Eastern fringe time

Great White Egret - one in field by A589/A683 roundabout early morning only
Green Sandpiper - one in wetland just north east of recycling centre roundabout flew SW into the recording area
Stonechat - after just one in the morning, at least 5 and perhaps as many as 7 Stonechat along the recycling centre road west side late afternoon (two males)

Three of today's Stonechat

Middleton Nature Reserve

Pochard 1

Gadwall 20
Shoveler 2
Tufted 5
Jack snipe 1
Water Rail 1
Cetti's singing - central marsh

Snipe flush

The only reports today were:

Ocean edge
Snipe - 40
Jack snipe - 2
Flushed by dog walker heading over saltmarsh

Green woodpecker heard on golf course from Hey NR office

Nice sunny day!

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the three were out on the edge of the first inshore skeer to the north of Heysham Head with Eider at low tide
Knot - c1300 off heysham head
Pochard - down to one male Middleton
Gadwall - 23
Mute Swan - 3 pairs only
Shoveler - pair
Teal - 8 (& 1+ HNR marsh)
Water Rail - 1-2
Jay - group of four heading north
Green Woodpecker - Heysham office area early am
Eider - typically lower neap tide number - 255 seen from Knowlys road
Siskin - 2+ heard alder wood Heysham NR

Pipits

Two Rock Pipit below Heysham Head and an increase in Meadow Pipit on Middleton NR

Wednesday

Green Woodpecker - heard calling to east from hey Nr office
Barn Owl - one Middleton
No coastal coverage

Tuesday

Middleton NR
Tufted Duck - 5
Pochard - two males
Shoveler - pair
Cetti’s warbler - singing by No swimming pond

Low tide channel morning

...............….Plus a bit of ringing by the office which included un-ringed female Bullfinch and Robin

A very sunny spring like day included the inevitable heat-haze but maybe not as bad as it might had been therefore the low tide count was pretty comprehensive and devoid of much variety

Eider - 462 - 75% ad male
Great-crested Grebe - 10
Red-breasted Merganser - 6

The usual Brent Geese were reported at Half-moon bay, then at Red Nab later
Skylark - at least two over skeer to SE

Recent ringing recovery courtesy of the recent ice allowing the legs of resting gulls to be seen
Black-headed Gull
K03025/JITH
Ringed:  AdF.  13/4/13. Musoya Strand, Buskerud,NORWAY 59 45N 10 08E
Seen:  5/7/15 Linnestranda, Lier, Buskerud, NORWAY 8km SE 59 44N 10 16E
Seen:  18-25/5/16  Linnestranda
Seen: 3/2/19 Middleton NR.   974km SW

Pochard after the winds

Two male Pochard on Middleton this morning, presumably the Glasson birds.

Middleton Nature Reserve
Main pond:
Mute 2 adult plus 1 juv
Moorhen 1
Mallard 2

No swimming pond:
Mute 2
Moorhen 1
Pochard 2 males
Tufted 3 (2m)
Shoveler 2 (m&f)
Gadwall 11
Teal 12


Tim Butler 
Mute 2
Moorhen 4
Gadwall 2
Teal c20
Mallard 2

Fence pond
Mallard 2

Woodcock 2
Goldcrest 2
Green woodpecker 1
Water Rail 1
Meadow pipit 1

3 Pale- bellied Brent at Red Nab 13:15

Rock Pipit - Near Naze

Seven Knot rings read from old Heliport wall, details to follow.

The two Pochard with a preening Gagwall

Seawatch and knotwatch-

A force 7 WSW means seawatching:

Fulmar 1 out at 11:25. Once common in a seawatch, Fulmar is now scarce.
Kittiwake 15 out, 20 floating in, 5 others flew in:between 11:00 and 12:00
Eider 10 out.
Pintail - two flocks out 7 at 12:21 and 22 at 12:23 - see photo

Spot the Bar-tailed Godwits in the photo

Then it was on to the heliport for knotwatch. There were very few Knot on the top of the heliport and all of them were roosting one leg for ages. Eventually one of them put their other leg down to reveal an orange flag over green. Awaiting details of where it was ringed.

The pale-bellied Brents flew onto Red Nab before high tide.

Flag-free Knot

At least 400 x 2 legs were seen clearly today on the heliport but no leg flags.  Second prize was a couple of Scottish colour-ringed Oystercatcher - full details soon

Tomorrows westerly should have enough wave action clearing most of the seawall of birds and a high enough (mid-afternoon) tide to send more Knot within viewing range on the seawall top or heliport hard standing.

Guillemot - one out
Meadow Pipit - 2
Jack Snipe - 3 Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Ringing details of one of the Oystercatchers seen today

Ring No.FH77064/White AU;Age,1(pullus);Date,21/06/2016; Location,Whitehillocks Farm,

Rottal Estate, Glen Clova, Angus;Grid Ref,NO3667.

This is the first reported sighting since being ringed.

 http://www.geograph.org.uk/showmap.php?gridref=NO369671