Some stuff on the move

A dry day, cloud cover to begin with, then sunny spells. A very light variable breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Jean:

In the background throughout was the beautiful sound of a singing Mistle Thrush. I caught 18 birds, 7 of which were retraps . 

The main aim was to catch Redpolls which are on the move at the moment heading to their breeding areas further north. A few came down but only two were caught, including the brightly coloured adult male in the photograph. It was a “control” - a bird ringed somewhere else, not at Heysham. We are awaiting details. 

List of birds caught:

Goldfinch - 5 new

Greenfinch - 1 new

Chaffinch - 1 new

Lesser Redpoll - 1 new, 1 control

Chiffchaff - 1 new

Robin - 1 new, 1 retrap

Wren - 1 retrap

Blackbird - 1 new

Blue Tit - 2 retraps

Great Tit - 1 new

Dunnock - 1 retrap

This morning's previously ringed Lesser Redpoll 
Ringing location details awaited

A Reed Bunting was singing in the vicinity of the Fire Pond.

Other stuff from Pete

one swallow and two sand martin north (first Swallow of the year)

three red throated diver on the sea

At least three redwing grounded Heysham NR but little else grounded/vis  

Highish layer of uniform cloud regularly fails to deliver

Heysham Skear (Malcolm)

No Brent geese seen today

Pink-Footed goose four large flocks heading North

Pink-Footed geese high to the north

Pink-Footed geese

Whooper Swans 34

The sky was white, the sea was flat and reflecting the sky.
Spotting swans wasn't easy!

Fortunately, they did pass a little closer by.

Eider 120 many quite distant, only observable due to the flat sea.

Eider close in, plus many of the specks on the "horizon" are also Eider.

Red-breasted Merganser 12

Great Crested grebe 8

Little Egret 5

Oystercatchers flew directly from the outer skear to the waterline when displaced by the tide at least 1,000.

Curlew 3

Redshank 350

Knot - there were none feeding on the skear this morning and at least one of yesterday's birds was seen on Ainsdale shore today.

This Icelandic ringed Knot was feeding here yesterday. Today it was seen
On Ainsdale shore some 30+ miles south

Three flocks of constantly calling Knot flew from the north and continued south this morning. A total of 700 birds, they were flying in very spread out formation, not the tight balls that you normally see.

Part of today's largest flock of Knot passing over to the south.

Turnstone 250

Ocean Edge (Janet)

Two Wheatear along foreshore 

Rock Pipit also on foreshore 

Small Tortoiseshell 

Looks to be a Green-Veined White

Also from Janet

Goldfinch taking nesting material from Janet's "feeder"

One of two pairs of Jackdaw nesting in roofs near Meldon Rd

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the south sea wall and spotted this beetle - not that it needed much spotting, it is a big one!

Hairy Rove Beetle
They are fairly widespread but not common.