Cold weather affecting behaviour

A colder night resulting in ice on ground water, but the ponds remained ice free. Another sunny day bit it barely got above 5°C with the cool NW breeze

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 09:00 - 09:45

Buzzards here have been notable for their absence since spring, but today there were two constantly calling and flying around.

One coming in to land besides a calling bird

These are the trees along the edge of the bypass 

Common Buzzard

Water Rail at least 2 squealing and making contact calls

Cetti's warbler 1 

Cetti's warbler 

Wren

I was here longer than usual this morning as I couldn't relocate the Stonechats. I had almost given up when I located both of them close to the bypass

The male was feeding low down amongst the bushes and brambles 

The female was checking out all the crevices in the pylon.
It is difficult for insect eaters to find enough to eat in cold conditions 

Middleton Nature Reserve

Green Woodpecker- Kevin Eaves 

Green Woodpecker 

I checked the two main ponds at 10:00 (Malcolm)

The female Mute Swan was on the "no swimming" pond with 2 of her cygnets. The other 4 were on the main pond. 

No other wildfowl on the "no swimming" pond.

Main Pond

Tufted Duck 6

Gadwall 10

Mallard c30

Coot 14

Moorhen 4

Black-Headed gulls 110

Some of the Black-Headed gulls on the main pond. The current cold spell
ends tomorrow, but this pond is always worth checking if it ever freezes over,
the gull numbers seem to increase here and they stand on the ice, revealing if
any have coded rings.

Redwing 1 glimpsed

This Robin was eating Hawthorn berries. It is difficult for insect eaters,
in cold weather!

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 13:00 - 14:45

I didn't have much time this afternoon so I went very early as the tide was ebbing. It was interesting watching the waders arriving.

Redshank 170

134 Redshank on this groyne were joined by others that arrived as mainly
single birds from the south

Oystercatcher 800+ were constantly arriving in groups of around 30 from the south

Knot 3,000 - several small flocks arrived totalling 500, then later than usual in the tide, a large flock of 2,500 also arrived from the south

Curlew not seen 

Turnstone 30 arrived from the north and south

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 10 out from the play area

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Eider 28

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Shag 3 juveniles 

Shag and Eider

All three Shag in this shot

Little Egret 4

Little Egret with muddy feet

There were an awful lot of Black-Headed gulls drifting out with the tide.

Nature Park (Janet)

One large Roe deer just ran out in front of me and my dog, it was followed by a Cocker Spaniel which ran in the opposite direction!!!