Good coverage with at least one reward

 Pretty quiet today (report from Jean)

Vis 07:00-10:00

ENE F2

Pink-footed Goose 25

Snipe 6

Jackdaw 37

Carrion Crow 10

Skylark 9

Blackbird 1

Grey Wagtail 8

Meadow Pipit 81

Chaffinch 5

Linnet 2

Goldfinch 2

Siskin 2

Reed Bunting 8

Notables on the deck:

Kingfisher 1

Cetti's Warbler 2 singing

Water Rail 1 squealing

Sparrowhawk 1 chasing a Meadow Pipit

Ringing (including Alan's)

Meadow Pipit 11

Grey Wagtail 2

Wren 2

Robin 2

Blackbird 1

Chiffchaff 2

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit 3

Chaffinch 2

Reed Bunting 4

WeBS counts

Ocean Edge 

A high tide roost of 70 Redshank, 5 Turnstone and a Curlew Sandpiper huddled together well away from anglers, paddlers, dogwalkers etc

Red Nab

68 Turnstone, 16 Ringed Plover and 5 Dunlin squeezed onto what remained of the rocks on the 10.3m tide. 3 Rock Pipits preferred the seaweed covered sea wall.

2 noisy Peregrines were flying high above the power station - it looked like a young one was harrassing an adult.

Heliport 

3100 Oystercatcher, 364 Redshank, 26 Turnstone, 4 Lapwing, 114 Knot, 3 Dunlin and 1 Grey Plover.

Others

A Herald moth pretended to be a leaf on the curved sea wall below the power station.

Picture by Kevin

High spring tides bring Ospreys in

 The easterlies continue. The air is cooler but the, almost, constant sunshine warm.

Middleton Nature Reserve - report from Jean

Below is the vis for Middleton NR. It was quieter today with fewer birds overhead but a bigger variety. A Chiffchaff from elsewhere was caught (ie "controlled") so it will be interesting to find out where it is from. No Yellow-browed Warblers yet.

Vis 0630-1130

ENE F3

Teal 3

Snipe 10

Collared Dove 2

Jackdaw 3

Swallow 24

Grey Wagtail 5

alba wagtail 3

Meadow Pipit 110

Chaffinch 1

Linnet 12

Lesser Redpoll 4

Goldfinch 1

Siskin 4

Reed Bunting 7

Ringing totals:

Grey Wagtail 4

Meadow Pipit 8

Lesser Redpoll 1

Coal Tit 1

Blue Tit 5

Great Tit 4

Chiffchaff 2

Sedge Warbler 2

Reed warbler 1 (retrap)

Blackcap 3

Goldcrest 2

Robin 1

Reed Bunting 3

Ocean Edge 

Two good records as the tide was approaching high water. Thanks to Dan and Ian Hartley.

Osprey Two! Later flew north from Potts Corner towards Red Nab 

Curlew Sandpiper 1

earlier:

Great White Egret - 1 at 10:40. Flight line from estuary towards Power Station.

Knot c100 A few still in partial summer plumage 

Grey Plover c20, two still in almost full summer plumage 

Ringed Plover one flock of c50 plus other smaller groups

Dunlin one flock of c60 lots of others scattered around in twos and threes

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 (a small juvenile)

or a large Ringed Plover

Wheatear 3

The following moving south

Swallow 2

Meadow Pipits 25 in small groups

The wind turns

 Quite a fresh easterly breeze, generally sunny.

The easterlies are set till Tuesday and Pete (M) advises that it could bring some good land birds in, with a reasonable possibility of Yellow-Browed Warbler.

Grey Wagtail ringing surprise re-trap (PM)

A Grey Wagtail was colour ringed whilst taped on NW to SE vis mig on 31/8 and continued to the SE after release. Today a high flying flock of four dropped into the net on vis mig from the NW including the above bird, almost certainly via crossing of Morecambe Bay from the south Lakes as is the norm (using Heysham PS as a cross Bay ‘guide’ hence a flightline concentration) This was 0800 well after ex-immediately local roost time.  All four headed off together to the SE. Almost like it wasn’t happy with its first effort at migration and went back to try again.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Visible migration report from Jean:

A surge of migrating birds flew over at sunrise then slowed into more of a trickle. Meadow Pipits kept coming over throughout the morning. The first migrating Song Thrush of the autumn was seen. 

Vis 0630-1130

Pink-footed Goose 38

Snipe 3

Carrion Crow 22

Swallow 25

House Martin 2

Song Thrush 2

Grey Wagtail 20

alba wagtail 12

Meadow Pipit 500

Chaffinch 1

Linnet 2

Redpoll sp 6

Reed Bunting 2

Ringing

Results from Jean

Meadow Pipit 43

Pied Wagtail 1

Chiffchaff 1

Great Tit 2

Alan's catch included:

Willow Warbler 1

5 Robin

9 grey wags (plus the retrap!), 

4 Blackcap, 

Chiffchaff

Mid morning (MD)

Just the western side checked

Cetti's warbler 1 singing

Chiffchaff 1 singing

Dragonflies- just two species seen

Common Darter - everywhere 

Migrant Hawker 8 (all males)

The males tolerate each other's company,
 at least away from breeding areas.

Butterflies - in order of abundance 

Red Admiral 

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell 

Small White 

Comma 3

Meadow Brown 1

This worn female is quite late.

South Shore - am (MD)

Shelduck 108

Wheatear 6

Rock Pipit 3

Linnet c30

The above grounded, below heading south

Meadow Pipit 35 in ones and twos (including some seen from the west side of MNR)

Swallow 2 

Weasel 1 flushed from the flotsam at Red Nab by the rising spring tide.

Raven - 1 over the barrows early pm (ref Janet)

This Black-Headed Gull was near the waterfall. It has an extra toe growing out from its left knee!

What do you call a gull with a toe growing from its knee?

...........Tony........(sorry!)

Vis picks up again

 A new wave of migrating birds moved through and over Middleton NR today.

Vis 0630-1230

Pink-footed Goose 316 in 5 flocks

Teal 5

Snipe 2

Carrion Crow 2

Swallow 10

Mistle Thrush 1

Grey Wagtail 17

alba wagtail 8

Meadow Pipit 275

Linnet 5

Redpll sp 3

Siskin 12

Reed Bunting 2

Ringing was quite productive with 71birds caught and only one was a retrap:

Wren 1 (the retrap)

Chiffchaff 4

Grey Wagtail 5

Blackcap 3

Meadow Pipit 39

Goldcrest 2

Blackcap 4

Great Tit 3

Bullfinch 1

Robin 4

Long-tailed Tit 2

Coal Tit 1

White Wagtail 1

Pied/White Wagtail 1

Back to normal

 Calm early on then an easterly breeze freshened and shifted to NE. Sunny till mid afternoon then overcast.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JM. AD)

After the ringing bonanza yesterday, this morning was a disappointment. Weather conditions were not quite right and the catch was very poor.

Grey Wagtail - 3 (of nine seen)

Robin - 4 + 2retraps

Blackcap - 2

Chiffchaff - 8

Goldcrest - 2

Chaffinch - 1

Blue Tit - 2

Wren - 1

Cettis Warbler - 1 retrap (one singing from central marsh)

No Meadow Pipits were caught and only 9 seen on passage, 7 Swallows also flew south-east.

Miscellaneous:

Wheatear 3 - Ocean Edge foreshore in the afternoon 

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab plus 1 near lighthouse 

Goldcrest c10 Heysham Nature Reserve and Moneyclose Lane

Hopefully more to come

Even more going on today

Very light variable breezes, very warm after the sun got high

Middleton Nature Reserve (JR. PM)

NE F1, mostly thin cloud with sun breaking through later in the morning and then becoming quite hot. Vis was recorded during a ringing session but is probably a serious undercount of what went over.

Summary:

Grey wagtails moving from first hint of civil twilight with 32 or so over and 18 of these colour ringed - the highest daily ringing total (and nine were missed first thing!).  Other things on the move were Meadow Pipit and pink-footed goose with low three figures of MP.   A few warblers about: two Willow Warbler, one new Reed Warbler, at least 7 Chiffchaff and 5 Blackcap and a couple of Goldcrest.  Best individual bird was a Juv Marsh Harrier low to the south over the golf course and the western side of MNR.  Flock of 22 Jackdaw south and about 10 Carrion Crow heading south.  Swallow (16) and Pied Wagtail in pitiful numbers though.  No obvious finch movement   

Detail:

Vis 0625-1310 

Greylag Goose 2

Pink-footed Goose 208

Marsh Harrier 1 juvenile 

Carrion Crow c10

Jackdaw 22

Snipe 1

Skylark 4

Swallow 16

Goldcrest 2

Grey Wagtail 32

alba wagtail 16

Meadow Pipit 89

Linnet 2

Reed Bunting 2

Ringing totals

Mostly young birds passing through so very few retraps from previous days. Retraps are in brackets.

Grey Wagtail 18

Meadow Pipit 42

Reed Warbler 2 (1)

Willow Warbler 1

Chiffchaff  8

Blackcap 7

Robin 3

Goldcrest 2

Reed Bunting 2

Goldfinch 1

Dunnock 1

Blue Tit 2 (1)

Great Tit 3 (1)

Long-tailed Tit 1 (1)

Wren 1 (1)

South Shore (MD)

Mid morning - towards high water

Bar-Tailed Godwit c120 on the last remaining island of mud out from the saltmarsh 

Mute 2

Wheatear 1

White Wagtail 2

Meadow Pipit 18

Rock Pipit 2

Sandwich Tern 1

Looking less "comical" in flight.

Wigeon 1 male

The first returning Wigeon.

A check of the beach near wooden jetty in the afternoon found it empty. Presumably the Meds were off catching insects again (see yesterday's post)

Insects:

It was very hot and lots of insect movement again, but the almost lack of wind meant that there was no focus in direction.

Migrant Hawker two out south and one east along the sea wall

Common Darter - bizarrely there were three on the rocks around No.2 outflow. They appeared to be defending territories around the rock pools. This is salt water!

This one with the periwinkles and barnacles 

This one preferred sea anemones for company!

Large (cabbage) whites are not routinely recorded

but this second generation female looked very smart

Another short spell of "excitement" resulted from a yellow butterfly flitting in and out of view through the brambles

unfortunately it turned out to be a male Brimstone. 

Still nice though.

Quite a lot going on today

 Very light breeze started from the south then made its way clockwise around the compass to end in the east. Warm once the sun got higher, then warm all day.

Middleton Nature Reserve early morning

Ringing report from Alan:

A very clear and still morning with an incredibly heavy dew. Apart from a decent Grey Wagtail passage it was fairly quiet with only 6 Alba Wagtails, 8 Meadow Pipits and 9 Swallows seen overhead.

12 Grey Wagtails were captured and colour ringed.

Other birds captured were:

Great spotted Woodpecker - 1

Meadow Pipit - 5

Pied Wagtail - 1

Dunnock - 4

Robin - 2

Reed Warbler - 1

Blackcap - 1

Chiffchaff - 3

Willow Warbler - 1

Blue Tit - 1

Reed Bunting - 1

South shore mid morning (PM. JR. MD)

Mediterranean gull - at least 9 roosting on Red Nab adult plus 2nd calendar year. 2 adult roosting with Black-Headed gull on the beach out from Ocean Edge saltmarsh.

Mute 1 

Whimbrel at least 1

Black-Tailed Godwit 2

Sandwich Tern 1 on Red Nab

It was a sleepy sort of day on Red Nab

There was quite a lot going through to south. Hopefully a more complete report later, but included:

Swallow 13

Meadow Pipit 29

Alba Wagtails 8 (all one group, pausing briefly on Ocean Edge foreshore)

Five at least were White Wagtails

There were lots of insects about, Kevin took these nice shots

A Brown Hawker ovipositing on the small pond 

a lovely fresh Comma on the Buddleia 

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid afternoon (MD)

All the insects were taking advantage of the first really warm day for a while. Many must have been undertaking mating flights as the gulls were feeding on them. Not concentrated as they are with just flying ants, but gulls were feeding all over the reserve.

A significant proportion of the gulls were Mediterranean gulls. The most I saw at one time was 5, but I suspect that most of the local population must have been involved.

Adult Med

Not yet an adult...

Buzzard 1 north

Cetti's warbler 1 singing on central marsh

Water Rail - also calling central marsh - they seem to react to Cetti's 

The dragonflies were also taking advantage of the abundance of insects:

Emperor - just two, not feeding but ovipositoring 

Common Darter c25

Migrant Hawker c20

Brown Hawker 4

Spotted Flycatcher - 1 juvenile had dropped lucky with today's glut of small insects. It was feeding from the trees along the track on east side of golf course. It seemed to be catching plenty.

More good birder coverage = more good birds. But it wasn't easy.

 A third day of reasonably strong southwesterlies, easing off by evening. Mainly overcast.

Five birders located at strategic points along the observatory area's seaward range (Shaun Cole, Pete Crooks, Pete Marsh, Bill Martin and Nick Godden). This following aggregate of sightings looks impressive, but the birds were thin on the sea and took some locating.

Leach's Storm-Petrel 3 - (08:00, 09:25 and 11:10)

Manx Shearwater 1

Gannet 1 adult

Razorbill 1

Guillemot 1

Sandwich Tern 1

Red-Throated Diver 1

Black-Throated Diver - At 12:54 a probable Bk throated diver flew out then landed by yellow buoys.

Mediterranean gull - Some seen by most observers, comprising at least 14 adult/2cy plus 8 juveniles

There were 10 waiting to feed as the beach next to wooden jetty Became exposed. 

The pinkish bit in the foreground is the sea wall.

Later the Numbers increased to 14 adult/2cy plus 1 juvenile. If my assessment of recent trends is to be believed, the next three to four days should see an increase in feeding activity here (MD)

The wind, again, fails to provide

 The strong SSW to WSW winds continued, but easing during the day. Some sunny spells and light showers.

South shore - mid morning (MD)

There were 75 gulls roosting on the mud out from Ocean Edge saltmarsh (this area of beach does not get covered by these neap tides). Most were Black-Headed gulls, but at least one was a Mediterranean gull, probably 2.

This is a small section of them. 

One Med is just left of centre, a probable second just right of centre.

A juvenile Med was seen out from the harbour mouth, the roosting gulls on Red Nab were not checked.

Meadow Pipit 3 grounded

Rock Pipit 2 + 1

Wheatear 1

Shelduck - these were the only birds seen to be moving around.

10 on the Beach

3 and 6 flying north

12 and 6 flying south

These are some of the 12 flying south. This is the same location as yesterday's struggling Pinkfoot. The Shelduck also flew low, but seemed to manage easily enough. The wind had eased slightly. 

Nick Godden viewing from the Stone jetty also saw 9 Shelduck flying south, plus:

Pintail 11 south.

The lull......throughout the storm!

 Strong winds starting SWS then to SW. Heavy showers later in the evening.

I have had no reports of any sightings. And my own forays were underwhelming (MD).

South shore

Wheatear 1 Red Nab

Meadow Pipit 1 Ocean Edge foreshore 

Rock pipit 2 on Red Nab plus 1 near waterfall 

Mediterranean gulls - 4 adult and a juvenile on the beach near wooden jetty. One 2nd calendar year behind the midday ferry.

Pink-Footed goose - a flock of 34 battled against the wind as they flew south low over the shipping lane.

The "formation" became that of necessity. They moved like a caterpillar track, the leading birds quickly tired, gained height then dropped back and down, to allow the next leaders to repeat the process. Progress was painfully slow. Hopefully they were only going as far as the Fylde roosts.