Monday, 17 August 2026

Osprey becoming a regular

Overnight rain and a heavy early morning shower. Mainly overcast with more showers after lunch. A very light variable breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve
Janet reports a big increase in Goldfinch numbers, partly due to large numbers of juveniles 

South shore 
I had a walk along the foreshore and the sea wall 13:00 - 14:00 (Malcolm)
Wheatear 4 along the foreshore 


Wheatears

Linnet 2 along the foreshore and 2 at Red Nab. This one was freshening up after a bath. The second bird looks like it expecting to be fed.

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Plenty of gulls on Red Nab. Mainly Black-Headed

I didn't go out to check them but could see at least 8 Mediterranean gulls
from the sea wall.

An Osprey was sat on the post at the end of No.2 outfall again.
At first, that's all it was doing, sitting on the post. By this time the tide
was quite high and dead flat. These are the conditions that large numbers
of Grey Mullet come close in to feed near the sea wall. I was hoping the
Osprey was waiting to fish close to the wall. But......

.......after a while it began feeding on a Bass that it had already caught.
You can see the Bass's tail, quite a large fish, so a few courses. 
The Osprey has a blue ring on its right leg

It was still feeding 20 minutes later

Grey Heron with Cormorants on the wooden jetty

Little Egret on the wooden jetty

All of the above 

White Wagtail on the sea wall

It was catching flies disturbed by the rising tide

Whimbrel 1

Kevin was setting off along the wall as I was heading back. 
The Osprey was still feeding.
Silver Y "hidden" in plain sight on the sea wall

Alison had this fine moth in her trap this morning.
Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria. A good record for Lancashire 
Maiden's Blush