Great White Egret crosses border

A Great White Egret was in the field to the west of the recycling centre (09:15), which represents the eastern boundary of the recording area, before heading off SE towards river Lune estuary.

Great White Egret flying out over eastern border of the recording area.

Also from this road to recycling centre (2nd roundabout from western end of Heysham bypass) in three visits today:
Stonechat - two, probably three
Raven - two. On territory?
Buzzard  one.
Meadow pipit 3

Middleton Nature Reserve
Canada goose 1 - on main pond. Not common here

Tufted 5
Gadwall 10
Shoveler 3 (female plus one adult and a 2cy male)
Little grebe 1
Mallard 4
Teal 5
Water Rail 2
No Pochard or Coot seen today

Cetti's warbler 2 singing
Meadow pipit 3

Chiffchaff, and others, return

Very warm today, particularly out of the wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve
Two bird species seen here for the first time this year
Chiffchaff - one feeding in trees at Tim Butler pond
Little grebe - one feeding and trilling on "no swimming" pond
Plus
Coot - one on Tim Butler pond, first since the, almost, over wintering bird abandonded the "no swimming" pond mid January
Also:
Gadwall 12
Tufted 4
Pochard 2
Shoveler 2
Water Rail 1
Common snipe 21

Cetti's warbler singing central marsh
Meadow pipit 4 blogging
A "likely Water pipit" was accidently flushed, hopefully it will be relocated and confirmed tomorrow.

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Pale-bellied Brent - what appears to be the original three (2 adult with a juvenile) on Red Nab late morning. Not seen on north side earlier.

Rock pipit on Ocean Edge salt marsh

No sign of any Stonechat today

Not much close in to skeer channels at low water, early am.
Great Crested Grebe 6
Red Breasted Merganser 2
Eider c150

Mid pm
Pink-footed Goose 80 south (NB north Cumbria and Spurn today hundreds were heading north)

Heysham NR
Raven 1 North

Tank Farm
Green Woodpecker

Butterflies
Three species seen in recording area today
Peacock - on dogwalk
Small tortoiseshell- Heysham Reserve office and in village
Male Brimstone - Royds Avenue

Brent confusion

It wasn't clear what was happening with  pale- bellied Brent today. Just two birds seen on north side and later at Red Nab. However there were 5 later at Pott's Corner, possibly the three regular birds with the two seen earlier.

Stonechat - one in morning by road to recycling centre, one in afternoon on Middleton Nature reserve.

Rock pipit one on Ocean Edge salt marsh again, this bird is only seen when spring tides are high enough to cover the marsh.

Middleton Nature Reserve
Still one male Pochard and pair of Shoveler, but only 10 Gadwall and 1 Teal seen today.
Two Roe deer managed to flush 18 common snipe from western marsh.
Meadow pipit 4

Wigeon 159 - Red Nab

Jack snipe

Snipe - c240 heliport
Jack snipe - 3-4 heliport. Ocean Edge salt marsh - 1 flushed by tide, one fly over, possibly from heliport.
Stonechat - female east end of heliport for short time
Pale bellied Brent - 3 red nab Incoming tide
Rock pipit - OE salt marsh
Meadow pipit. 5 on power station fence, south wall

Norwegian ringed Knot but couldn’t read code on yellow above tarsus left leg ring

Brents and Stonechats

After a duff and birdless Monday today saw:

Pale bellied Brent Goose - NINE at the high tidal end game at Middleton this am
Stonechat - 5 different birds passing through along recycling centre road and at least 3 Middleton NR today after none yesterday

Thanks Janet

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