A plethora of ducks!

It was breathless early on with just a light breeze developing from the west during the day. It started off cool with a heavy dew, but the sun quickly warmed the day.

It was still calm mid morning as this vertical plume of water vapour 
from the Power Station testifies 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from John

Not ideal ringing conditions this morning, being clear and sunny quite early.

From an early start 6.30am, seventeen birds caught comprising;

Grey Wagtail x 6

Meadow Pipit x 4

Blue Tit x 2

Robin x 2

Wren x 1

Chiffchaff x 1

Goldcrest x 1

Just a quick check of the two main ponds c09:00 (MD)

Mute Swan pair plus 9 Cygnets on main pond

Pink-Footed goose 15 south

The rest of the wildfowl was on the"no swimming" pond

Mallard 8

Gadwall 20

Teal 3

One of the Teal

Moorhen 6

Little Grebe 2

All three of today's duck species are in this clip, the Gadwall seemed to be bickering about pairings. A Little grebe pays a guest appearance towards the end.

Chiffchaff 1 singing

Cetti's warbler 1 singing

South Shore

Janet took these shots

Little Egret on Red Nab

Common Snipe - it really is on this Red Nab rock,
although you may need to open the image to see it

Linnet and a Robin on the wire near the lighthouse. There were a lot
of Robin again today, plus there seemed to be a few additional Wren too

Wheatear near the lighthouse 

Wheatear at least 2. One already left south before Janet saw the above bird. Later one on Red Nab, which may have been this bird.

RockPipit 2

Mediterranean gull 1 x 2nd winter bird on Red Nab as tide was almost full - ref Kevin

I went to check the waders being pushed up the shore by today's spring tide, out from the saltmarsh (MD)

Lapwing 31

There were large numbers of waders feeding on the wet mud, not just the waterline as on neap tides. Mainly Knot and Dunlin, but at least 50 Grey Plover. As they were feeding on the wet mud, the Dunlin were mainly feeding on different patches to the Knot, presumably different food source. The Grey Plover mixed in with the Knot. 

One of the objectives of today's walk was to see how practical it would be to read ringed Knot from here (as there are very few roosting on the heliport wall so far this year). The answer was, it is possible, but you don't get much time. There was no walker disturbance today, but a pair of Peregrine initially lifted everything. Fortunately, for those that remained, the Peregrine must have made quick kills and the waders resumed feeding, albeit further away. The tide was just pushing them closer when a chainsaw started up behind me, they just about tolerated the first blast, but the second was too much and they were off. This is the clip of them being spooked. It includes a ringed bird with an orange flag, contrary to Howard's impeccable images of ringed birds, this is typical of what most of us see without using a scope. So, a scope or a high magnification camera is required to read rings from here.

There were at least 2,000 Knot in viewing distance but I only managed to check c500 in enough detail to check for rings. 5 were ringed, 4 of them with an orange flag. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to read any.

On the way back a shoal of small fish were in the shallows near the saltmarsh. They appeared to be hunting not grazing so I think they were small Bass. This shot shows the location, I walked towards them to spook them like this.

My thoughts were, these are a perfect size for Little Egret, so I looked up....

Altogether there were 10 Little Egret on the saltmarsh,
although I suspect some would be juveniles

Out of recording area

Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Myself and Kevin had a stroll around, mid afternoon. Although the sun had been shining all day it wasn't as hot as my visit last week. It was still a worthwhile walk though - all pictures below by Kevin.

Dragonflies:

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter everywhere 

Black Darter 4 male (at least)

Male Black Darter

Butterflies:

Brimstone 1 female

Speckled wood 20+

Small Copper 2

Small Copper

Again, just one Bog Hoverfly seen

Four Roe in a row

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing and vis report from Jean.

The vis was a bit better today in between the weather fronts:

Pink-footed Goose 4

Teal 2

Swallow 89

Grey Wagtail 7

Meadow Pipit 85

Goldfinch 30

Reed Bunting 1

Snipe 1 flew in from the west and dropped in.

Ringing was worse! But at least all the birds were migrants:

Chiffchaff 2

Blackcap 2

Robin 1

Meadow Pipit 1

Pete managed - Today’s “highlights” for me were flocks of six juvenile pheasants and four f/imm roe deer on the ringing track.

No other reports and I didn't get out today (MD)

Still plenty of Meds about

Light SE to south breeze. Drizzle early on, but held off for the remainder of the day.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing and vis report from Alan:

Arrived at Middleton at 06.10 whereupon drizzle immediately began and persisted until 07.00. Just two nets set then until 11.30 and 36 captures resulted.

Meadow Pipit 5 (of approx. 35 attracted down)

Grey Wagtail 5 (these were from a total of 9 seen to come down near the ride)

Wren 1 Retrap

Dunnock 1

Robin 1

Reed Warbler 1

Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 12 (these probably dropped by near the coast by the rain shower and caught whilst dispersing inland)

Chiffchaff 4

Goldcrest 1

Long-tailed Tit 1 Retrap

Blue Tit 2

Tree Sparrow 1 

Little else seen moving overhead except for a group of 6 woodpigeons, a small flock of 6 starlings and 1 swallow all flying southward

Red Nab and saltmarsh area

I had a check as the tide was making up the beach (MD)

Wheatear 7

Meadow Pipit 10 grounded on saltmarsh then south another 6 individuals or small groups over to south.

One of the grounded Meadow Pipits

Rock Pipit 1 - didn't manage a decent shot today, so this picture from Thursday for comparison.

Rock Pipit

Linnet 6

Robin several around the shoreline

Lapwing 30+ around the saltmarsh

Lapwing amongst the Samphire 

Again there were large numbers of waders along the waterline, but well dispersed by dogs and horse riders. I didn't try to get close, but the numbers probably less than yesterday. Bar-Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Knot, Grey Plover and Dunlin present. 
Surprisingly the only raptor around was the Kestrel over the saltmarsh.

Sandwich Tern 4 on Red Nab just before high water - three of them looked like adult, but the front bird here appears to be a first winter. You wouldn't describe it "as elegant as a tern"! (MD)

A still from the above clip, showing wing pattern 

A little later Pete checked the gulls on Red Nab and managed a good count, despite one "individual's" (my phrase not Pete's!) attempt to chase the birds off by throwing stones at them!

Mediterranean gulls minimum 24, including 5 juvenile and 2 2nd calendar year. The rest adult or 3rd calendar year.

Mobile waders

The breeze started SE drifted as far as SW by mid afternoon before settling back to south.  Mainly overcast but the sunny spells were very warm.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing and vis report from Jean:

Ringing:

Only 16 new birds today.

Grey Wagtail 5

Meadow Pipit 3

Chiffchaff 2

Wren 2

Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 1

Reed Bunting 1

Goldfinch 1

and 2 Blue Tit recent retraps

Vis was equally low key:

Grey Wagtail 11 (includes the ringed birds)

Meadow Pipit 16 (includes the ringed birds)

Linnet 4

Chaffinch 6

Pied Wagtail 1

Goldfinch 13

Snipe 4

Pink-footed Goose 3

Swallow 1

The surprise was the flocks of Starlings moving through, all heading south. A total of 171  was counted in an hour when the ringing was quiet enough to allow me to monitor vis properly.

Red Nab - saltmarsh area towards high water (MD)

Wheatear just 1

Rock Pipit 2

Little Egret 7

Mediterranean gull 5 adult on Red Nab plus 1 out from saltmarsh 

Shelduck 5

Lapwing 34

Redshank 15

Kestrel 1 on foreshore 

Robin 2 on saltmarsh 

Meadow Pipit 2 over to south

All the above were close in, the following were all further out.

These neap tides do not cover the mud out from the saltmarsh, there were loads of waders today, unfortunately flushed by tide and a dog, but more walkers near Potts flushed some back.

These are only very loose estimates as they were so mobile (almost certainly underestimated)

Knot c2,000

Dunlin c1,000

Bar-Tailed Godwit c100

Grey Plover c80

Oystercatcher unusually just a handful.

I have been asked which section of beach the waders settle on, so this clip is just to show the location. In it are: Bar-Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin (plus the last of the Oystercatcher flying off). At the end of the clip you can see Ocean Edge foreshore on the right.

Anyone viewing from the foreshore would have been closer to the birds than I was. The above birds plus many, many more flew off towards Potts not long after this clip, fortunately some returned to the beach just out from the saltmarsh, easily visible from the slipway. 

In this clip, there are already Knot and Grey Plover in the shallow water as a flock of Dunlin comes in. Watch the pale bird land in the middle of the screen, in the front line of waders. After landing it quickly makes its way to the water's edge on the right, clearly paler than the Dunlin.

This short clip of it feeding is as zoomed in as I can manage. Not long after this, they were off south again.

I'm pretty confident that it is a winter plumage Sanderling (MD). These are about as distinctive a bird as you can see, wonder what subtler waders could be amongst the hoards around.......

Talking of distinctive birds. This Grey Plover was the sole remaining wader after a while. It's coming out of summer plumage now, but still unmistakable.

Grey Plover moulting out of summer plumage 

This is a nice comparison shot of an adult Mediterranean gull and an adult Black-Headed gull

Med gull left, BHG right

Finally, I like this shot of a Common Darter from Janet, just south of Middleton, technically out of the recording area, but we have lots of Common Darter within. Janet speculates that it can't read. I just think that it is a guard dragonfly (MD)

Female Common Darter on guard duty!

Enjoying the ordinary

Light west wind. Overcast to begin with, but increasing sunshine during the day.

Only my stuff so far today (MD)

Heysham Head - mid morning

Common Whitethroat 2 seen

Chiffchaff 1 heard

Robin at least 5 off passage birds spread out along the rocks below the cliffs

One of five Robin on the rocks below the cliffs

Rock Pipit 4 - I do like it when a bird is comfortable enough with your presence to walk towards you. It only veered off as someone else approached. It is talking more that presence that they are wary of.

House Sparrows are not particularly common over the recording area, but there is a thriving community in the brambles of Half Moon Bay field. This is the path just before the gate to Heysham Head. The birds are not only feeding on the plant seeds but also bathing in the dust bowls, again, until someone approaches.

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid afternoon 

Mute Swan pair with 9 cygnet 

Gadwall 8

Mallard 7

This Black-Headed gull triggers a bathing frenzy!

Moorhen 2 adult 3 immature 

No Coot seen

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

Butterflies included:

Red Admiral 3+

Comma 2

Meadow Brown - several

Speckled Wood - lots

Dragonflies:

Emperor 3+

Brown Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 6+

Common Darter c10

Buzzard 1 juvenile quickly through to the north

Juvenile Buzzard (no terminal bar on tail (MD))

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 1

This Kestrel appears to have a metal ring
The last one ringed locally was 2015

These next two clips are of a young Little Egret, trying to learn how to fish. It's first attempt is somewhere between a Kingfisher and an Osprey (apologies to both!)

The second attempt was slightly better, but needs to improve its footwork, and realise that the fish aren't going to wait for you to pick them out of the water - good luck.......

Spotted Flycatcher best from a decent day.

Light breeze started from the south, before moving to the west. Warm and sunny all day.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing and vis report from Alan:

There was much less cloud than expected this morning but the ringing catch was quite respectable

Meadow Pipit 5

Grey Wagtail 13

Dunnock 2 + 1 retrap

Robin 3

Blackbird 1

Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 6

Blue Tit 2

Reed Bunting 1

A further five Grey Wagtails were seen but escaped capture. Meadow Pipits were attracted to the MP3 player in small numbers (at least 27) as well as the five captured. A flock of 25 Starlings flying fast south at 10.00 were probably passage birds. 

South shore

Shaun had a quick check of the harbour area this morning

Mediterranean Gull  5 adults and 3 1st winters

Little Egret 12 in the vicinity of Red Nab

Chiffchaff 2 and Pied Wagtail 7 south side of harbour

I checked Red Nab and foreshore at evening high water (MD)

Mediterranean gull 7 adult and 4 first winter on Red Nab (there will be overlap with Shaun's)

Common Sandpiper 1 Red Nab

Shelduck 16

Wheatear 2

Rock Pipit 2

Kestrel 1 still hunting, so presumably is catching something 

Heysham Head early afternoon (MD)

Wheatear 6

Rock Pipit 2

Sand Martin 2 south

Spotted Flycatcher 1. Feeding from the trees on the west side of the wood.

Spotted Flycatcher 

Heysham Nature Reserve afternoon 

Janet took these shots during her stroll around

Small Copper

Common Darter male

Garden Spider (I think (MD)) wrapping its lunch

Buzzard 4 together on eastern boundary, see below

So far, with very few exceptions, the only records I have posted on this blog have been within the recording area for the Observatory. This is a bit of a shame, as it excludes some interesting records within the Heysham area, but outside of the recording area. Most notably Heysham Moss which is just east of the rail track that acts as the eastern observatory boundary. So, starting today anything of note in the Heysham area but outside the recording area will be included in this post as an addendum (in blue), but obviously will not be included in the Observatory annual report (MD)

Out of recording area

Heysham Moss Reserve 

This is a very nice reserve, in many ways my favourite of the three local reserves, although the going can be a bit tricky away from the maintained pathways. But there is plenty to be seen from the paths, particularly this time of year when the insects are active. The easiest access is from Meldon Road, just north of Jenny Nook. There is a footpath over the railway bridge and the reserve entrance gate is c100m past the bridge.

Today myself with Peter and Rosemary Silvester had a walk along the western edge of the reserve.

One of the objectives of today's walk was to see how the Black Darters are doing this year. The answer is, not bad, but the males might be a bit lonely, as no females seen today.

Black Darter 2 males seen from the main path, another 7 males were located with a quick excursion into the peat moss on the south section.

Four of the male Black Darters

There were lots of other interesting insects to see. Rosemary took these shots.

Honey Bees in a tree hole nest entrance 

Peter and Rosemary have done some research on this Hoverfly and decided
that it is, almost certainly, a Bog Hoverfly (Sericomyia silentis).
It has now been confirmed as a bog Hoverfly.

I thought this was a female Migrant Hawker, unfortunately some key 
features were not visible, so again, any comments would be welcome (MD)

Female Common Darter

Pair of Common Darters - the female has quite worn wings

All of today's pictures are high resolution and much better appreciated when opened.

By late morning there were Common Darters everywhere, in one small pool there were 9 pairs ovipositoring at the same time. This clip shows four pairs, and it is a fifth pair that quickly flies through the frame.

Buzzard 4 together, being harassed by a Sparrowhawk, while gaining height on the thermal created by the Moss before drifting to the west into the recording area.

Common Buzzard 

Ringed Rock Pipit returns for duty

The NE breeze continues, mainly overcast and light showers till mid morning then dry with some short sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

First, I missed Pete's summary of yesterday morning's ringing session on Middleton Nature Reserve.

Ringed: 

3 Grey Wagtail (out of four over), 

5 Blackcap, 

2 Chiffchaff 

1 Garden warbler, 

3 LOng Tailed Tit

1 Meadow Pipit 

Single figure swallow and meadow pipit over

Green woodpecker again early on 

This is today's ringing and vis report from Jean:

Early morning drizzle stifled any vis but once it cleared there was a small movement of Swallows and a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits. Warblers took time to arrive, with the first one just before 10am. 

Ringing today:

Meadow Pipit 11

Robin 5 (comment from Pete - The main migrant today was subtle - there were Robins all along  the coastal strip and we even caught 5 in two nets at Middleton without tapes)

Willow Warbler 1

Chiffchaff 1

Blackcap 1

Cetti’s Warbler 1

Great Tit 1

Wren 1 retrap.

Grounded migrants:

Whitethroat 1

Reed Bunting 2

Vis:

Meadow Pipit - given the number ringed, 50 probably went over.

Grey Wagtail - 5

Pied Wagtail - 1

Swallow - 12

Linnet - 2

South shore low water this morning (MD)

Wheatear 4 on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 5 - 2 on Red Nab, plus the ringed male was back on territory near the lighthouse and chased off two other birds. It was also inspecting previous and potential nest holes and displaying.

This was the only angle I could manage to show the ring on the right leg
Still, it's not often you see a picture of a Rock Pipit's back

This shot of it displaying isn't much better 

I'd wondered where it had been, Pete advised that it would have been quietly moulting somewhere.

There were two Robin and at least one "warbler" (likely Willow warbler) calling from the scrub near the lighthouse. A Chiffchaff was singing from the scrub behind Red Nab.

The outflows seemed to be at full capacity after a long break, the gulls were also interested in the waterfall again. Nothing of note today. Several young gulls had already tried and rejected this piece of apple peel. This young Herring gull was the last in the pecking order.

This adult Herring gull was glaring at me, I was obviously walking around its favourite mussel breaking area. This looks like an easy meal, but it takes a lot of effort to break a mature mussel's anchorage, and it often takes several attempts to break it open by dropping it on the harbour wall. And there isn't really a lot of mussel inside.

Herring gull with a mussel, soon to be broken by dropping on the harbour wall.

Mediterranean gull 5 adult plus 1 first winter resting on the rocks at the seaward end of the beach next to the wooden jetty. We have received an update of the Belgian ringed bird from yesterday. A bit of a disappointment, when it was first seen here in 2020, England was the fifth country that it had been seen in. Since then, the only record away from Heysham was Lancaster! Still it's nice to know that it is doing ok.

White 3VEP ringed as a pullus 09/06/16 

At marais d'Harchies; Bernissart; Hainaut; Wallonia; BELGIUM 50,27N 3,41

The sun came out as was going through the nature park behind Red Nab, bringing out the insects.

Red Admiral 3

Painted Lady 1

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Small White 1

Speckled Wood 3

Migrant Hawker dragonfly 3

Kevin did a check in the early afternoon:

5 Wheatear along the Ocean Edge shore. A few butterflies sunning themselves along the wall. 6 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 Red Admiral.

Shaun did another thorough search of Heysham Head 08:00 - 10:00

Whinchat 2 (females - yesterday's birds)

Stonechat 2 (imms - different area than yesterdays, but presumably yesterday's bird + an extra one)

Whitethroat 7

Blackcap male

Chiffchaff 2

Swallow 35

House Martin 10

Sand Martin 5 

The above over the wood, then dispersed when it cleared up.

Wheatear 9 on beach quickly moved through

Rock Pipit 4

Little Egrets 7

Later - 23 Wheatears Middleton Sands– most of which came down in a shower and swiftly flitted east when the sun came out - thanks to Dan for this

First of the autumn Chats

A fresh breeze from east to SE. Overcast all day with a few showers.

First, three pictures of yesterday's birds:

These two from Howard 

Alba wagtail possibly White (rump not visible) 

Wheatear 

This one from Kevin

Adult Mediterranean gull on Red Nab

Everything below is from today:

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet managed these excellent shots of a Roe Deer

Roe Deer - probably a doe. It's a bit early for bucks to have shed
their antlers, especially without leaving any trace (MD)

All the six image above are high resolution and are best appreciated by opening them to view.

Shaun had a thorough look around today:

Heysham Head 10:15 - 11:45

Whinchat 2 (female) 

Stonechat 1 (imm)

These are the first chat records here this autumn 

Whitethroat 3, Blackcap m + f, Chiffchaff 3. 

{Then walked to the harbour and back, but didn't note down times}

Smithy Lane: Chiffchaff 1

Heysham Nature Reserve: 

Chiffchaff 3 with large Long-tailed Tit flock c.15 birds + 3 Coal Tit's with them.

Money Close Dog Walk Path: 

Chiffchaff 2 and Blackcap female. 

2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Red Nab: 

Mediterranean Gull 5 adults

5 Rock Pipits. 

Wheatear 2. 

Little Egret 6. 

Pair of Pergrines over Power Station.

Outfall 1 / Wooden Pier: 

Mediterranean Gull 6 adults + 2 1st winters. 

Cormorant 57. 

Turnstone 9.

Scrub along south side of harbour: 

Whitethroat 2, Chiffchaff 2 and a Blackcap female. 

Wheatear 2.

Heysham Head late afternoon just before and during light rain shower 

Wheatear 14 moving through and along the beach 

c 25 House Martins 

5 Swallows over wood. 

Rock Pipit 3 on beach 

3 Little Egrets.

Red Nab and Ocean Edge towards high water (MD)

The prime objective of this walk was to locate the ringed Meds seen by Pete and Jean yesterday. I was fortunate enough to find the white ringed bird, but I wasn't going to find the "red" ringed bird, as I totally misread Pete's message, it was a yellow ring! But that wasn't around either.

Mediterranean gulls:

Beach out from Ocean Edge - 3 adult (including Belgium white ringed bird also seen last year, let's hope it has been recorded elsewhere in between). Plus 1 x 2nd winter.

Red Nab - at least 2 adult plus 4 1st winter

So absolute minimum birds today 11 adult (RN and jetty birds definitely different) 1 x 2nd winter, 4 x 1st winter.

Rock Pipit 3 Red Nab (these will be some of what Shaun saw earlier)

Wheatear 6

Kestrel 1 - the bird that has been hunting over the saltmarsh at high water was waiting on the cliffs to the south. It would have been a long wait, today's tide was not high enough to cover it. I suspect it is a juvenile, it looks very thin! 

Emancipated looking Kestrel 

Shelduck 75 - were the most I saw at one time flying south, but prior to that I had counted 56 on beach between Red Nab and Saltmarsh - both adult and juvenile. This is a sudden increase from the previous autumn record of 4!

Most of the waders were further south towards Potts Corner

Nearer to the saltmarsh were

Redshank 23

Ringed Plover 16

Grey Plover 2

Knot c30

Bar-Tailed Godwit 47 - most of the godwit moved on quickly as the tide rose, but this one hung around.