Stonechat still delivering but not to the nest

Showers all day, but not as many or as heavy in the afternoon. A light variable wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The male Mute Swan is still persecuting the Mallard with her young. A Moorhen
also getting out of the way, in this shot and a passing House Martin above.

Common Field Grasshopper.

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

A quick circuit towards low water.

Red-breasted Merganser pair

Little Egret 7 - They were catching small fish and shrimps in the shallow pools as they drained. I wonder what this one saw to cause it to sprint over? Possibly disturbance by an abundance of prey.

Oystercatcher 500 and Curlew 1 were the only waders

Gulls 200, a noticeable reduction. No ringed birds seen.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

Mallard 1 female followed by 2 males flew north

Song Thrush 1 singing

Mistle Thrush 1 seen

Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Linnet seen and heard.

Cetti's warbler 1 singing from the wetland closest to the roundabout

Sedge warbler and Common Whitethroat seen

Chiffchaff singing

Stonechat the male was still catching food, but at least some of the young have left the nest, I saw him take food to at least three locations, four if you count a visit to the bush where the nest is. Unfortunately, the young were keeping well out of sight. I was only there 10 minutes, in that time I saw him take food to this location three times, so I knew where he was going to fly to. He has food when he flies down but not when he returns.

This location is further away, and I wasn't sure where he was going to fly to, and he didn't seem to know exactly where, so had to use a wide angle. You can't see that he starts off carrying food, and ends up with none at this range. But I checked before and after with binoculars and that is the case.

He must be worn out! Hopefully the female is incubating another clutch and
we will see her again shortly, meanwhile it will be a while before this batch
are independent.