I'll use the 'Nature Diary' format again in this post but I've got a lot of photos so hopefully it'll be a case of pictures being better than a thousand words.
Thursday 3rd March 2022
I had a nice walk at Middle Marsh in the morning. A Kingfisher flying down the beck might well be the last one until autumn now. In the afternoon I was working at Berwick Hills Nature Reserve (just upstream on Ormesby Beck) and heard a Water Rail calling (and sounding like a pig being killed) from a small patch of reeds surrounded by brambles
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| This escaped Budgie at Middle Marsh (3rd March 2022) was a bit of a surprise. Sadly he (or she) might not survive very long in our climate |
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| Lords-and-Ladies (aka Cuckoo-pint and at least 15 other 'folk' names, many of them obscene in origin) is popping up in several spots along the beck at Middle Marsh |
Sunday 6th March
The 'Able Crane' was demolished today. This huge structure next to Middlesbrough Dock has been host to a nesting pair of Peregrines for the last few years. Despite protests by birders and other local people, the destruction of this landmark went ahead as planned. The first explosion, at lunchtime, was not successful but the second attempt, just after 9pm brought it down.
Although the birds wouldn't have laid any eggs yet, they were already showing an interest in the crane again, and were agitatedly flying around it as the explosives were being prepared. [There was some concern that the birds might desert the area altogether, or might even have been killed or injured by the explosions (if for example, they were roosting on it when it came down), so it was with a sense of relief that, nearly a fortnight later, on the 18th of March, I watched two Peregrines flying around together slowly, by the dock, in a manner which made me think that they might have found an alternative nest site.]
One good thing that did happen today, although I didn't witness it and I only heard about it afterwards, was that a Barn Owl was seen hunting in the main meadow area at Middle Marsh at 8.30 in the evening. This was the first record of this species for the site (that I know of).
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| The 'Able Crane', post-demolition, on the 7th of March 2022 |
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| One of the two Peregrines that I saw at Middlesbrough Dock on the 18th of March |
Thursday 10th March
The first Chiff-chaff of the year was singing at Middle Marsh today. Although some do over-winter in the UK, I haven't seen or heard any around here this winter and so it seems likely that this was a newly arrived migrant.
Friday 11th March
At least 3 clumps of Hemlock Water-dropwort, one of our most poisonous plants, are coming up at Middle Marsh - thankfully they are in an inaccessible place on the other side of the beck so there is very little chance of anyone accidentally eating it.
While walking along the beck I heard a distinctive 'plop' sound as something disappeared into the water. I never saw what it was but I did see a line of bubbles going upstream and I think there is a good chance that it was a Water Vole as rats are usually quite easy to see when they are swimming.
I also saw two Moorhens having a fairly vicious fight, watched by two others. I am guessing that the two fighting were males being watched by their mates but as both sexes look identical I can't say that for certain.
Saturday 19th March
Today was a red-letter day for the new ponds at Middle Marsh - we saw our first aquatic animals - some water-boatmen (or possibly back-swimmers - they are very similar), a pond-skater and two Smooth Newts. I hadn't really been expecting anything to colonise quite so soon so I was really excited. Since then we have seen newts in three of the ponds (at least five in one of them) and on Thursday the 24th, during the celebration which marked the end of the first phase of Green Shoots, a large frog was also seen.
Some miscellaneous nature pics
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| A pair of Bullfinches (female on left) at the feeding-station, Middle Marsh, 17th of March 2022 |
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| The pond at Commercial Street in Middlehaven, Middlesbrough. Last year this was well used by waterfowl and gulls, but most exciting was a pair of Little Ringed Plovers which successfully raised chicks here. Unfortunately this site is threatened with development as is much of the land in this part of Middlesbrough |
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| On the 18th of March I put the moth trap out for the first time this year. I caught one single moth - this Dotted Border. This photo was taken the next day, after I released it and it was resting high up on the wall of my house |
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| Above and below - An immature Iceland Gull on Albert Park lake, Middlesbrough, Monday 21st March. Similar in size to a Herring Gull and bigger than the Black-headed Gulls that were round it, but unlike either of those species it has no black in its plumage at all, at any age. It's an uncommon but regular bird in winter on the British coast, and this is only the fourth one recorded in Middlesbrough, so it has caused a bit of a local twitch. |
