First swallow and Willow warblers arrive

A warm sunny day with light a south breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

On Wednesday Alan visited Portland Bird Observatory, Dorset which lies due south of Heysham. That day 300 Willow Warblers were ringed there. We caught our first ones at Heysham this morning. Only 2 though, but many others were moving through rapidly all over the area. 
Also caught this morning:
2 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
and a retrapped Wren. 

Had I set the nets an hour earlier before first light I would probably have caught more. It went fairly quiet at 08:30. 

Just one Redpoll heard going over.

Pete checked the sea:

A large diver flew in then floated out - looked like Great Northern Diver, but distant

Red-Throated Diver 9 in non breeding plumage flying/floating out

Little gull 1 adult in then out

35 plus 4 pink feet north

swallow north - first record this year

willow warbler in harbour brambles

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet thought she could see at least one egg under the sitting female Mute Swan, when she stood briefly.

Total of 4 butterfly species between the nature reserve and Red Nab - Kevin Eaves
Peacock
Orange Tip male - first record this year
Brimstone
Small Tortoiseshell

Plus a singing Blackcap by the nature park pond.

North shore - Malcolm

Two checks again 10:15 - 11:30 and 17:00 - 18:00

Pale-bellied brent goose 12 flew north this evening 

Eider 45

Red-breasted Merganser 6

Little Egret 1

Sandwich Tern 1 flew north this morning 

There were 2500 Knot on the skear this morning until a Peregrine attack reduced the numbers by one.

Peregrine with a Knot

1800 of the Knot settled again on the mud to the south of the skear. You can hear their soft calls in this clip, as the tide pushes them towards me.

They were clearly finding plenty to eat so I returned to the shore as the mud became exposed this evening. Sure enough 2000 arrived to feed. Quite a few are beginning to moult into summer plumage, and very few of them with flags.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 15 this morning 25 this evening 

Dunlin 50 this evening 

Other waders as recent 

Oystercatchers in the evening sun

Remember this?

This yellow flagged Oystercatcher was first seen here on the Cricket field in 2021.
It was spotted in various locations at Heysham up to spring 2022. This is one of
Howard's shots on the heliport. It was ringed as a chick in Norway in 2020.
The scheme manager has advised that it has now returned to where it hatched,
  and now in its 7th calendar year, may breed there itself.