Saturday, 31 January 2026

Redwing bonus

Light rain on and off for most of the day. A SSE wind

Middleton Nature Reserve - Kevin Eaves

There was a female Siskin near the main pond bird feeders, and a Green Woodpecker, heard singing and seen in flight near the Tim Butler pond. Five cygnets still present on the main pond being occasionally pestered by the new male.


Imperial Rd - Malcolm
It had stopped raining briefly and the sun was out, even more briefly!
Buzzard 1 calling a lot from the copse area
Kestrel 1
Stock Dove 2
Stock Dove
Teal 2
Common Snipe 4
No Water Rails calling and no sign of the Stonechats 

Howard checked the high water roosts for Knot.
There were zero Knot on the Heliport this am, I checked Sunny Slope groyne which had c1000 on, they were constantly being lifted with corvids, 3 flagged birds seen but unrecorded.

I ventured along the prom into Morecambe where there were c1500 knot on the Park Street groyne, 1 flagged bird recorded OfY (Orange flag over Yellow ring)  LJH
Although this shot is north of the recording area this flagged bird has also been
recorded on the skear this week too. Ringed at Inverness Firth Scotland in 2022.
It has visited Heysham before in the spring of 2023


Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:15 - 14:15
Still light rain showers.
Pale-bellied Brent goose. 21 minimum seen landing by the rocks out from the fishing platform.
Eider 70+ many flying back into the bay after drifting out on the tide.
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Curlew 63. As well as the typical 25 around the skear, two groups of 26 and 12 flew in
Knot 1300 - initially there were just two small groups totalling 140, they were joined by other small groups to c300. The rain had stopped and I had just begun checking them for flags when a loud whoosh overhead were another c1000 fleeing from a Peregrine Falcon.
Unfortunately, the 300 lifted as the above flew past and it was one of those that the Peregrine took.
Peregrine flying south with a Knot
All the Knot continued north, I didn't expect to see them again, and I didn't.
Other wader as recent 

These Redwing (c100 total) were feeding in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. All these shots are just beyond the southern boundary of the recording area, but the Redwing were flighty with people working in the far paddock and twice took flight and circled over the trees placing them well within the recording area.


Redwing plus a Goodfinch

This is the gate that opens onto Middleton Rd

I check this area whenever I pass. I had checked this morning and there was nothing, this second check was 14:30 - Malcolm