Minimal coverage

Little gull - a brief check at noon found 1 adult plus 1 2cy by outflows.

Kittiwake 1 adult followed the IoM ferry in. Then flew back in to the bay.

Still hangers on

Little gull - 1 adult plus 1 2nd winter still on No.2 outflow

Kittiwake at least one along the south wall

Thanks for the pictures Kevin.

Ocean Edge saltmarsh high water.
Rock pipit 2
Stonechat 1
Reed Bunting 2
Linnet 3
Common snipe 1
Jack Snipe 1

Heysham skeer late afternoon.
No sign of the Brent
Eider c20

Just a sample of skeer birds. Eider, Knot, Turnstone and Oystercatcher (MD)

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