Where did all the Mute go?

The wind switched to the west and brought the rain with it!

Heysham skeer - low water 11:15 (MD)

I had hoped the Brent might have paid a visit for this 2.8m low water, but they don't seem to like to cross over in rough weather, unless driven by hunger, as they appear to be later in the winter.

As it happens, there was almost nothing feeding on the skeer except Oystercatcher. No Knot and just a few Turnstone and Redshank close in. At least it made for easy walking, there are thousands of Oystercatchers but they are just a thousand individuals feeding. You can walk through them and they just part in front of you, like the Red Sea, then return when you pass.

Eider - just one seen.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I have been walking here since the mid 1990s, and I cannot recall a previous occasion when there are no adult Mute on the reserve. But that was the case today! Just 3 + 1 juvenile on the main pond. No adult to be seen anywhere. Strange, even the birds away from the main pond are visited daily by dedicated feeders. 

We'll have to wait and see if they were just on an away day.

Gadwall 28

Shoveller 1

Mallard 2

Teal 1

Little grebe still 3 together on "no swimming" pond.

A nice bit of teamwork

Janet spotted a colour ringed Oystercatcher on Heysham Cricket Club field. Unfortunately she was exercising her dog and her phone camera was not quite up to reading it. So she let me know, and fortunately it was still there when I checked later in the afternoon.

It turns out that Janet's bird was ringed in Norway.

It might be from out of town, but it knows how to find worms.
Look at all the daisies in December!

Certainly worth getting a dirty bill for!

Thanks to Richard du Feu, who has already narrowed it down to one of eight Oystercatchers ringed on Lofoten islands Norway.  It is only the fifth Oystercatcher ringed in Norway to be read in Lancashire.

Norwegian birds normally stay on the east side of the UK.

Another stroll in the sun

There was a ground frost overnight, leaving a thin scrim of ice on open water. Variable northerly breeze. The sun shone all day.

Heysham skeer - low water 10:00

Everything pretty much the same as yesterday, including the marauding Peregrines. The only addition were 7 Bar-Tailed Godwit.

Middleton Nature Reserve - early afternoon 

Gadwall 27

Teal 2 male

Shoveller 1 male

Mallard 2

Little Grebe 3 (all amicable on the "no swimming" pond)

The Shoveller and Teal looking splendid in the sunshine.

Water Rail 3 - 1 squealing plus 2 contact calling

Common Snipe 1

Grey Wagtail 1

Meadow Pipit 1

I routinely have Goldfinch on my garden feeders, as I am sure many of you do. But it is more satisfying to see them feeding naturally on teasel seeds.

Not a day to be sleepy

Another very pleasant day, still very light northerly breeze with a decent amount of sunshine.

Heysham skeer - low water 09:10 (MD)

Pink-Footed goose. 24 very high to the east 09:15.    61 low to south 09:55

Eider 70

Great Crested Grebe 6

Little Egret 6

Turnstone c80

Redshank 60

Both the above two mainly on the inner skeer

Knot - this is what today's title refers to - although in reality they have to be on high alert all day, every day!

Altogether there were c2000. I am very conscious that these short days and neap tides do not provide a long feeding window, so I keep my distance so as not to disturb. I was checking a smallish group for rings when suddenly they took flight. I knew it had to be a predator so I started videoing. A Peregrine hit the flock 2 seconds later. It comes in low from the left, but much too quickly to see in real time. This still is from the video. The Peregrine is circled.

The reaction of the Knot resulted some ending up in the sea, but they were quickly back in flight and the group splits in two where the Peregrine hit, before rejoining later. This is not a murmuration, this is a flight for life! 

You will see very little in real time, but if you click the toothed gear icon on the video, you can watch in slow motion. You still won't see much though - Peregrine are fast!

I suspect it must have been the juvenile Peregrine that I have seen a few times recently. I have seen Peregrine pick a Knot from a flock, apparently as easily as you would pick an apple from a supermarket shelf. But this one flew back towards the Power Stations with empty talons!

South Shore - high water

Pete managed to read a Knot ring on the mud out from Red Nab - from only 20 birds in total!

Grey wagtail 2 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab plus 1 on rocky outcrop south of the saltmarsh.

Reed Bunting 1

Knot c300 out from the saltmarsh - unfortunately most standing in the water so no rings seen.

Dunlin c80

Ringed Plover 10

Grey Plover 2

A sleepy sort of day

A light NNE wind with sunshine for most of the day - really a very pleasant, albeit short day.

Knot update - Howard managed to read and photograph this Sefton coast ringed bird, which is a new bird for the bay.

South shore 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult followed the ferry into the harbour

Kevin managed this distant record shot. It appears to have a very dark mask.

Pink-Footed goose 130 north 10:40

Wigeon 180

Ringed Plover 31

Knot 60+  All sleeping in a tight bunch, up to their bellies in a drain. This is the water that drains out of the saltmarsh creek. It must have been this deep when they decided it was the ideal location for a nap. 

The only thing that I could think of (MD), was that the water temperature was warmer than the air. I didn't disturb them but tested the water temperature in the creek. It was cold, I wouldn't fancy standing in it for long! So I have no idea why they were resting there.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Gadwall 25 (5 on main pond, rest on "no swimming" pond)

Mallard 4

Shoveller 1 male

Little Grebe 2

Water Rail 4 squealing 

No Cetti's warbler heard

Most of the ducks were sleeping too. Some of the Gadwall and a Little Grebe

Another quick check of the foreshore as the sun was setting found nothing new.

It is obvious that we are approaching the winter solstice, the sun set just to the west of Fleetwood!

The "obelisk" on the far left horizon is the Rossal Point observation tower

Knot ring reading proving very productive

Lightish cold winds from the north, showers increased throughout the day.

There have been a very impressive total of 87 ringed Knot read and identified so far this year. The main observers are Richard Du Feu, Howard Stockdale, Jean Roberts and Pete Marsh (apologies if I have missed anyone).

Pete took this photograph today.

N3GYNN - a Dutch ringed knot with aerial for tracking its movements whilst moulting in Holland before heading west for the winter. Also seen here in mid- November.  Presumed to fly straight to Holland to moult from Greenland breeding grounds.

I was going to show the spreadsheet to date, but it is still work in progress, so not just yet.

Other than this it has been a quiet day. 

South shore

Rock Pipit 2

Wigeon 180

This picture shows the strong bill of a juvenile Great Black-Backed gull nicely

Earlier in the year, I showed how I (MD) string peanuts out to feed the Jays in my garden. I did comment at the time, that one of the "downsides" it that they also attract the occasional grey squirrel (only a downside, if you don't enjoy being entertained by a squirrel on a bleak winter's day - I do). Anyway, today's visitor hit the jackpot as the whole string came off. After trying to put them all in its mouth, including the wire, it shot off.

Finally, to continue our theme of  "interesting dredger pictures".

Mini dredger in front of a snow capped Black Combe -
told you it was a quiet day!

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