.......and then there were none!

A warm sunny day with a light variable breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

At last a windless morning allowed setting of mist nets at Middleton, after most of yesterday spent on ride maintenance.  There has been little opportunity over the last few weeks for ringing.

The majority of the catch were Reed Warblers, but no young trapped yet.

 

Reed Warbler 5 + 2 retraps

Chiffchaff  1 + 3 retaps

Singles of each of Robin, Song Thrush, Jay, Willow Warbler, Wren and Cetti's Warbler. 

A couple of shots by Janet from yesterday 

Lesser Whitethroat 

Drinker moth caterpillar 

Heysham Head

Janet confirmed Rock Pipits feeding young - pictures to follow when Janet's internet is restored

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Two checks again today, but no sign of any Stonechats. Hopefully it's just me being useless. Not that there aren't any predators around.......

This Buzzard is targeting small prey, it has a small rodent here

It took it to this small copse between the substation and the bypass

Then immediately returned to hunting 

Not sure what it has in these two shots, possibly a young Weasel.
But whatever, another small prey

Female Kestrel. She has a metal ring, not ringed in the recording area
as the only two Kestrels ringed here (1996 and 2015) were both males. 

Wood Pigeon several as always

Stock Dove 2 

Stock Doves

One of two recently fledged Carrion Crows

You can still see the remnant of its gape.

Song Thrush after slugs again

Swallows 6

Reed Buntings seen and heard

Common Whitethroat seen and heard

Cetti's warbler 2 singing

Chiffchaff 2 singing

Sedge warbler seen

Male Linnet

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 15:00 - 16:00

Eider 13

12 Eider in this group plus a solitary female

Red-Breasted Merganser 3 a male plus a pair. 

Great Crested Grebe 1

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher 150

Curlew 4

Gulls - probably 500, but today's breeze was no good for shrimping, so most were just resting.....

........some on the the rocks

..........and many on the sea (the Eider are in this shot too)

I managed to read two ringed Herring gulls and, amazingly, neither seen
here before. Details awaited