Another very cold night (-6°C) but it did climb to 3°C during the largely sunny day. A light east(ish) breeze.
An update from
yesterday - 2 stonechat by the benches on top of cliffs, Seawell Ave Heysham - Alan Physick
Pete checked the sea at low water from the north wall to Broadway. There was little about and most of that was north of the recording area. No Brent Geese seen.
Middleton Nature Reserve
I checked first thing when temperatures were still sub zero (Malcolm)
 |
The Mute and Ducks were down to just one open space.
There were a few gulls on the ice, but none with rings. |
Common Snipe 1 dropped down from height and landed on the main pond peninsula.
Cetti's warbler 1 glimpsed as it flew from reeds on the main pond to nearby bushes.
 |
There were pockets of open water amongst the reeds, but most was
frozen with nice ice crystal formations |
Although I don't think the birds were overly impressed by the ice crystals. All the thrushes had their feathers puffed out to protect against the cold. This Blackbird has frost along its tail.
 |
| It looks cold, doesn't it! |
 |
| And almost no Hawthorn berries for fuel |
 |
| One of three Redwing |
 |
| One of three Song Thrush |
Jay 1 heard
Despite the cold, or possibly because of it (see how fit I am), there were three Great Tit defining their territories.
Janet Checked mid afternoon
Cattle Egret 1 - only the second record for the recording area
 |
| It was resting on the north bank of the main pond...... |
 |
| ........then flew over to rest on the east bank, possibly to catch more of the sun. |
 |
This fox was also soaking up the afternoon sun. It looks like its fleas were too!
|
 |
This Common Gull has a yellow ring (48X)
One of a Danish scheme - details awaited
|
I returned in the evening (Malcolm). The sun was already below the immediate horizon. The ringed Common gull was still around but no sign of the Egret.
I counted the birds coming in to roost from the hill in the southern section of the reserve, although some had almost certainly arrived earlier.
Jackdaw 100+
Wood Pigeon 3
Stock Dove 38
Barn Owl 1 to begin with
Then later two owls
 |
It was quite dark at this point, but both owls were hunting low over the
ground and both looked to be Barn Owls (Malcolm) |
