Brent numbers double!

Awful news from Fair Isle Bird Observatory which has been burnt to the ground today, fortunately everyone has been accounted for and safe.  Hopefully it can be rebuilt during the course of this year.

43 Pale-bellied Brent Geese today in two gangs but all together on Red Nab for a short time

Kittiwake - 52 out in dribs and drabs with about half of them 2cy - some came into the harbour

Knot - at least 7 colour marked birds, four of them successfully read.  A great year for reading rings in the Heysham area this year thanks to Richard, Jean and Malcolm

Little Gull at last and record Brent numbers

An adult Little Gull wheeled out of the bay at a vast rate of knots at about 1130, part of a big clear out of birds as the wind went fractionally north of West

Pale bellied Brent Goose - 21 including the colour ringed birds

Kittiwake - probably about 175 out with the early and mid am birds seen from the SJ

Friday

12 pale-bellied Brent, initially on north side, out from childrens play area, arrived at Red Nab at 10:20. These included the two ringed birds. These were joined by three others, assumed to be the regular three at 10:30. Expect arrival tomorrow around 10:50.

Also:
Rock pipit 1 salt marsh
Raven 1 Red Nab
Greylag goose 2 - west of recycling centre road

Hopefully more later

The Return of the Rings

14 pale-bellied Brent were feeding on the north side, out from the childrens play area, on incoming tide. There were no rings on twelve of these, the remaining two were swimming.
They arrived at Red Nab at 10:00. By that time they had been joined by three more birds. Resulting in a count of 17 pale-bellied Brent.  Two of these were the ringed birds, so the 14 must have picked up the two adult ringed birds with accompanying juvenile, or the two swimming birds on the north side were ringed and the 14 were joined by the 3 regular birds, who seem to remain to their own agenda.

10:02 - 17 Brent arrive at Red Nab from north side.

10:28 - last bit of Rocks about to be covered. One of these is ringed.

10:29 - Brent leave Red Nab towards Pott's Corner. You can just make out the red ring on two of these. The feeding window at Red Nab will be even shorter on tomorrow's higher tide. 10:30 will be about the optimum time.

Kittiwake 3 distant

Ringless Brents

Red Nab
13 pale-bellied Brent today; no ringed birds

Ocean Edge
Skylark 2
Rock pipit 1
Reed bunting 4

Meadow pipit (not "rock" as per original typo MD)

Knot

Thanks for pictures Janet

Canadian-ringed Brents

Thanks to Colin for informing us that this pair were likely to be those which had wintered on Walney for the last few years and were first ringed at:

Therefore we just double-checked the ringing details this morning and they matched these two birds

The Walney birds disperse as the Eel grass runs out in late winter and some have started to cross the Bay and feed on Gutweed

A new high of 17 Pale-bellied Brent Geese this morning

Kittiwake - 16 in, then landed on sea

Ringed Brent geese

A bit late getting to south shore this morning. By the time I reached Ocean Edge foreshore the tide had almost covered Red Nab, but there were still some pale-bellied Brent. The picture below shows eight birds, two of which have rings. By the time I reached Red Nab only the three regular birds remained. They then flew towards Pott's corner.

Hopefully the ringed birds will return tomorrow. Two hours before high water, or slightly earlier, should be best. If anyone reads the rings, please advise Pete of either ring details or the returned "life histories".

Also on Ocean Edge salt marsh:
Rock pipit 1
Skylark 2
Reed bunting 2

March catchup

3 March 19

7 Pale-bellied Brents today on Red Nab.

*************************************************************************

2 March 19

Reed Bunting at Middleton NR

Red Nab
244 Wigeon
3 Pale-bellied Brent

**************************************************************************
1 March 19

The elusive (though noisy) Cetti's Warbler at Middleton NR. One of two singing males in the Central Marsh.

The trickle continues

The weather today was slightly more typical. But still far from cold.
Stonechat 2cy female quickly through Ocean Edge foreshore in morning.

Three Goldcrest and two unringed Robin on Heysham Nature Reserve, suggest movement.

West of recycling centre road
Buzzard 1
Wood pigeon 79
Raven 1

Dragonfly

Another ridiculously warn sunny February day, eventually led to a brief sighting of a dragonfly, flying low over the pebbles on Half Moon Bay beach at 15:15. The description is compatible with a female Vagrant Emperor (albeit a small one), but unfortunately not conclusive. The insect was only seen for a few seconds before heading off, still low, to north. Efforts to relocate failed and tomorrow's weather does not look promising.

Pale-bellied Brent - 3 + 2 out from children's play area on north side at 10:00. By 15:00, the 3 had moved to the rocks on Half Moon Bay, but the 2 remained on north side.

Rock pipit 1 below high cliffs Heysham Head

Snipe over a 100 flew from rocks in front of old heliport as the tide covered the rocks. All flew onto the heliport grass. Most of the rocks were still uncovered then so it is presumed there were many more.

The flatness of the incoming tide and the slow rising (low neap tide), meant the waders were reluctant to leave the rocks!