Little gull

 Very strong overnight winds, from the west in the morning but veering more WNW after lunch. Some very heavy rain, hail and sleet showers.

The last time we had a gale I said that I thought of Pintail as the "masochistic duck", today I walked along the south sea wall twice, the first time at the peak of the storm. Mmmmm, I wonder what the Pintail think of me! (MD)

South shore.

Mid morning towards high, very high, water. Walking out along the seawall, the rain was being driven hard into my face, after a while I think it stopped for a few minutes. I only say think as water was still being driven into my face, but now it tasted salty! The reason I am painting this picture is to put the following clip into prospective, this bird is flying into the wind before hunkering down on the sea wall. See if you can identify it, you may need to watch in slow motion - answer at the end of today's post.

By the time I'd reached the round head it was getting towards high water, it was wild! This is the "view" looking south from behind the lighthouse, a solitary large gull making an appearance, I didn't rush out to identify!

In contrast, this is the view from the same area in the afternoon, the wind was still very strong, but had eased to a point where the large gulls could hang easily on it as it lifted up from the sloping sea wall.

In the background of the above clip you can see No.1 outflow heading out to sea. It was at the very end of that outflow that the Little Gull was feeding. I didn't see it in the morning, but the outflows were not visible then. But it was showing well albeit distantly at 14:20.

Adult Little Gull

This clip clearly shows the Little gull plus the location:

Today's, hard won list:

Little gull 1 adult (Little gulls don't always merit a red highlight, but they have been scarce this year, I think this is only the second record for 2021 (one 29/03/21)).

Wigeon 30 in saltmarsh bay at high water 78 resting on the shore in the afternoon 

Red-breasted Merganser 4 together flying west against the wind at high water

Jack Snipe 1 flushed from behind the earth embankment next to the saltmarsh at high water.

Song Thrush 2 together on foreshore in the afternoon 

Plus this morning's "mystery" bird. This is the sequel to the clip at the top of the post, sorry about the juddering, but at this point I could barely stand!

So, a Kingfisher! When first seen, it was actually flying low over the tumultuous sea at Red Nab, my first thought was a Petrel but a look with binoculars revealed it for what it was. Fortunately I had my back to the wind, so I tried to get my camera out in time to film it, but by then it had returned to the shore and I only managed the brief in flight shot before it hunkered down. Presumably this is the same bird with a nice sheltered pond not 500m away. I've no idea why it was here in the thick of the storm, or why it felt the need to fly out over the sea. I left it where it was and it was still there when I looked back from the foreshore.

Jack Snipe show and go

West wind drifting to WNW later. Overcast all day with some light showers.

Heliport sea wall - high water

The Knot were roosting some distance from the viewing points, still, Howard managed to read one colour ringed bird.

Not all the colour rings visible on this shot, but Howard got
them on other shots, confirming this Norwegian ringed Knot

Saltmarsh high water (MD)

The tide was almost full when I got there so most of the Common Snipe would have already been flushed, still 8 seen.

Jack Snipe 6 - always the last to be flushed, three individuals were on the shingle beach, unfortunately not seen till they took flight. Jack Snipe normally land again somewhere else along the saltmarsh edge when flushed, but not today all six left the immediate area. You get some nice views as they take off but very difficult to get a picture. These were probably my best efforts today.

Jack Snipe record shots

Reed Bunting 2

Rock Pipit 1

Wigeon c90

North Shore towards low water (MD)

I was tempted to say "late afternoon" but it was only 14:00 to 15:45!

Pale-bellied Brent goose 11 - I've had no reports today of any near the children's play area, and there were none there when I walked out to the emerging skear. There were 2 on the mud in the SE skear corner at 14:20. Two lots of two flew west across the bay at 15:00 and 15:20, I presumed one of these pair were the birds from the corner, although a bit surprising as the sea lettuce area would soon be in reach. There were none in the corner as I was leaving, then a flock of 7 landed right over the sea lettuce bed at 15:35 (almost dark!). I left them to it.

Guillemot 1

Great Crested Grebe 9

Red-breasted Merganser 4 (3 male)

Knot c1,000

Peregrine Falcon 1

The tide was draining quickly and the Black-Headed gulls and the Waders were catching small shrimps.  This seems very early, or perhaps I haven't noticed on other years (it is normally dark when this extent of skear is exposed in winter) but I wouldn't expect this sort of activity until the new year. The speed and depth they were pecking at the water implied they were catching lots, and quite shallow. They will have to be the first adult stage for the shrimps.

These are predominantly Black-Headed gulls (BHGs can't feed without making a racket!) but also a Common gull and a Redshank amongst them

Even Curlew and Dunlin were shrimping. Watch the Black-Headed gull mid frame in this clip, it seems to be catching at a rate, faster than one a second.

Sea lettuce trumps gut weed

A light overnight frost, fresh NW wind, mainly overcast, but some sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a brief check of main pond wildfowl 

Mute 2 adult 9 cygnets 

Moorhen 8

Mallard 12

Gadwall 34 (28 on "no swimming" pond)

Plus this interesting ringing recovery:

Lesser Redpoll - ringed as adult female

ALL5574 4F 15/10/2021 Middleton

Retrapped 4F 21/11/2021 Hut Wood (Hampshire) 345 kmSSE 37 days

Only our second Lesser Redpoll from Hampshire

Red Nab and saltmarsh 

Again, just a quick look at high water

Wigeon 100+

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Greenfinch 25 on Red Nab

Dog walk pond

Kingfisher 1 - this was very satisfying (MD). Last night I was thinking about the occasional sightings on Red Nab, and reasoned that it must be based somewhere nearby. I then remembered the small pond along the dog walking track (between Heysham Nature Reserve and the nature park behind Red Nab) had plenty of small Rudd/goldfish hybrids with low branches over the water. So I had a look this morning, and there it was, waiting for me!

Kingfisher 

This track is very popular with dog walkers, and the Kingfisher has become somewhat tolerant of people in the vicinity, and so allowed me good views. Unfortunately the overnight frost meant the fish were deep and it didn't catch anything whilst I was watching.

It will only be easy to catch fish on Red Nab when the tide is of such a height as to make the freshwater stream sufficiently saline as to allow sea fish to venture along it, but not so high as to have no feeding perches available. So presumably it only goes there when conditions are favourable or if the dog walk pond freezes over. Hopefully it will hang around for the rest of the winter, at least.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 33 (same maximum for three consecutive days)

I walked out to the skear from Knowlys Rd and passed the children's play area on the seaward side, there were at least 17 in the same area as yesterday at 13:30. I didn't go near as someone was photographing them, it later transpired that it was Kevin Singleton who provided these excellent shots of the two Canadian ringed birds:

The two Canadian ringed Brent with a juvenile to the  right of centre
Detail is best viewed by opening these

There were another 11 in the skear corner at 13:40, but they quickly headed back to the play area.

But by 14:40 today's higher tide had gone out far enough to allow the area of sea lettuce to be shallow enough to feed on. All 33 Brent were on the water in the skear corner and upending to feed on the lettuce. There isn't a great deal here, but still obviously preferable to gut weed. This is a group shot to show location, but the shore is much further away than it appears.

This clip shows the closer in birds feeding, while the others are waiting for the tide to drop a little further.

The tide still had 90 minutes to ebb, so this sea lettuce bed would be fully exposed. It is quite sparse already, and not very extensive, but will probably be enough to feed the Brent for this set of spring tides. So the likelihood is that they will continue feeding near the play area, but will leave as this area becomes available. Fortunately for shore based observation, but not the Brent, most of the time that this area is exposed in this set of tides will be in the dark.

Eider 150+ 

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested grebe 7

Knot c350

Shag 1 juvenile - it was sharing a rock with a Cormorant 

The Shag left, not long after the Cormorant and flew quite a way to feed with a group of cormorant to the NW of the skear. This clip isn't really up to much, as it is a poor angle, but might help those of you not familiar with a Shag in flight (including me! (MD))

You can see the typical "pot belly" and the low flight with steady wing beats , not the regular glides like a Cormorant.

Finally Kevin Singleton also sent me these shots, they are "only" Carrion Crow, but nice to see them in such detail. 

.......plus a woman feeding crows they followed her right out of sight

So, if you want a pet crow, you know where to go!

Brents behaving.......for a change!

A fresh WNW wind gradually made its way round to north by evening. Mainly bright with occasional light showers.

South shore morning ebbing tide

From Shaun:

Kingfisher showing well and feeding on Red Nab

Wigeon  136

Also:

Shelduck c50

Lapwing 31

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 4

Little Egret, looking particularly Gandalf like

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 33

I just had a quick look in passing from Knowlys Rd at 10:30. Only 4 visible near the children's play area.

Later, when Shaun checked there were 28, none with colour rings.

I walked passed the children's play area at 14:15, initially the Brent were spread around the rocks further out from the area that I showed yesterday (MD). The good news is that there is also plenty of gut weed there too, but not ideal for the Brent when the tide is out as most of it is on the rocks and mud (i.e. not floating in pools which makes for easy grazing). They must have been recently spooked as they quickly made their way back to the same area as yesterday, where there are plenty of pools. So, even more good news, they are now not leaving the general area when spooked by walkers, although I suppose a particularly tenacious dog would force them further.

This clip shows one small group heading back, you can see one of the Canadian ringed birds already feeding  (only one showing here, but both were there and the first to return - these are obviously very experienced birds for the area)

A dog walker had already passed without bothering them, so I knew I was ok on the beach near the sea wall. Yesterday, I said this is the area where ground water seeps out, perhaps an understatement at the moment. This clip shows just one of several "springs" of ground water, feeding the gut weed and ultimately the Brent with essential minerals.

As I left the area, 26 Brent were feeding, there were four additional birds on the water in the skear corner. They had gone on my return and by 15:45 there were 33 feeding at the children's play area. 

One of today's birds was the first juvenile that I have noticed this year, you can see it in the middle of the shot below.

First winter Pale-bellied Brent centre, with the pale wing bars.

Other stuff:

From Shaun

Shag 1 juvenile feeding off Heysham Head

Red-breasted Merganser 14

Eider 154

Also

Great Crested grebe 3

There was a flock of feeding Knot today c500

Emboldened Brent

A fresh warm(ish) west wind, overcast all day but only the occasional light shower.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick early check of the main ponds to check the gulls for rings, before the ice melted......to late, all the ice had already completely gone,

Mute 2 adult 9 cygnet 

Mallard 9

Gadwall 34 (30 back on "no swimming" pond)

Moorhen 5

North shore

Pete and Jean had a look from Knowlys Rd in the morning's ebbing tide.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 30 - none with colour rings

Shag 1 juvenile 

Eider 167

Pintail 1 out

Single figures Great Crested grebe and Red-breasted Merganser 

I had a check at low water in the afternoon (MD)

Didn't see anything on the sea, not covered above. 

Waders were mainly Oystercatcher, Curlew and Redshank with a few Turnstone but no Knot.

Pale-bellied Brent goose now 33, but it wasn't obvious what was going on. As I was walking out they were all in the skear corner, but looking agitated. Then, without being spooked they flew towards the children's play area, this group of 12 first then the others in smaller groups.

The above clip was 13:45, it was 14:40 by the time I was heading back. Still no Brent in the corner, so I scanned the rocks around the children's play area, the Brent were feeding just out from the promenade on the north side of the play area. This despite dog walkers regularly passing by. As I walked a bit closer three different dog walkers passed. The geese stopped feeding but stayed where they were. This clip is really is just to show the location, n.b. I don't think many of these would have been visible from Knowlys Rd, as they were so close in,  but great views from the promenade.

This is the point when they were finally spooked, I saw another dog walker approaching but didn't see exactly what tipped the balance this time, presumably the dog came too close. They all flew back to the skear corner.

By this time it was 15:05, so they had been feeding here for an hour and 20 minutes. At least it gave me an opportunity to have a close look at the feeding area.

This is the lowest point on the land side and lots of ground water seeps out onto the rocks. When I checked this area at the end of autumn there was very little gut weed here, now it was quite lush and lots floating in small pools. Obviously the lack of ground water in late summer had resulted in a dearth of weed, but it is good to see it can still grow in winter conditions.

This is the gut weed growing where the Brent were feeding.

That said, it is a bit of a worry that the Brent are having to feed so close in, so early in the winter, I called them emboldened in the title, I hope it is just that and not just hungry! As I walked away I saw all 33 birds returning to the same feeding area. It has to be a good viewing opportunity here from the promenade, my advise would be to choose a wet weekday when dog walking will be at a minimum.

A fragmented day

Freezing overnight and into mid morning, despite being overcast. But as the east breeze switched to SW it started warming and light rain began after lunch.

Nothing went to plan today, every time I set off for a walk something else cropped up and foreshortened my walk. Still it was very pleasant in the cold dry morning (MD)

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the main ponds, primarily to see if any of the gulls resting on the ice were ringed....they weren't.

The "no swimming" pond was completely frozen over, but the ducks and swans maintained an open patch in the middle of the main pond. That would be fine for the Mute and Mallard that are happy to waddle over the ice to the bank to be fed by visitors. But the weed here wouldn't support the Gadwall for long. Fortunately, the current freezing temperatures are over for the time being.

Some of the wildfowl maintaining an open area on the main pond.
Meanwhile the gulls are happy to stand on the ice

Gadwall 21

Mallard 11

Moorhen 2

Think they're all on this clip

I hope if we get another cold snap, they do as they did last winter and keep a patch of the "no swimming" pond open, there is so much more weed available there for the Gadwall.

South shore

Just time for a look at Red Nab and foreshore at low water.

Wigeon c100 - it's unusual to see so many on Red Nab at low water. They were feeding in the fresh water run off when something spooked them all, allowing a rough count. They only went to Red Nab rocks, but would have returned to the fresh water soon as the gut weed on the rocks was frozen to them.

Shelduck c130 feeding out from foreshore 

Lapwing 55 resting on the frozen mud

Common Snipe 1 flew from slipway

Greenfinch 2 at Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 on foreshore 

Song Thrush 1 near slipway 

North shore late afternoon 

I had planned to walk down to waterline, but didn't have time, so just a quick check from the promenade at Four Lane Ends

Pale-bellied Brent goose 5 (at least)

Red-breasted Merganser 5 (at least)

Mild and wet tomorrow, and again I haven't much time, I'll have to plan more carefully!

Skearing in the snow

 Light ESE breeze till lunchtime moved to ENE in the afternoon. Snow started late morning, but quickly started to melt away by mid afternoon.

First an update of the Pale-bellied Brent on the north shore yesterday. Initially we thought there were two new colour ringed combinations, but in fact it was just the low bright sun highlighting the white letters on a blue ring, making the ring look white. Fortunately, Howard's photographs cannot be fooled. If you open these images you can clearly read all three of the ringed birds.

Some of yesterday's Pale-bellied Brent near the rocks out from 
the children's play  area

These are the regular Canadian arctic ringed pair

We are awaiting the history for this white ringed bird

Today:

Heysham skear low water 11:50, 3.2m! (MD)

This "height" of tide barely exposes the skear, and the snow storm started when I reached the shore. To begin with the snow was very cold and dry and just bounced of my camera and binoculars, so I went for a couple of atmospheric shots. But it quickly turned to the more typical wet soft Heysham snow, so all optics stashed (unless something special had turned up)

Pale-bellied Brent 7 in the skear corner - all seven in this clip.

Red-breasted Merganser 8 (6 + 2)

Great Crested Grebe 3

Eider c60. The snow in this clip looks like rain, but it was very dry snow, you can hear it bouncing off my camera. The male Eider are in full display mode now and are trying to woo the available females. You can clearly see the pink flush on their breasts.

Knot c500

There isn't much skear to walk around on these tides, particularly when you are avoiding half of it so as not to disturb the Brent. It was a short walk, so I checked the two main ponds on Middleton Nature Reserve on my way home.

This was the no swimming pond at lunchtime, two odd things, one fairly easy to explain, the other requiring a bit of thought.

A deserted "no swimming" pond

The first oddity is in the caption - deserted! It is easy to explain at one level, as all the birds were on the main pond

Mute 2+9 cygnets 

Gadwall 21

Mallard 14

Moorhen 6

The main pond was also largely covered in thin ice (not thick enough to support the Black-Headed Gulls who rest on it when it is thicker). But there was plenty of open water, but there was also a corner of open water on the "no swimming" pond, and last winter it was that corner that all the wildfowl worked together to keep open.

The other puzzle is that there was no snow covering the ice, on both ponds plus my garden pond at home. Most times when it snows the pond ice is the only surface that holds the snow. What was different today?

The only answer that I can come up with was that today's snow was so cold, perhaps it changed directly to clear ice in contact with the pond ice, rather than remaining an opaque snow ice crystal. It's the only theory I have, any other thoughts/knowledge would be welcome (MD)

The snow here today wasn't much more than a distraction, but inland it was much worse. Pete was snowed in at home. So there may be some displaced birds around.

Brents defy the wind

The very strong overnight NW winds continued throughout the morning, easing over the afternoon. Again, a surprisingly dry day, with plenty of sunshine, but bitterly cold.

South shore

I did a couple of quick checks in the morning and again when the wind had eased somewhat in the afternoon. A marked shift in behaviour, in the morning all the shore birds were sheltering in the lee of something. Some feeding but most just waiting out the storm. By the afternoon, there was a frantic clamour to feed before the quickly approaching night.

Morning shift:

Shelduck c100 feeding just in front of the foreshore, unfortunately too close for their comfort when I walked along, as they took flight, the wind caught them and lifted them high.

Shelduck caught by the wind, fortunately they landed further
out and continued feeding in a "sheltered" shallow drain

Wigeon, just a few sheltering behind No.2 outflow

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore

Mediterranean gulls 2 adult sheltering amongst the rocks on the seaward side of the beach near wooden jetty.

You really need some south in the wind to drive seabirds into the bay, even so, with such a strong overnight wind, there is always a chance of something unexpected. But I wasn't expecting this unexpected land bird (MD)

Kingfisher 1 briefly on Red Nab, before flying west along the sea wall, I suspect it then flew into the Power Station grounds.

Kingfisher - it flew off just after this shot

The afternoon look didn't find anything new apart from a lot more Wigeon. This short clip demonstrates how frantic the activity was around No.2 outflow. Most of these are Wigeon and Black-Headed gulls, but also a few waders.

As ever when there are plenty of birds around, the predators aren't far away. This young Peregrine was searching for opportunities.

North shore 

Howard checked the north shore, and despite my assertion yesterday, that Brent are reluctant to come over in high winds, he located 21, although at least some of them did not arrive until the wind had dropped. 

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 21. Initially 12 in the channel out from Heysham Village, later joined by 9 more. They all then made their way towards the rocks near the children's play area. They were still there at 16:00.

Three of the birds were ringed. Hopefully pictures and possibly some details for tomorrow's post.

Finally the first snow picture this winter, it looks nice, but I wouldn't want to be up there today, although I know that some, hardier souls, would.

Snow on the South Lakes hills

Time to hunker down!

The strong overnight west wind eased slightly and shifted to NW. it became strong again by evening and forecast to become very strong overnight. Surprisingly, it remained dry today, with quite a lot of sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a brief check of the two main ponds showed little change.

Mute 2 adult plus 9 cygnet 

Moorhen 5

Mallard 10

Teal 1

Gadwall 36 (34 on "no swimming" pond plus 2 on main pond.

These are some of the Gadwall, still having to upend to reach the weed.

South shore

A walk along the sea wall at low water, isn't the best time to visit, but it was the only time I had (MD).

Greenfinch 10 near Red Nab

Shelduck 121 feeding on mud out from Red Nab

Wigeon, just a few starting to gather near No.1 outflow, c40

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult on shore near No.2 outflow - this first clip is just to show the location plus the amount of gulls currently feeding on No.2 outflow (there were none feeding on No.1).

The drain it is in, is fed by the freshwater culvert from Red Nab, and although it will be brackish at this point, it is still better than bathing in sea water.

By the time I was heading back, it had switched to the unsheltered side for a blow dry!

Mediterranean gull, with Black-Headed gull in foreground 

North shore

Just a quick check of the Children's play area in the afternoon, failed to locate any Brent Geese, not a surprise, they tend to stay on the west side in harsh winds. Plenty of waders trying to avoid both the wind and the increasingly close walkers.

Oystercatcher c2,000

Knot c400

Redshank c100

Dunlin 20

Turnstone 20

Grey Plover 1

Ringed Plover 10

If you look closely at the Knot at the start of this clip, you can see  one with a yellow flag (you may need to watch in slow motion). I had thought there were two with white rings too, but probably just a trick of the low light.  No chance of me reading rings at this range in these conditions.

Unfortunately, they were all flushed by a blissfully unaware walker just after this clip

Another old visitor pops by again (perhaps)

Cold WNW winds, overnight frost and a mainly sunny day (albeit a short one!)

First, these shots from Howard, when the Peregrine chased the Knot from the Heliport on Monday. These, and Janet's below are best viewed by opening the images.

Peregrine Falcon......

......and the prey - Knot

Janet took these shots during her walk around Heysham Nature Reserve this morning

Female Kestrel 

Jay

Goldfinch feeding on seeds from Alder cones

Moorhen 

You can expect to see all the above species, and more, during a walk around the well maintained footpaths. A very pleasant walk on a day like today.

Heysham skear - low water 08:45 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 4 (2+2) none ringed.

Pink-Footed Goose 58 very high to south at 09:15

Eider c60

Common Scoter 1 juvenile feeding near conger rock

Great Crested Grebe 4

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male

Knot c150

Dunlin c60

South Shore

Not a lot today

Shelduck and Wigeon in similar numbers to recent visits.

Lapwing 33

Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh 

This is today's "old visitor". A Black-Headed Gull with a toe growing out of its left knee was on the upstands in the harbour 18/09/20. This is the picture I took then.

I called it Toe Knee (Tony for short)

This is it, or a very close relative, today, again on the upstands in the harbour.

The toe growing from the left knee does look identical to the previous picture,
but I suppose all Black-Headed gulls toes will look pretty much identical.

But there is a difference, seen from behind there is another growth on the right knee, which appears to be a truncated or possibly broken off toe. So this has either happened since last September or it is a different bird.

 Tony Two?