Stonechat gets vocal

Very heavy early morning rain, then just the odd shower with sunny spells. A fresh SW wind.

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 08:30 - 09:30

Very little going on as the tide uncovered the skear. No Eiders seen and the only waders were 100 Oystercatcher.

Great Crested grebe 1

Gulls 250 were waiting for the feeding areas to be available. Just one Herring gull was ringed, but it was a new one for here.

Ringed as a chick at Bowland 04/07/23
A trip to Blackpool 28/01/24 was its only other sighting 

In contrast the Lesser Black-Backed seen here on Saturday, was also ringed at Bowland 6/07/23, but has had at least one trip to Portugal 

Sighted at Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal 18/10/23

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Swifts and House Martins were feeding over the main pond (these are not easy shots!)

Swifts

House Martins

A very worn Common Blue

Roe Deer

A walk along the sea wall failed to locate anything other than the usual gulls feeding on the outfalls (Malcolm)

Rock Pipit 1 flew along the wall

Mallard on the newt pond in the Nature Park

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Just a 10 minute check. I went into the field today to get the light behind me. The water table has risen about 10cm since last time I was here just a few days ago. I rued not wearing my wellies!

Buzzard just one heard calling. 

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

This Sedge warbler flew into the same bush where the Common Whitethroat 
nested, the fledged Whitethroat have now left the nest. It is also the same bush
that the Stonechat drops into. The Sedge warbler is carrying food

But soon flies off to find some more.

The male Stonechat is taking increasingly large items of food to the nest.

I didn't quite get this one in focus, but it is a large moth - quite a mouthful!

He was very excitable this evening and was calling all the while. I tried to get a clip, unfortunately, once again not quite in focus and facing the wind, so quite noisy, but you can still hear him calling.

I suspect (hope) that we will soon be hearing the flutter of tiny wings!