Caught 16/09/2024 Heysham Nature Reserve - 1922km NNE
Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)
Just a passing check of the main pond at first light. The Mute Swan family and a handful of ducks had managed to keep two small patches ice free.
 |
| The Mute Swan section....... |
 |
| .......Mallard and Gadwall only |
Heysham skear - low water 13:30 (Malcolm)
It was actually very pleasant on the skear this afternoon, although of course protected by several layers of thermals!
Pale-bellied Brent goose - none feeding but 7 (5+2) flew past to the north
 |
| Pale-bellied Brent geese heading further north. I didn't see any gutweed on or around the skear today |
Eider 18
Great Crested grebe 2
Little Egret 3
Grey Heron 1
 |
| Heron sticking its head above the skear edge. |
Oystercatcher 1,500
 |
| This Oystercatcher was ringed as an incubating adult in southern Iceland 4/06/23 and returned there to breed again last year. |
Redshank 130
 |
| Redshank looking for tiny shrimps |
Dunlin 20+
 |
| Dunlin |
Knot just 170 in two groups, they had been attacked (successfully) by a Peregrine Falcon early on so perhaps some had already moved on. Isla Botting had joined me today and fortunately, despite the low Knot numbers, we managed to find a few flagged birds, from three different schemes.
But Isla's interests are diverse, and she managed to clinically collect several Knot droppings. These will undergo a thorough analysis to determine precise dietary details as well as details of the Knot themselves. But even a preliminary visual examination after they were in solution shows fragments of broken mussel shells.
 |
| You can see the fragments of mussel shells. I had assumed that they would be ejected as a pellet. But apparently Knot can modify their gizzard to best break up whatever they are feeding on. The more detailed chemical and biological analysis will take many weeks. |
Just outside the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (Janet)
 |
| Pink-Footed geese heading for the nearby fields |
 |
| Redwing |
 |
| Female Roe deer |
