Sabine's Gull

Hadn't a lot of faith in the latest depression - centre too close and too fast and localised with a bit of  N in the wind...but I was wrong.  A couple of close Leach's Petrels were therefore a nice surprise and the Sabine's Gull was even better and when the wind settled in the west during the high tide period there were quite a few odds and ends but unfortunately the second wave of Leach's Petrels did not start until early evening!  The day was characterised by a lot of birds in transit and a frustrating time for anyone turning up with a 'shopping list' and not prepared to remain any length of time, especially during the "quiet" early afternoon.  Thanks to many observers for this selection

Thanks to Janet for a few pics - the outfalls were heaving today with a lot of through-put of individually identifiable birds

Sabine's Gull - juv around seaward end Heysham two and the red buoy area 1105-1145 at least, juvenile flew into the Bay about 1425hrs, juvenile on power station outfalls about 1725hrs (but not an hour later).  So "at least one seen today" 
Leach's Petrel - one out 0750 as viewed from the north wall, one lingering in the harbour mouth, then out at about 0845 as viewed from the back of the harbour.  At least 4 out between 1700 and 1845
Gannet - adult on water flushed by ferry then flew in
Great Skua - one out 1344hrs
Sandwich Tern - at least 7 out
Common Tern - juv outfalls
Arctic Tern - 3 adults on outfalls, at least 4 out (3 at 1345, one 1455)
Little Gull - adult and 2nd W outfalls; two 1CY appeared there from mid-afternoon.  Earlier 5 x juv 
were seen on an early morning seawatch from Heysham Head
Manx Shearwater - one early morning
Fulmar - one early morning
Pintail - 11 out early morning
Common Scoter - 1
Guillemot - one in, one later in the harbour
Kittiwake - 12 on outfalls first thing, two out (6 x 1CY), 29 behind IOM ferry, later 15 on outfalls.  Minimum of 41 birds involved in todays sightings
Med Gull - not counted but 15+
Pink-footed Goose - 18 SE
Wheatear - 3
Gadwall - 13 MNR

Four tern species amongst a motley collection

Well we may have somehow managed to miss Sabine's Gull (but tomorrow am?), despite nearby birds and the attraction of the outfalls, but a belated addition to the year list we managed to miss in its usual spring slot was very welcome (thanks to Jon and Kevin)

Little Tern - juv seaward end Heysham one early morning, reappearing briefly mid afternoon
Little Gull - ad joined late afternoon by 2nd winter
Leach's Petrel - presumably tired bird flushed from the sea by a ferry, meandered about for a few seconds, then re-landed (by green buoy).  Surprised the gulls had not found it
Common Tern - juv
Kittiwake - about 9 inshore plus two other 1CY out
Sandwich tern - 3
Med Gull - 27 plus
Arctic tern - adult late afternoon
Gannet - adult tries to land on wooden jetty - pic later
Dark-bellied Brent goose - one south past heyshsm skeer early am later seen cockersands
Rock pipit - one red nab (ioa)
Wheatear - 4

Med Gull 2CY read today by Jon Carter  (Green ASRE)

10.06.2016 as nestling: Rehbach Gravel Pit, Leipzig - Sachsen 0 35 Jürgen Steudtner 51° 15' 54'' N  12° 17' 4''

15.07.2016 Rehbach Gravel Pit, Leipzig, Sachsen 0 35 Jürgen Steudtner 51° 15' 54'' N  12° 17' 4'' E on the shore outside the colony pGermany

25.12.2016 Azurara, Vila do Conde, Porto 1950 198 Camilo Carneiro 41° 20' 18'' N  8° 44' 38'' W vPortugal

08.03.2017 Mouth of river Piles, Gijon, Asturias 1596 271 Julián Rufino Gómez 43° 32' 25'' N  5° 38' 37'' W pSpain

10.03.2017 Playa El Rinconin, Gijon, Asturias 1595 273 Julián Rufino Gómez 43° 32' 54'' N  5° 38' 19'' W pSpain

10.03.2017 Playa El Rinconin, Gijon, Asturias 1595 273 César Fernández 43° 32' 54'' N  5° 38' 19'' W pSpain

12.03.2017 Playa El Rinconin, Gijon, Asturias 1595 275 César Fernández 43° 32' 54'' N  5° 38' 19'' W pSpain

23.03.2017 Playa de San Lorenzo, Gijon, Asturias 1596 286 César Fernández 43° 32' 32'' N  5° 39' 10'' W pSpain

25.05.2017 Rehbach Gravel Pit, Leipzig, Sachsen 0 349 Jürgen Steudtner 51° 15' 54'' N  12° 17' 4'' E vGermany

22.06.2017 Gunners Park, Shoeburyness, Essex 798 377 Andrew Armstrong 51° 31' 32'' N  0° 46' 58'' E pEngland

12.09.2017 Heysham Power Station, Lancashire 1067 459 Jonathan Carter

Black Guillemot leads the way

Early start whilst there was still some tide and before the 'N' word applied to the wind, although later events saw a few Leach's Petrels still on the move even after the wind went WNW.  The best day at the obs since the spring tern-fest on 30th April.

Leach's Petrel - 17 different birds I am aware of from about 0630 to 1800, with many observer gaps - there did not seem to be any backtracking further out, leading to duplication  - virtually all of them were along the tideline or even over the mud
Gannet - one in and one freshly dead alongside the old sandworks
Common Scoter - flock of 22 on sea
Eider - at least 70 scattered around on sea - the vast majority female/imms
Wigeon - flock of 9 out (first of autumn)
Little Gull - juv out, usual ad on outfalls
Common Tern - ad H2 outfall late afternoon
Arctic Tern - 2 ads with the above late afternoon, but soon disappeared
Black Guillemot - Ad still in sp located by JR very close inshore just north of Heysham 2 outfall - seemed to be feeding happily and not distressed
Guillemot - one in harbour
Kittiwake - First of the day were 10 behind lunchtime IOM ferry (5 x 1CY), at least 6 (3 x 1CY) still around outfalls/harbour early evening
Shag - 1CY out early evening
Med Gull - at least 27 (mostly on Red Nab at 1800hrs) with at least 7 1CY
Wheatear - 4
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE
Meadow Pipit - c15 SE

Grey Seal

 

Midday update

Outfalls/red nab
Med gull - at least 44 in poor visibility
Little gull - ad
Arctic tern - ad new in

Ringing
Short session in am was quite productive with two grey wagtail, chaffinch and goldcrest, one chiffchaff, one robin and a heap of goldfinch!

Others
Kittiwake - four adults behind clipper pennant ( and 10 meds)
Little gull - 1cy briefly on outfalls
Perseverance should have produced  a leachs or two but when in the six hour time frame after the wind went west of sw?!

Vis mig slot after the heavy showers

There seems to be something in the psychology with bird ringers - if its unsuitable at dawn, there is a tendency to give it a miss.  Today was a classic example of where, in an ideal world, mist nets should have been up and ready at 0830 as the rain alarm showed an excellent vis mig corridor for NW to SE migrants.  So the earliest any of us drifted down here was 0930. There was a belated set of two nets on Middleton, but the wind had started to increase by then and the name of the game was coverage rather than a ringing effort

Inshore
Med gull - 46 (23 2cy, 7 1cy and 16 ads - ad and 2cy had green darvic on right leg and metal below on left leg, 1cy metal ring only - legs not seen on many others)
Little gull - ad

Vis mig (Jean/Malcolm/Pete)
Meadow Pipit - 102 SE (4 ringed!)
alba Wagtail - 27 SE
Grey Wagtail - 3-4 SE
Osprey - one at 0945hrs in-off then east
Common Buzzard - 2 south and two others which may have been blogging
Pink-footed Goose - 6SE (IOA)
Eider - flock of 30 up Kent channel
Swallow - 17 S

Grounded
Wheatear - 10
small numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap <5 each="" p="">
Misc
Water Rail 1+ Middleton
Green Woodpecker - down the dog track
Cetti's Warbler - singing Middleton western marsh

Nothing new today

Low/early incoming tide:  At least 33 med gulls with 13 on seaward end Heysham one along with ad little gull but no sign of black or any other tern spp.  Later at high tide, two meds roosting on Fishers roof, including what looked like the Czech bird. 

Incidentally, I don't rate this coming week for Leach's petrels in Morecambe Bay, certainly not anything better than a lengthy 'watching paint dry' wait before you see one. The best conditions are during the night with the wind already having turned to the dreaded north-west by dawn.  Conversely it looks like the Mersey and Wirral might fill their boots.  However it could all change so just watch out for a strong to gale SW to West in daylight hours Monday to Thursday i.e. during the early morning (or late evening) high neap tides 

Very lucky with the weather

This morning was all about watching serious rain heading across south and north of us and coupled with a light early morning wind allowed about three hours of ringing before the SW wind kicked in and rain increased.   The nets were down by then

Middleton nr
Grey wagtail - 4/7 vis mig birds ringed
Meadow pipit - two found in mist net - no obvious movement!
Whitethroat - 2 new and one retrapped
Sedge warbler - one heard
Lesser whitethroat - one ringed
Just two each of blackcap and chiffchaff ringed
Reed bunting - 3 ringed
Willow warbler - one ringed
Water rail - at least two

Ocean edge and red nab pre tide
Black tern - one seaward end heysham one about 1530 before being obscured by incoming rain
Great Skua - one flew from across bay and landed on sea in shipping land 1244hrs
Med gull - 36 (8 1cy, 22 2cy (!), 6 ad)
Little gull - ad
Too early for sandwich tern and the second visit was too late!
Cormorant - c130 wooden jetty ie a lot

Nothing new of interest

Outfalls/Red Nab
Little Gull - presumably the usual adult which has been missing for a few days
Sandwich Tern - just a max of 7
Med Gull - at least 24, including 10 1CY
Common Gull - 1CY Heysham 2 for good comparison with above

Heysham NR office
A small amount of ringing included a Grey Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat and two each of Goldcrest and Chiffchaff.  Possibly the windiest general conditions we have mist-netted and just shows that we have sites which are sheltered if the direction is carefully ascertained eg Middleton would have been completely windswept today

Pics from Janet (thanks for these)

More sandwich tern

Coastal check red nab and ocean edge incoming tide
Med gull - 24 including 9 2cy - a bit late for some of these tide wise
Sandwich tern - 156
Common tern - 1 ad
Little egret - 4
Grey plover - 365
Wheatear - 2

Tern invasion

A thoroughly unremarkable morning's ringing in thoroughly unremarkable (but at least operational) weather saw about 40 birds caught between two three-net operations at each of Middleton and Heysham NR.  This saw a variety of late warblers ringed: 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap and single Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat....plus 4 Goldcrest and a few odds and ends of tits and finches.  The less said about Grey Wagtails the better - Middleton was subjected to a pile driving racket from a UU initiative to amend the sewage works to 'produce water you can drink' (!) and at least one Grey Wagtail flew over without hearing the tape.  Vis, however, was at a premium in the 100% cloud cover with just 6 Grey Wagtail, two Meadow Pipit and about five Swallow

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
The early morning visit as the tide was coming in saw:
Med Gull - 15 (later 9 on Red Nab just after high tide)
but nothing else of note.  Then a visiting birder reported a flock of Sandwich and two juvenile Black Tern on to the rocks near high tide
Sandwich tern - c37 flew into Red Nab from 1115 (one darvic-ringed but unfortunately flew off early before it could be read)
Black Tern - two juvs present Red Nab at least 1050 to 1145 which had moved on when we visited about 30 minutes later
Little Egret - 3