Saturday 27 February 2010

A good vis day

............means Red-throated Diver within range

North harbour wall
Twite - 37, including Askam-ringed bird (yellow over dark blue/white); 1/15 examined was unringed
Purple Sandpiper - 2 on wooden jetty
Red-throated Diver - 5 seen offshore in 15 minutes of dropping tide (4 floating, 1 flying out) 1300-1315hrs (no GCG at this stage of the tide)
Med Gull - Czech-ringed adult on the railings

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
No obvious sign of any Blackwits or anything of specific interest
Wigeon - 92

Ringing by the office
Just single unringed Greenfinch & Blue Tit & retrap Greenfinch from last autumn.....before the niggling n-easterly got up

Middleton IE
Just a quick check of the first two ponds.  Looks like a mini Coot/swan/seagull feeding area is developing with about 20 lingering gulls. Looking good for a bit of ring-reading!
Pochard - 8 (7 males) on model boat pond
Goldeneye - 2 on model boat pond
Tufted Duck - at least 12 on no swimming pond

Elsewhere
Redhead Smew still Freeman's Pool.  20 Whooper Swan just south of Hornby by side of A683 for at least 2nd day.  Egyptian Goose still Hillam Lane by pool