A lot of Eider moving, but probably not far

A dry mainly overcast day with a light west wind.

Ringing report by Alan:

44 birds caught at Middleton Nature Reserve despite the slightly gusty westerly wind.

Singles of Wren, Goldfinch, Grey Wagtail, Treecreeper, Blackcap (recovery of a bird ringed elsewhere), and Coal Tit  (this individual was retrapped just over an hour later at Heysham) plus:

Chiffchaff  6 + 1 retrap

Blue Tit  2 + 2 retrap

Goldcrest 5

Dunnock  1 + 1 retrap

Reed Bunting  3

Long tailed Tit  8 + 4 retrap

Robin  2

Great Tit  2 + 1 retrap

 

A small group of 16 Pink feet flew south at 09.15 and 7 Swallows also flew south at 10.15.

 

a rather disappointing catch at Heysham Nature Reserve comprising :

Goldfinch 2

Chiffchaff 1

Goldcrest  2

Chaffinch 4

Coal Tit 2 + 1 retrap (from Middleton)

Marsh Tit 1 retrap (the same one as previously)

Cetti's warbler 1 recovery form elsewhere

Great Tit  2 retraps

Dunnock 1 retrap

Greenfinch 1

South shore (Malcolm) 10:30 -11:30

A walk from Red Nab to the saltmarsh to watch the high spring tide cover the marsh

Little Egret 4

Shelduck 130 most already setting off to the south as the tide rose

Wigeon 49 arrived early at the saltmarsh to feed

Shift change - Shelduck about to leave Wigeon moving in

They feed on the seeds from the Marsh grass and Samphire

Common Snipe 6 flushed from the marsh by the rising tide

Swallow 2 individuals south

Plenty of passerines around the saltmarsh 

Robin 2

Dunnock 2

Wren 1

Reed Bunting 1

Linnet 107 at least

A precise number of Linnet today as this shot has 107 birds

Wheatear 5

Starlings 11

Grey Wagtail at least 1

This Grey Wagtail on the rocks on the eastern side refused to show its
legs. In contrast it or another on the shingles of the west side refused to
show itself, but its colour coded ringed legs were visible. See sidebar for
the scheme details. It was ringed at Middleton Nature Reserve in August 
last year, so obviously sticking to the same migration route

It wasn't exactly surprising when a Sparrowhawk turned up

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 15:30 - 17:30

I walked the tide out as the skear became exposed, you can walk quite quickly and far on these spring tides

Pink-Footed goose 19 to SE

Eider there were just 11 on the sea, but between 16:00 and 17:15 there were 163 seen flying into the bay. Mainly small groups between 4 and 10 with the largest group of 47 (possibly drifted out of the bay on the tide then readjusting). Some would have been missed as my back was to them as I walked back.

One of the larger flocks of Eider flying in

Red Breasted Merganser 4

Great Crested Grebe 6

Great Crested Grebe

Little Egret 13

Little Egret

Juvenile Shag 2 was the most seen at any one time, but almost certainly 3 or 4

Juvenile Shag and a Herring gull

Gulls 150 mainly Herring gulls

Oystercatcher 1400

Curlew 160 - more than recent with large numbers resting high up the shore

Some of the Gulls and Curlew high up the shore. The gulls moved out
to feed, but many of the Curlew flew north

Redshank 60

Knot 33

Turnstone 45

Ringed Plover 12

There were two Peregrine Falcon attacks

Just out of the recording area Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (Janet)

A victim of storm Amy. Fallen across the footpath in the wood

2 Black Darter

at least 4 Common Darter

several Speckled wood and a Red Admiral 

two Buzzard