A warm dry day with long sunny periods. A light variable breeze.
Seawatch report - Jean
North Harbour wall 08:21 - 10:41
46 Pink-footed Goose
180 Common Scoter
10 Whimbrel
2 Arctic Tern
11 Sandwich Tern
6 Guillemot
1 Red-throated Diver
4 Gannet
1 Osprey
Also seen:
Carrion Crow
Pied Wagtail
Linnet
Eider
Oystercatcher
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Cormorant
South shore
I checked from saltmarsh to harbour and back 10:00 - 11:30 (Malcolm)
No Brent geese on Red Nab today, although they do sometimes not feed there when they "know" the tide is going to cover it.
Whimbrel 1 on Red Nab was the only wader seen or heard today.
Sandwich Terns 9 on the buoys.
White Wagtail 5 on saltmarsh and foreshore. I had one of those days today when I seemed invisible. The birds looked towards me but didn't move.
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| White Wagtail |
Linnet 8 on saltmarsh and foreshore 4 near the lighthouse
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| Linnet finishing off some seeds |
Wheatear just 1 near the slipway, a similar looking bird has been seen in this spot for the past three days.
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| Male Wheatear on the dilapidated sign at the top of the slipway |
Mistle Thrush 2. Came from the west, I didn't see if they came off the sea, but they landed on the grass.
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| Mistle Thrush |
I was just going to take a clip of them, but they continued NE almost immediately.
Meadow Pipit 1 on Ocean Edge grass
Rock Pipit 4 - one each: saltmarsh, foreshore, sea wall/Red Nab, Lighthouse
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| Foreshore Rock Pipit. Another bird that couldn't be bothered to move. |
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| This is the old weather vein behind Red Nab. In 30 years walking here, this is the first time I have seen a bird perched on it. No idea why it isn't used more. Today a Common Whitethroat baulked the trend |
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| Goldfinch on one of Red Nab's rocks |
Dunnock singing from the scrub near the waterfall.
Janet checked Ocean Edge later.
Wheatear 3 including a male near the slipway.
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| This is the Wheatear near the slipway |
Rock Pipit 1 on the foreshore, Janet also noted that it didn't seem bothered about passers by today.
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| Rock Pipit |
Still two or three White Wagtails around
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| Whimbrel on Red Nab |
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| Lesser Black-Backed gull on Red Nab |
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| Shelduck |
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| One of two Little Egrets |
Middleton Nature Reserve
These shots by Janet from yesterday
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| Grey Heron and Mute Swan |
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| Male Blackcap |
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| Female Blackcap |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Worn Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Female Orange Tip. This shot nicely shows how its underwing pattern is an excellent camouflage |
I checked late afternoon (Malcolm)
Mute Swan pair
Mallard 3 males and one proud female with 12 very young chicks.
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| Mallard |
Another female Mallard in the central marshes
Gadwall pair on the fence pond
Coot 4
Moorhen 2
Common Snipe 1 flushed
Warblers heard:
Chiffchaff 3
Willow Warbler 3
Blackcap 2
Cetti's warbler 3-4
Reed Warbler 1 in the reedbed SE corner of the main pond
Sedge Warbler 1 on the central marsh
Common Whitethroat 4
Lesser Whitethroat 3
Insects:
Orange Tip everywhere
Small White 2
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Peacock 1
Large Red Damselfly 1
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| Grey Heron heading west |
