Great Skua

Strong southerlies throughout the day provided a number of sightings, topped by:
Great Skua - 10:50. one was seen flying south close to shore near the children's play area then on past Heysham Head (ref GM)

Little gull. 1 adult plus 1 2nd winter on No.2 outflow. 1 1st winter briefly along Ocean Edge foreshore

Kittiwake. 3 adult on outflows plus 36 behind the IoM ferry.

Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Rock pipit 1
Reed bunting 2
Stonechat 1

More wind and rain but at least a ferry connection

Early morning seawatching from the Stone Jetty saw 10 Little Gull out in 2 hours, obviously heading past here

 

Sea 1155-1235

Little Gull - 3 x ad out, then flight-line not visible 1215 on

Kittiwake - 11 ads behind IOM ferry

Little Gull - 1 x 2CY behind ferry

 

OE Saltmarsh
Stonechat - 1 male

Rock pipit - 1

Common snipe - 13

Middleton NR

Just looked at the two main ponds.

Mute - pair on each plus the 5 juv. The pair on the "no swimming" pond are favouring last years nest site and seemed to have purged the pond of dabbling ducks.
Gadwall just 2 remain (m&f)

Tufted 3 (2m)

Coot just 1 on main pond

Moorhen 9

Canadians spearhead Brent return

Thursday provisional - hopefully more later.

Pale-bellied Brent goose - 14:15 (two hours before low water) there were 6 on the water on the South side of Heysham skeer. These came ashore and revealed themselves to be two adults plus four juveniles.

The adults were the pair of Canadian ringed birds.

There is no suitable food here, the birds just preened. Most of the gut weed has gone from this area (storm damage), but there are some pockets of broken weed. Hopefully that will be enough for now (MD).

Eider 7

Dennis didn't provide

Wednesday provisional

Still no sign of the Brent Geese on north or south shore.
Kittiwake - 1 adult on No.2 outflow just after high water.

Storm Dennis didn't supply many bird sightings (some almost certainly missed). But did produce large racks of spume!

Hopefully more later

More Little Gulls

Two ads off harbour mouth late am but no ferry check today 

Rock pipit pair showing interest in nest hole

Monday: Little gulls

4 ads behind the IOM ferry

A Little trickle

Provisional update. There might be more than a trickle when other records come in (MD).
The strong southerlies continue, and will for most of the coming week.

There has been no reports of any Brent geese since thE rough weather started last week.

Little gulls - 1 adult on No.2 outflow 15:10. 1 adult with a 1st winter originally in harbour then out 15:30.

Hopefully more later.

The lull, after the storm

Just a few bits so far today.
Low water channels Heysham skeer
Great Crested Grebe 2
Red-Breasted Merganser 10
Eider 8

Little gull 1 adult behind IoM ferry

Stonechat 1 1st W male Ocean Edge salt marsh

Rock pipits 2 around Red Nab

Shag, probably 2cy, on wooden jetty at high water (ref GP and LP)

Hopefully more later

Everything moving back

The gale force westerlies over the last few days eased to "strong winds" this morning and continued to subside throughout the day.
Little gulls
A 1st winter waif was hanging around with the BHG near the wooden jetty at low water.

Reports from the stone jetty indicate that there were between 25 to 30 flying out over the tide.
Three hung around the outflows for a while.

These excellent pictures from Kevin Eaves.

Kittiwake 1 resting on water out from the salt marsh at high water.

The Linnets and Reed buntings also returned to Ocean Edge salt marsh.
Rock pipits 1 near lighthouse plus 3 feeding on the new storm generated flotsam in the corner of salt marsh.

This one, at least, appears to be feeding on a seed, but probably a small pupae.

Stonechat 1 on salt marsh

Tuesady - Little gulls close in

The Little gulls had been driven inshore today. By 10:30 they were making their way out past the south wall lighthouse along the wall towards Ocean Edge.

An absolute minimum of 8 including 1 x 1st winter and 1 x 2nd winter.

They were trying to feed just under the wall. This picture shows position and the conditions, there are two Litle gulls  in this frame, centre just out from the wall.

Later 4 birds, including the 1st winter, were resting on the grass area on Ocean Edge, until the sea spray became too intensive and drove them off.

This picture is not "soft focus" the blurriness is the result of looking through a horizontal salt water shower!

Rock pipits. 1 near waterfall and 1 on saltmarsh.