A rainy day at Heysham

Light variable breeze, starting SE and moving to NE. Very heavy overnight rain and hail gave way to lighter rain which persisted on and off all day.

A walk along the south shore found it bereft of passerines, just the local Robins, Wrens and Dunnock, plus two single Rock Pipit. There have been regular sightings of both Merlin and Sparrowhawk here recently. I suspect one or both had been hunting before I got there.

Lapwing 180

The only Egret seen today were Little Egret 4 and a Grey Heron.

Later, when Howard was trying to read ringed Knot on the heliport, a raptor was spooking and scattering them. This time there was no doubt of the culprit.

Sparrowhawk - photo by Howard

The good news is that "Blogger" seems to have sorted out the video problem. 

About a week ago, Kevin sent me this video of Turnstone (all images and interesting videos welcomed - see my contact details on side bar to the right - Malcolm). I saved it for a rainy day, and here we are.

Turnstone routinely feed at the base of the south sea wall. The best time to watch them is when the tide is just reaching or just leaving the bottom of the wall. 

As Kevin said - Turnstone, doing what it says on the tin.

The only image I have to share today is possibly a potent of what may be with us tomorrow. The rain was turning to snow, as the clouds passed over Clougha Pike.

This shot from Middleton Nature Reserve before darkness crept over.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.......

The wind shifted to WNW. Rain early on then largely dry with some sunshine.

Thanks to Pete Woodruff for advising me that the problem with viewing videos on this blogger platform is the same for all users. It is hoped that "Blogger" can/will resolve it. Today's title will strike a chord for those of you of my generation, but I'm sure that you will all get the gist - I'll not post any further videos until this issue is resolved.

South shore late morning

Great White Egret - 10:35. 1 flew west from the beach area in front of the saltmarsh. It was initially very low, so presumably it had been resting on the mud.

Whooper swan - just a single bird south. It's been a good autumn for Whoopers over the recording area. I've just had a quick check. Exactly 150 birds on 12 dates, the first being 27/09.

Today's solitary Whooper swan

Common Snipe - the incoming tide quickly flushed 12 from the small islands of sea grass just south of the saltmarsh. Later another 12 lifted from the edge of saltmarsh.

Wigeon - there are lots! not counted today, because they were everywhere, including feeding on the gut weed at the bottom of the foreshore rocks. It isn't clear if this new feeding area is being used because of overcrowding or if the numbers are increasing because of easier access (without disturbance) to these areas. I do suspect the latter (MD)

Grey Plover 2

Rock Pipit 1

Reed Bunting 2

Reed Bunting 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check revealed a change of status with the Mute swans.

Main pond 2 + 1 juvenile 

No swimming pond 2 adult (original, pair?) plus 1 juvenile (presumably the one absent from the main pond) all feeding together.

No Shoveller or Tufted seen, otherwise wildfowl as per yesterday.

Hopefully more to come

Great White Egret day

The weak sunshine during most of the day was a welcome change. What breath of breeze there was was generally from the east.

Only my stuff so far hopefully more to come (MD)

South shore

Great White Egret - I don't suppose there were any more today than normal, it's just not often we get 3 sightings. Two flying north from the estuary area 10:20 and 10:40 were typical movement. One east at 11:15 not so obvious. 

Common Snipe 6

Redshank 20

Grey Plover 2

Dunlin - initially c300 feeding just out from the saltmarsh. These were joined briefly by a further 300 before being flushed by the tide. They picked up others and c1000 circled a while before heading towards Potts Corner.

These are some of the second wave of Dunlin landing

Reed Bunting 3

Middleton Nature Reserve - afternoon.

An hour stroll around revealed little more than I see in my regular 2 minute check of the "no swimming" pond. But it was very pleasant, till darkness descended (before lunch had settled!)

Main pond:

Mute - just the 3 + 1 juveniles 

Coot 2

Moorhen 4

Gadwall 3

Mallard 2

Cormorant 1

Grey Heron 1

No swimming pond (just west of the main pond):

Mute 1 adult

Coot 5

Moorhen 4

Gadwall 8

Tufted 2 male

Shoveller 2 male

Little Grebe 2

Tim Butler Pond:

Moorhen 8 - most in the horse field to the east

Gadwall 2

Mallard 2

Fence "pond" (the inverted commas as there is very little open water left between the reed mace):

Coot 1

Moorhen 1

Rest of reserve

Common Snipe 3

Cetti's warbler 1 singing central marsh

Grey wagtail 2

I have a couple of "nice" videos to share, but the video function of the blog seems to have stopped functioning. Hopefully it is a temporary problem.

I will post them anyway, but if they don't work don't be surprised.

This is one of the Grey Wagtail catching a worm

And this one of the Tufted diving, I really liked the background calls on this one - ah well!

Hen Harrier passes (chased) through

The wind freshened and had moved first SW then West. Heavy showers with, mainly, light rain in between.

First, a few earlier records from Pete(M)

Twite - 5 small birds flew past heliport on Friday. The only calls heard were Twite, so at very least one.

Cetti's warbler at least two singing on Middleton - Sunday

Grey wagtail 3 together on Middleton - Sunday

Today:

Merlin 1 female ruined the attempt to read more Knot rings on the heliport. All the Knot flushed to the south.

Pintail 6 out

Kittiwake 1 adult behind the ferry.

South shore (MD)

Hen Harrier - 09:45. Unfortunately it was raining and my optics and camera were stashed away. I'd just reached the slipway to the saltmarsh, two Carrion Crows were chasing a brown raptor east along the northern boundary of the saltmarsh, then SE over the caravans and out of sight. I just managed to get my binoculars out and on it in time to confirm it was a ring tail. 

Linnet 5 - they have been scarce since the small raptors have been active

Rock Pipit 2

Common Snipe 25 lifted from the saltmarsh, probably by the marginal tide.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick look at the "no swimming" pond

Mute 1 adult

Coot 5

Moorhen 2

Little Grebe 1

Gadwall 26

Tufted 1 male

Shoveller 2 male

Both Shoveller were constantly preening,
but this one is pretty much out of eclipse now

A grey day

It was one of those days when it never seemed to get light. Gentle southerly wind with low cloud/mist all day.

Report from Pete(C)

A visit in this morning’s anticyclonic gloom:

Near Naze / Helipad

2 Rock Pipit 

and Richard Du Feu reading Knot colour-rings

Not just Knot. This picture by Richard.
An Icelandic ringed Oystercatcher.

Red Nab

1 Rock Pipit

290 Wigeon

Wooden Jetty

63 Cormorant and 1 Grey Heron at high tide

South Harbour Wall

3 Rock Pipit 

3 Whooper Swan (flying south offshore)

South shore high water (MD)

Not as many waders close to the saltmarsh as yesterday.

Lapwing 190

Dunlin c500

Knot 80+

Redshank c50  (including the one legged bird, feeding with others)

Grey Plover 20

Pink-Footed goose 12 low (to be under the cloud) 09:45

Peripheral Black Redstart

It started off damp but quite bright, but by 10:30 it was quite dark, the rain started about 11:00 then light rain on and off after that. The east breeze shifted to NE during the day.

Black Redstart 1 female/immature - Pete(M) managed to scope this from the saltmarsh slipway. It flew up the pretend castle like structure to the south of Ocean Edge, flashed its tail and landed about half way up (n.b. This is a correction from the original post when I thought it was seen on the shore). This is the very edge of the south shore observatory area. Also:

Merlin 1 female

Sparrowhawk 1 1st calendar year male

Mediterranean gull 1 adult behind the ferry.

There were 11 colour ringed Knot read on the heliport. Hopefully some histories later.

South shore either side of high water (MD)

I don't know what the Redshank are feeding on at the moment, but both yesterday on the skeer and today on Red Nab, birds were taking to the water to feed.

But this is the first time I've seen one upend to feed!

At 8.6m today's high water just about covered the mud out from the saltmarsh. There were still mudflats exposed further south towards Potts Corner. These were "full" of waders. But as the tide ebbed more and more of these moved to the mud in front of the saltmarsh (suspect Pete's raptors might be a factor). I started with accurate counts, then as more and more came in it became impractical. These are the approximate numbers by 10:30 (just 30 minutes after high water)

Grey Plover 80

Dunlin 1,360

Ringed Plover 10

Bar-Tailed Godwit 200

Redshank 30

Strangely no Knot

This is the point were c100 Bar-Tailed Godwits arrived.

Earlier individual Grey Plovers roosted on the rocks.
No sign of summer plumage now.

Pink- Footed geese were active in both directions 

09:31 - 23 south

09:33 - 68 north

09:43 - 57 NE

10:35 - 74 south

11:30 - 120 south 

This Redshank has only one leg. It isn't just resting one.

I'm posting a short video of it feeding, not for entertainment, but as a demonstration of the adaptability of nature, and of this particular bird's tenacity. (If the video doesn't open first time, try again later)

It seems accustomed to feeding this way, and is obviously successful. Whatever happened to its leg, must have been a while ago, possibly it was born with only one leg. It may struggle in cold weather though, they normally keep their feet warm by alternating which they stand on and warming the other under their feathers. But I'm sure it will have developed its own way.

Lots of water line activity

A  very gentle easterly breeze. Overcast all day, but no rain.

These intermediate tides between neap and spring can be interesting. They are not high enough to flush the birds from the upper beach, particularly in areas of reduced human activity. And they don't go out far enough to expose all the low water feeding grounds, so the birds are more concentrated.

South shore - high water 09:30 - 8.3m

Mediterranean gull 1 on Red Nab (thanks to Phil and Neil for this one)

Rock Pipit 1

The tide didn't quite cover all the mud out from the saltmarsh and I was the only person around.

This the typical concentration of birds

The following were all feeding within 30m from the above shot:

Shelduck 35

Redshank c100

Dunlin c50

Knot c80

Common Snipe 1

Reed Bunting 2 on the edge of the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 

Heysham skeer - low water 16:15

Checked 14:00 -15:00

No sign of the Brent geese today.

In fact, nothing unusual, but feeding was frantic. There is only a short feeding window on the skeer on these short days and lowish tides.

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-Breasted Merganser 2

Knot c500

Redshank c300

Turnstone 10

Curlew 50+

Plus the ubiquitous Oystercatcher 

Little Egret 6

Pink-Footed goose 184 south 14:50

Eider 71

The Eider are already practicing their courtship displays/calls. I've attached two short video clips.

This first one gives you an idea of the general level of activity on the skeer. Above the general commotion you can just hear the Eider's Frankie Howard impersonations.

This one is further out, but you should still be able to hear the Eider calls - watch out for the Great Crested Grebe

Much as I enjoy sharing the skeer with so many birds, I am very aware that the feeling is not mutual. What to me sounds "frantic", is in fact a desperate race to feed up before a long winter's night. Although I move slowly and keep my distance it is inevitable that I disturb some birds. Just something to bare in mind if you go out there for a walk (MD).

Day trippers

Very light variable breeze during the morning, almost breathless in the afternoon.

South Shore

No sign or reports of Black Redstart

Rock Pipit 1

Lapwing 208 resting on mud out from the saltmarsh, then flew towards the estuary 

Knot 4

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Roe deer 2 - ref Janet

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean - late morning to early afternoon.

Pink-footed Goose 26 N at midday then a similar number S at 14:30. 

On the deck:

Meadow Pipit 1, 

Grey Wagtail 1, 

Reed Bunting 1, 

Cetti’s Warbler 2 singing, 

Water Rail 2 squealing. 

Had a ringing session at the new feeding station at Middleton NR. The Blue Tits love it! Out of a total of 46 birds caught, 32 were Blue Tits.

Blue Tit 32 (half from this year and half from previous years,  the oldest being 4 years old)

Great Tit 7 (1 from this year and 6 from previous years, the oldest being 6 years old)

Coal Tit 2 (both new birds)

Blackbird 1 (an adult female ringed as a youngster in 2019)

Greenfinch 1 (ringed as a youngster in 2019)

Chaffinch 3 new adults 

All the retrapped birds had been ringed at Middleton and some had been caught each year, so they are very site faithful. Using a formula known as "Single Session Mark/Recapture Method" it suggests that the total number of Blue Tits on the site is around 240. I couldn't work it out for the other species as none were caught in the same session.

Heysham skeer late afternoon (MD)

Pale-Bellied Brent goose 4 - including two Canadian ringed birds. This is what the title refers to. There are almost 300 Pale-bellied Brent over wintering at Walney, some, particularly later in the winter, fly over to feed at Heysham. The only other sighting so far this winter was 11th November. That was a 2.53m low water, today it was almost identical at 2.57m. Both sightings in the same location, the SE corner of the skeer.

This is the clearest shot of both ringed birds together.

VDRB and VTRB ringed as an adult on Axel Heiberg island, Canada 2/08/14. This is their third successive winter visit to Heysham

Something spooked them into flight, but they just did a short circle and landed back, quite close to me (it's an advantage when the sun is behind you).

I like this shot with 5 Bar-Tailed Godwit walking past

Other stuff:

Eider 60+

When it's this calm there is no hiding place on the sea.
This is a distant raft of c50 Eider

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-Breasted Merganser 2

Little Egret 5

Knot only c200

And finally, for the more romantic amongst you

Dredger at sunset

Much ado about (almost) nothing!

Light west wind and largely sunny.

There were a few visiting birders around today, but, so far, no reports of Black Redstarts 

Low tide channel from Knowlys 

Eider 62

Great Crested Grebe 7

South Shore (MD)

Rock Pipit - just one

Common Snipe - I looked closely at the small islands of sea grass to the south of the saltmarsh (see yesterday's post).

I eventually managed to locate 5 snipe, I'm sure there would have been more, as per yesterday. They were all resting and very difficult to see. These following pictures are more to show the effectiveness of, what is not always obvious, camouflage.

This is the only obvious shot, and also the only bird that actually moved.

It didn't move far, but now the straw lines on its back
can be seen to replicate the blades of grass around it.

This is a different bird. This angle shows the crown and eye stripes
also helping to merge with the background 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the "no swimming" pond before darkness descended (15:50!)

Cetti's warbler - male singing from the central marsh

Gadwall 16

Teal 4

Little Grebe 2

There are some quite large Mullein plants on the southern boundary. I'll be checking for Mullein caterpillars next year.

As I was leaving the moon was rising. I took this shot and posted it, just because I love the name of this moon phase, and seldom get the chance to use it.

A waxing gibbous moon

Another brief guest appearance by BRS

The fresh wind from the south continues. Overcast all day with a few light showers.

Black Redstart 1 briefly on Red Nab mid afternoon. It flew off north towards the Power Station non operational land - Report from Shaun.

South shore - mid morning (MD)

I cut across the mud, just out from the saltmarsh. I don't normally do this, so as not to spook any resting birds. But the beach looked empty. 

This is this area of shore. The saltmarsh is on the left, the patches of sea grass to the right of the creek, have increased quickly over the last few years. As I walked across 13 Common Snipe were flushed from these islands of vegetation, these in turn flushed another 6 from the saltmarsh itself. And with them 1 Jack Snipe. It's very unusual to see them on these neap tides, I'm not sure if the large number of Common Snipe on these islands is because the vegetation is increasing, or the lack of walkers from the locked down caravan park. Probably a bit of both.

Rock Pipit - a group of 4 flew from the saltmarsh towards the rocky outcrop to the east. Another bird was on the foreshore.

Linnet just 2

Heysham Skeer- low water 13:50

There isn't much of the skeer exposed by these neap tides, and there wasn't much on the sea.

Eider 22

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male

Knot c500 - no rings seen

Turnstone and Redshank c20 each

Curlew c50

Ringed Plover 2

Oystercatcher everywhere.

When there is nothing unusual to enjoy, you have to enjoy the usual.

This Oystercatcher has a smallish mussel, it then "hides" it in the water, but as another bird approaches it quickly retrieves it. It places it in another pool of water, and when the second bird moves on resumes foraging (it seems that this blog only allows you to watch embedded videos when no one else is, if it doesn't work first time, try again later - I'll try and sort out some muzak).

They fly off with mussels to eat them in private, it must have either been looking for a larger one or just another to take with it.