all 4 bathed in a drain. Then just stood still as the tide rose up around them.

This one didn't move as I walked past just a few metres away.
Is it just me, or has it a wry smile at the base of its bill?

Bar-Tailed Godwit 60

They were resting with Oystercatchers just out from Red Nab

Bar-Tailed Godwit just beyond Red Nab

Until moved on by the rising tide, they then flew north over the caravan park

Shelduck 5

Pale-bellied Brent goose 4

Three of the Brent on Red Nab

Swallow 3 individuals north. That brings today's total to 35 Swallow and 3 House Martins

Brent enjoy a leisurely meal

Another warm sunny day with an east wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet watched this young Great Black-backed gull diving several times from height into the main pond.

She wondered what it was after.....

.......turned out to be just weed! It is too young to need nesting material
but perhaps its instinct is to collect it at this time of year. Although it did eat
some, so possibly there are enough invertebrates mixed in with the weed to 
justify the effort.

South shore (Malcolm)

Just a short evening check from Red Nab to the saltmarsh towards high water.

Swallow 2 in/off together

15 Brent geese on Red Nab. They all appeared to be Pale-bellied

Pale-bellied Brent geese

The gutweed has grown quickly with the warm weather and the lack of grazers (typically 250 Wigeon over winter). The Brent were spread out and feeding quietly, with no bickering. These are some of them.

Just one Wigeon remained

Wigeon

Curlew and Oystercatcher 

One of three Little Egret

Along the foreshore 

Pied Wagtail
2 other Pied or White Wagtail in/off and continued north

Wheatear 3

Wheatear

Nothing on the saltmarsh except.......

........a lone Redshank

c100 large waders on the distant waterline, most of them at least Curlew. 

Sun brings out the butterflies

Another warm sunny day with a fresher NE to E breeze.

South shore (Malcolm)

A walk from saltmarsh to harbour at mid morning low water.

This Wren was singing its heart out on the saltmarsh 

Wheatear 1 male on the foreshore 

Wheatear

Rock Pipit at least 3. 1 displaying on Red Nab, 1 near No.1 outfall, 1 above the nest site at the lighthouse, joined by another later, but it could have been the one from No.1 outfall.

Rock Pipit above the lighthouse nest site

Meadow Pipit 1 grounded on saltmarsh plus 59 over to the north between 09:45 and 11:00.

Meadow Pipit

Lesser Redpoll 2 north

Several other small passage birds not heard/identified (not wagtails)

White Wagtail at least 2 grounded.

White Wagtail on Red Nab

It seemed to be finding plenty of flies on the quickly recovering gutweed.

When I reached the lighthouse there was one feeding there too. Not impossible it being the same bird, but on the way back along the wall there was another feeding, so at least 2 present.

White Wagtail near the lighthouse 

Male Greenfinch in the copse behind Red Nab

Swallow 2 

Swallows zipping past the rounhead

Carrion Crow 3 individuals flying north, looked like movement.

Carrion Crow, a bit more sedately past the roundhead.
It continued north till lost from view.

Shelduck 2

Eider 1 male out from the harbour mouth

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3 on waterline near the wooden jetty

Turnstone 135 in one flock

Turnstone 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Gadwall coming in to land on the "no swimming" pond

You can never tell at this time of year if the Coot are angry or amorous!

Curlew on the main pond, a slightly unusual visitor 

Female Speckled Wood - first of the year

Male Orange Tip - first of the year

Peacock

Small Tortoiseshell 

Janet called this a May Flower, and it is what I have always known them as,
but apparently it is quite a colloquial name and is more widely known as Lady's 
Smock or Cuckoo Flower. Either way, quite early.