Sea and land bird interest

The breeze should have been NE but in reality it started more like NNE, later shifting further E. Mainly sunny
Sea watch totals from Pete (M) and Bill Martin
Common Scoter 35
Gannet 26
Red-Throated Diver 3
Kittiwake 39 in 10 flocks or singletons
Dunlin 4
Arctic Skua 1 dark morph in and another dark morph blogging outer bay chasing s terns
Carrion Crow one north over sea similarly Little Egret,
Arctic Tern 30 plus 6,8,7,
Common or Arctic Tern 5
Sandwich Tern c15
Guillemot 6
Razorbill/Guillemot 47
Swallow c20
Sand Martin 1
Greenshank flew high to north over OE
Rock Pipit one standing guard above nest site near lighthouse another near waterfall
Wheatear 4 near Red Nab

Inshore
Garden Warbler 2 singing Moneyclose Lane (PM). One singing yesterday on Middleton Nature Reserve (SC)
Cuckoo (first (probably only) record for the year) one singing in the small wood behind the Half Moon Bay cafe at 11:45. Heard from allotment at the bottom of Smithy Lane by Phil Rosser - thanks

Middleton Nature Reserve
See  yesterday's record for Garden warbler above. This means there are potentially 10 warblers to be found here at the moment.
Both Cetti's and Grasshopper warblers singing this morning - re Janet
Common Snipe 1

Four-spotted chaser - thanks Janet

Skeer - low water 16:40
No sign of Knot, Great-Crested grebes or Red-breasted merganser.
Eider 14 male
Dunlin 4

Two of the Dunlin amongst the honeycomb worm

Bar-tailed Godwit 8

One in full summer plumage

Another excellent seawatch!

The breeze was much lighter today from SE early on when the bulk of the birds were seen.  Seawatching totals have been carefully aggregated from observers stationed on Heysham Head, North wall and South wall roundhead. Thanks to all involved.
Arctic Skua - two dark morph together flew across the bay heading for Lune Estuary, one very distant dark morph in later
Gannet 24
Arctic Tern flock of c30 + 7 in
Sandwich Tern 80-100 some very close in others distant blobs.
Manx Shearwater 62
Common Scoter c60 plus 5 plus c35 out
Puffin one on sea then flew in. A different distant one in seen by Shaun and Jonathan,
Guillemot c5 on sea
Razorbill 1 in plus 1 close in on sea
Razorbill/Guillemot 16
Kittiwake 8 on sea plus 1 in
Red-Throated Diver 4 including very close bird showing red throat!
Whimbrel 9 in 5 on Red Nab

Not a sign of any landbirds or hirundine migrants

Middleton Nature Reserve mid afternoon
All 9 regular warblers seen and or heard including
Cetti's Warbler - no swimming pond, fence pond and cental marsh males singing
Grasshopper Warbler just one singing today NW corner of western marsh near yellow barrier.
This Mallard with chicks was driven off the "no swimming" pond by the aggressive male Mute.

She managed to get all 15 to the main pond.

Janet reported Moorhen chicks yesterday
Buzzard 1 over to west
Dragonflies:
Four-spotted chaser 1 (first record of year from the recording area, although they were on Heysham Moss last week)
Broad-bodied chaser at least 3 tenerals

Red Nab high water 07:30
To continue the theme of specialised feeding methods. This is a Peregrine hunting, and perhaps not one for the faint hearted. Forget the graceful stoops from tv documentaries, this one is about opportunism and manoeuvrability (MD)
It did start with a stoop though, then a chase, after the Oystercatchers

No luck

Then, as it was flying over the rocks it spotted a bird that hadn't taken flight. It stopped, almost immediately, in mid air. - you can see the effect of its wings down draught on the water below the Peregrine.

You can just make out the head of the prey bird behind the rocks lower right. It looks like a Whimbrel, probably exhausted, off passage.

The Peregrine spun round (there is a third of a second between these two frames) and headed back, this time the prey did manage to take off. Just in time....

All the Peregrine managed was a talon full of feathers

But it wheeled around again and this time grabbed the bird

It flew off with its catch. Presuming the prey was a Whimbrel, the size relationship suggests the Peregrine was a female.

If nothing else this sequence demonstrates just how vulnerable waders are to predation, if they don't take to the air when a Peregrine is hunting. 

Great seawatch!

Three of us separately covered the sea from the north wall 0700-1000:  The skuas were interesting.  The first (four) Arctic dropped out of the sky down to about 30m above the sea then circled up and headed inland over my head - so nearly missed at the top of the scope, the next two were gaining height steadily but carried on up the Bay.  The Poms on the other hand were a water-hugging, apart from a bit of wheeling, purposefully-flying flock up the centre of the Bay - it did appear at first that one bird was quite a bit ahead of the others which then caught it up; certainly they were at least a scope's width behind for a few seconds.  The two Bonxie were inbound singletons, the first landing on the (inbound) sea early on

Whimbrel - 2+2 in
Pomarine Skua - flock of six light morph adults in at 0815hrs
Arctic Skua - 4+2 at 0740 and 0745 (see above).  All dark/intermediate-dark morph
Bonxie - in then on 0715 and in at unknown time between 0900-1000
Manx Shearwater - 220 seen flying in and others could have been missed; outbound birds ignored but similar impression of numbers
Raz/Gill - 60 mainly in and most after 0825hrs and before 0900hrs
Guillemot - 7 definites
Razorbill - 5 definites
Arctic Tern - 26+5+2 in
Fulmar - one out 0757hrs
Kittiwake - flock 6 in
Common Scoter - 27 seen
Red-throated Diver - 3 in
Sandwich Tern - c30 - more blogging/less movement than yesterday
Gannet - 2+2+2 out
 

Better variety

The wind came from SW to W. Overcast early on then sunshine and light showers.

Fortunately Pete (M) had an early appointment and managed an hour sea watching first. 07:10 - 08:10
Arctic Skua 1 dark morph in 07:15
Manx Shearwater 3 + 1 out
Gannet 2 out
Red-Throated Diver flock of 3 summer plumage in high
Kittiwake flocks of 25 and 27 in
Common Scoter 3 plus 2 out close, flock 5 distantly in
Sandwich Tern c30 mostly heading in.
Whimbrel 1 + 3 in, the flock of 3 very high

Evening watch 1800-1900
Arctic Skua - two light morph in
Manx Shearwater - min 10
Kittiwake - min 10
Fulmar - 1

A very brief check of beach found it deserted

Except for these two Dunlin and a Knot!

Middleton Nature Reserve- mid afternoon
Mute - three pairs nesting plus one remaining 2nd calendar year
Moorhen 6
Coot 3

The arrival of a new coot on the main pond wasn't welcomed!

Gadwall 4 (2 male plus pair)
Mallard 2 male
Little grebe - heard only
Swallow c20 north mainly single birds

Warblers - all 9 regular birds seen and or heard. Only the eastern half of the reserve was checked, this is an idea of distribution:
Cetti's Warbler - just the "no swimming" and fence pond males singing
Grasshopper warbler 3 heard - east side of central marsh, NW corner of central marsh near the old brick weighbridge building and middle of western marsh.
Reed warbler - just one male singing in reeds of western scrape (west side of road opposite fence pond)
Sedge warbler, Common Whitethroat and Willow warbler - pretty much everywhere
Lesser Whitethroat only one heard singing near gun club (brick building east of the main pond)
Blackcap one singing near yellow barrier near golf course
Chiffchaff, not so many singing as recently, but still three or four in hedgerow near golf club and Tim Butler pond.

Buzzard over to west

This Puss Moth from Kevin's trap (SD46A)

Rare for Heysham

Almost beaten by the weather

This morning started bright and sunny with a SE wind. By mid morning the wind had strengthened and was driving rain showers. Then at lunchtime a severe thunderstorm with heavy hail seemed to stop the wind for a while. After that we were back to light SE wind with sunny spells and showers.

Shoreline out from Half Moon Bay - mid morning
Mute Swan - 4 resting on mud in front of the north wall, later seen flying south.
Whimbrel one flock of 17 quite high to NW
Sanderling 1 in summer plumage feeding on water line - unfortunately it was pouring down and couldn't manage a decent picture.

This is conger rock, far and away the largest rock on the skeer, making it an important "landmark". On these neap tides, it is only just exposed, making it a handy resting place for these young cormorants.

On the way back, the sun came out briefly, allowing good views of four Rock Pipits around the middle slipway to Half Moon Bay field. A further check is required to determine the status of these (MD)

Mediterranean gull 1 2nd calendar year on mudflats by No.2 outflow on south wall

Sandwich Tern 2 in shipping channel

Eyes to the sea - but you have to look a long way!

The wind started off due E then moved around to SE then finally S. Overcast at first, rain in the afternoon followed by a sunny evening.
Observations restricted to four one hour observations by different observers. Early and mid morning, early afternoon and evening.
There were birds to be seen, but many were at the limits of observation.

Sandwich Tern 1 in
Arctic Tern - tight flock of 36 SE into the wind early afternoon, plus 1 and 1 in.
Gannet 24 in

Fortunately some of the Ganets came in closer, but still quite a distance. This picture from Kevin.

Arctic Skua - flock of 4 dark morph birds in
Common Scoter 5 out plus 2 flying between inner and outer channels
Shag 1 2nd calendar year bird flew east accross the bay then veered south towards the harbour entrance
Red-Throated diver 1 out
Whimbrel at least 22, some feeding some in.


Grey seal 1

Passive passage?

The breeze was back to north and east. But only a light breeze, accompanied by light drizzle.
There were signs of subtle and off passage birds.

Water's edge out from Half Moon Bay around low water 09:45
No sign of any tern passage
Whimbrel 2 feeding on skeer
Curlew several feeding individuals on skeer but also a small group of 8 that flew off north together
Great-crested grebe 12 feeding plus one that flew in
Red-breasted merganser 8
Eider 5
Little Egret - one, presumably the regular bird here, was feeding (see post 25/04), then three other birds came from the east (not bearing gifts) and settled around it. The regular bird stopped feeding and just stood there till the three flew off north. As soon as they left, it started looking for food again. It didn't seem to want share it's technique. (MD)

The regular bird is the middle one here - a Heysham standoff!

Middleton Nature Reserve - early afternoon ref Janet
There seemed to be more Lesser Whitethroat around than recently.
Buzzard 2 over, very high
Kestrel 1 high plus this one feeding.

One of the "no swimming" pond Moorhens busy at work.

South shore - high water 15:15
Rock Pipit one in nesting area near lighthouse plus pair on Red Nab
Canada goose - the two itinerant birds were taking advantage of the gut weed, which is becoming lush again in the warmer weather, and the lack of grazing by the Wigeon and Brent geese that have moved on

Just someting to consider, if you plan to walk along the water line at Heysham, apart from the obvious - don't walk into soft mud!

I could see the Sea Cat approaching Heysham Harbour.

I knew what would happen next, the Cat turns to enter the harbour.

But it's wake keeps coming. I had anticipated this and moved up the beach. But the power of the wake as it traveled across the bay was sufficient for it to break as it passed over the already submerged sand bars.

The wakes from the normal ferries act differently, much larger displacement but slower pace. Always be aware of boats both coming in and leaving. Although in reality, the main risk is of getting wet feet, not being swept away.

Ah well - half right

The breeze was again from the west with sunshine all day.

The only records so far are from mine (MD) and Janet's exercise walks mid morning at
Middleton Nature Reserve.
All the 9 regular warblers (see post 23/04) were seen and or heard. Although the two Grasshopper warblers heard were underwhelming, one very quiet and the other only singing in short bursts.
It's a shame because many of the other warblers were taking advantage of the calmer conditions to sing from the bush tops.
As per this Common Whitethroat

It's also nice to see and hear the Wrens more than matching the warblers.

Pictures from Janet - thanks

Today's post title refers to my prediction yesterday, of Four-spotted Chasers being located on Middleton today. No sign of them, but two teneral female Broad-bodied Chasers were located. So half right.

Hopefully more later

Top moth fills the gap

Overcast and feeling cooler today, despite the wind coming from the west.

No reports received so far today, other than my (MD) brief check of the skeer just before dark. The only sign of movement were two swallow north just above the water and two off passage Whimbrel. Plus the regulars:
Knot only c250
Great-Crested Grebr 10
Red-Breasted Merganser 6
Eider, c30 mainly male flew to skeer from the inner bay.

As with most familiar birds, their beauty is often overlooked.

These pictures from Janet of Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler are from Middleton yesterday. No dragonflies reported as yet from Middleton, despite good numbers of Four-spotted chasers at nearby Heysham Moss.. Perhaps tomorrow.

Lunar Marbled Brown (SD46A)
This moth from Kevin's trap yesterday, may be the first record ever for the Heysham area.

Back to more subtle observations

Very light east breeze early on. Sunny till mid afternoon.

The seabird pasage is still on hold for the time being.

Low water (08:00)  tide line out from Half Moon Bay
Sandwich tern just 4 in
Whimbrel, none seen moving but a total of 9 located feeding
These five 2nd calendar year Mute Swans flew in from SE and settled on the north side of skeer.

Unlike a Sandwich Tern, a Little Egret's feeding method is dainty- although I doubt the prey appreciate it! (MD)

Middleton Nature Reserve - early evening
Just a quick visit to check out reports of  "none lockdown" activities reported on Facebook. Fortunately when I got there at 17:00 the place was deserted and clean and tidy. Let's hope it stay that way (clean and tidy, not deserted).
All the warblers except for Grasshopper heard
Common Snipe 1
Stock dove 1

This is an unusual viewing angle for a Grey Heron. I'm glad it didn't live up to its local nickname!