Chough

The fourth record since (including) the Heysham Barrows bird in 1977 was located the other side of the headland by Helen yesterday and showed really well on and off this morning allowing dog walkers, albeit the other side of the fence, within a metre!   Frequenting the field next to the footpath down to the prom at the western end of Knowsly Road (the one with the Strawberry gardens pub at the junction with the main Morecambe road).  Better pics undoubtedly forthcoming!

Offshore
Eider - 1520 in several groups in the area south of Heysham skeer (new record count but probably just due to favourable counting conditions)
Red-throated Diver - one very distantly towards Roa Island
Disappointingly, nothing else at all other than gulls and Cormorants located on the water in fairly good conditions with just a slight choppiness

Czech-ringed Med Gull was along the north wall

Only one Kittiwake

STOP PRESS:  Chough Heysham head north side

Checks offshore in increasing rough seas were unproductive and the lunchtime IOM ferry failed to perform in what seemed "good conditions" (but not for the passengers)

North wall
Eider - most ended up in a mass flight enabling 1250 to be counted and others still concealed on the rough sea
Nothing else other than a few Cormorant heads and necks could be located

IOM ferry
Kittiwake - one adult in tow

Snipe - back to last winter's tricks on a small scale - 14 flushed from seaweed covered rocks below the heliport all flew up into the grass

Long-tailed Duck

Some tricky conditions - weather and sea - to do a fairly lengthy low tide check before the eyes had had enough and a large squall enveloped the whole area.   However, what was seen suggests that as soon as we get any calmer seas, grilling of the low tide stuff from Heysham Head or north wall VPs could be well worth it.

North harbour wall
Long-tailed Duck - immature actively feeding about 300-400m further out than the yellow buoys before presumably drifting out whilst spending time trying to relocate the bird at the bottom of this posting
Eider - impossible to count but a rough block estimate saw  at least 1000
presumed Common Scoter  - 5 very distant in flight - landed on water and 'disappeared'
Great-crested Grebe - 2
Red-throated Diver - two distant birds together
Grebe - the reason for a lengthy stay - only seen once for about 4 seconds but only side on for about 2 of these - obviously would like another look but couldn't find it again after it dived and the weather turned pear shaped (suggestive of Red-necked - not a Slav or Great-crest (or RBM!))

Saturday coverage

Saturday Middleton

Checked out MNR again this morning. Quite a lot more activity, but nothing other than residents.
Blue and Great tits have joined the LTT feeding low on the branches of willow in flooded western marsh. Literally picking off the invertebrates that have climbed up to avoid rising water.
The Mute have spread out, but all 6 accounted for (including 1 x1cy on flooded central marsh with 4 Mallard.
The only other ducks were the Teal on Tim Butler. Counted 56 in one short flight, while others were still calling from pond.
At least 3 Water Rail calling.

Heard Cetti's singing from three locations (at least 2 birds): western scrape, east edge of fence pond (possibly the same bird) and NE corner of central marsh.

Checked the drainage situation of fence pond. The brick culverts are well below the water level, but no sign of water movement in either direction. I think it is just the very high water table that is preventing the marshes draining, rather than a blockage

More wet Middleton in pics

North wall incoming tide

Shag - 1CY flew on to wooden jetty and soon shuffled completely out of sight amongst the Cormorants!

Med Gull - pres Czech ad Fishers roof

 

Middleton (MD)

Had a walk around MNR this morning. Very little to report, except for the very high water table. The "no swimming" pond is now half way up the trees and much too deep for the mute to feed. The two adults have moved to the model boat pond and have displaced the resident pair to the periphery. Just the two cygnets, one Gadwall and a couple of Moorhens remain on the "no swimming" pond.

No sign of Tufted today. But plenty of Teal on Tim Butler (at least 40).

Water Rail calling from western marsh

All the low lying ground is covered with water. The attached images are "no swimming" pond, central marsh and western marsh.

A large LTT flock was feeding in willows above the water on western marsh. But no other tits or other birds with them.

Coastal bits and bobs

A bit of seawatching and ferry watching today produced the following

Little Gull - 1+2 adult out
Kittiwake - 5 ad and 1 1cy in
Red-throated Diver - 1CY did a tour of the harbour (dreadful record shot!)
Med Gull - 1CY outfalls
Pintail - flock of 4 out
Oystercatcher - 4200 heliport nearly all on grass at northern end
Redshank - just 320 heliport
Wigeon - 175 outfalls

Middleton NR

or Middleton Lake as it looks like now.

Snipe 2 at the very least. Flushed from close to the central track so no doubt plenty more if I’d waded into the marsh in waders.

Water Rail 1 squealing

Cetti’s Warbler 1singing 

North Harbour Wall 

Goldfinch 12 on the seed

MD/PM/JR

Rain !!

Middleton NR (MD)
Managed a walk around MNR mid morning (wonderful things, waterproofs - at least in winter!).
Very little to see/hear though.
2 Tufted on model boat pond with 2 Gadwall.
A further 6 Gadwall initially on "no swimming" pond. Later 7 (2 & 5) Gadwall flew off north, leaving just 1 on "no swimming" on return leg.
C15 Teal on Tim Butler.
The only small birds seen in entire walk were 10 grounded Meadow Pipit.
North Harbour Wall
Very brief visit around 13.30 in appalling rain storm. Despite conditions 14 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch (plus a feral pigeon) were on the feeding area.
ajd

Access to North Wall open again

The road at the entrance to the North Wall has been resurfaced. Diversions still in place but access to North Wall again.

Heysham harbour

A Shag was at the entrance to the harbour

North Harbour Wall

25 finch sp on the seed  - mixture of Goldfinch and Linnet

A few sightings and access restrictions

Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Jack Snipe - 3

Common Snipe -2

Reed Bunting - 1

Linnet - c20

No access to the North Wall at the moment due to resurfacing works.

Advance notice -No access along Moneyclose Lane 4-8 Dec due to resurfacing work

JR

New Goldcrests and heliport Knot consolidate

 

Middleton NR

Tufted 1

Gadwall 12

Mallard 5

Teal 15

Water Rail 3 (2 heard, 1 flushed)

Common Snipe 1

Cetti's calls from western scrape

Didn't locate the mixed tit flock today

Pink-footed Goose - c50 each way i.e. 8,000 departees from Pilling roost heading north/NW were probably before anyone was active here or out at sea  

 

Ringing by office

... surprisingly included three unringed Goldcrest

 

Heliport

Knot 2600+

Thanks to Malcolm for pic