A basically dry day with just the occasional very light shower. Mainly overcast. A SE breeze freshening during the day.
Heysham Nature Reserve
Report by Pete:
Vis mig included 16 plus 40 Redwing south, flock of 20 starling south, 120 pink feet north. Two redwing/song thrush flew out of the bushes then high inland
Ringing saw 16 new Chiffchaff, two migrant Cetti’s Warbler, single Yellow Browed Warbler which was colour ringed and single unringed Robin, Blue tit, Dunnock probably passing through along with five unringed LTT. No attempt to ring at the feeder (wind)
Ringing saw 16 new Chiffchaff, two migrant Cetti’s Warbler, single Yellow Browed Warbler which was colour ringed and single unringed Robin, Blue tit, Dunnock probably passing through along with five unringed LTT. No attempt to ring at the feeder (wind)
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| Yellow-Browed Warbler - Caught by office 0900 - released by fire pond also low double figures chiffchaff. |
Another Yellow-Browed Warbler opposite power station security lodge with tits (unringed) - Shaun
Shaun had a walk around
A single Chiffchaff was the only migrant on the HNR extra to above. Very quiet.
Middleton Nature Reserve
Shaun:
Middleton NR North Section. No migrants!
Gadwall 3 and a pair of Little Grebes on No Swimming Pond and a Tufted Duck on Main Pond.
Three Cetti's Warblers singing along the footpath & marsh opposite Sulby Tate kennels on Carr Road.
Yellow-browed Warbler at Middleton NR South Section with 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Blackcaps. Another 2 Chiffchaffs and a group of 7 Long-tailed Tits were also seen.
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| Little Grebe - Janet |
Peter and Rosemary visited yesterday
We hadn't expected seeing a great deal and were pleasantly surprised by the amount of Common Darters around, particularly at the Southern End.
Southern End
Common Darters Mating 3 prs
Common Darter in Tandem 2 prs
Male Common Darter 9
Hawker Spec 1 (It was only a very fleeting sighting and too far away to determine whether it was a Migrant or Southern)
Speckled Wood 2
Heard
Chiffchaff
Main Pond
Male Common Darter 8
Harlequin Ladybird 1
Mute Swans 1 pr
Moorhen 4
Coot 2
Heard
Cettis Warbler
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| Common Darters mating in a typical location |
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| This pair choosing the clothing option |
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| Ovipositoring pair of Common Darters |
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| Harlequin Ladybird |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Close up of a Blow Fly. It looks to be singing! |
Heysham skear Malcolm 16:00 - 15:30
Eider 56
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| Eider |
Red-breasted Merganser 5
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| Male merganser |
Shag 1 immature
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| Shag |
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| Shag on the rock on the left, Cormorant on the one on the right |
Little Egret 15
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| Little Egret, Eider, Carrion Crow, Oystercatchers and a Curlew |
The Lesser Black-Backed gull was screaming at the Egret forcing them to leave.
Grey Heron 1
Curlew, a flock of 40 was arriving from the east as I set out.
Oystercatcher 1000 but more on the shore to the south
Redshank c250
Knot were arriving all the time, I checked c1500 for almost 30 minutes but I could only find the same juvenile flagged bird that I seem to see every visit. Later another 500 arrived but the light was already fading quickly.
Turnstone 40
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| Oystercatchers and Knot |
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| Knot |
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| The light quickly drained away, time to leave |
