Brent, one off a half century

Mild WSW light wind, mainly overcast, but it remained dry.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent 49

They were well scrutinised today by Tim Woodward and Kevin Singleton.

In the late morning Tim went to check what yesterday evening's birds could have been eating:

I went to where we estimated that they were last night. There are some fairly substantial clumps of weed around but it’s not widespread

It may not be widespread, but this gut weed is like a banquet compared to any
other area around here, no wonder they sneak in under cover of darkness (MD)

At that point there were 40 Brent out from the play area. Later in the afternoon when Kevin checked, they had grown to 49. These are some of his pictures:

Tim returned in the evening to check their movements at dusk, unfortunately somewhat thwarted by some "late" dog activity.

45+ were down by the playground until just after 16.10 when flushed by a dog. All previous times I’ve seen them put to flight they’ve landed pretty close by, but this time they flew 600m and landed on the water in the armpit of the Skear. 20 minutes later there were only three still in the water, the rest were a few metres away on land. At 16.40 they took to the air and initially headed towards Morecambe, but switched direction and landed in the water maybe 50-100m from shore. No dogs seen to be involved. 16.50-16.55 they were just visible through binoculars- some in the water at the end of the spike of the Skear and some on the Skear itself. At this point I ran out of light!

Little Egret in the same area - picture by Kevin

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

When I checked the east side on Tuesday I couldn't locate any winter thrushes, so today I checked the west side too. The only thrushes seen were Blackbirds and probably no more than typical resident numbers. The Hawthorn berries are pretty much stripped from the trees, but there is still some to be found if we get any cold weather displacement.

Mute Swan 7 adult 9 juvenile 

Moorhen 11

Coot 2 - a new(?) bird on Tim Butler pond - this is it leading the lone Mute. It looks like the tug towing the Fighting Temeraire up the Themes.

Gadwall 40

Tufted Duck 6 male

Shoveler 2 (pair)

No Wigeon or Little grebe seen

Water Rail 2 heard

There are still lots of Elder cones in the trees, but perhaps they are now empty, or perhaps rising buds just taste better, either way, that is what the Goldfinch are now eating (this clip is actually from earlier in the week, but they were still at it today)

Just out of the recording area:

Mediterranean gull 1 adult on top of usual traffic light lamppost. 10:00, I was just going to take a picture when it flew and joined Black-Headed gulls feeding in a bungalow back garden. I think they are fed here regularly, so perhaps just before 10:00 may be a good time, if the feeding is punctual. As ever be mindful of privacy, but on the lamppost it is fair game.

Brent continue pattern of increasing numbers on the neap tides

Light SW to west wind, sunny.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet took this shot of two of the juvenile mute displaying, presumably (hopefully) they were just practicing.

Two of last year's cygnets, practicing displaying.
The adult mute are starting to display, so it is that time of year.

Gadwall numbers up to 41 including 2 on the main pond

Tufted Duck 4 male

Wigeon 2

Little grebe on "no swimming" pond

South shore

Wigeon c150

Rock Pipit 3 (Red Nab, Lighthouse and waterfall)

The lighthouse bird was the ringed male

Shag at least 1 probably 2 juvenile - watch the gull bottom centre at the start of this clip, it has a Whitebait, which is typical of the fish size caught here at the waterfall. A Shag makes a guest appearance towards the end of the clip, and shows just how slight they are.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent 44 including the two Canadian ringed red/blue ringed birds plus the white ringed bird for which we still have no history.

There are 43 on this shot of the Brent just below the
Sandylands Promenade near Whinnysty Lane

The white ringed bird of unknown origin 
(The scheme has been notified, but history still awaited)

Interestingly, Tim and Jill had course to walk along the promenade twice after dark this evening. At 17:20 they could hear the Brent in the “fishtail” of the climbing wall groyne. They were gone when they returned at 17.50

This is interesting for two reasons (MD)

1. It confirms that the Brent are continuing to feed after twilight.

2. It suggests there is something in the "fishtail" worth waiting till dark for. I'm only aware of some saltmarsh grass there. I'll have to have a look.

From the skear:

Eider c60

Great Crested grebe 3

Shag 1 fishing

The waders were mainly just Oystercatcher again today, with just a handful of Knot, Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew 

These two Bar-Tailed Godwit were on the shoreline between the skear and the green marker post. The trouble with low winter sun, is that you have to be on the right side of it to see clearly. I wasn't here!

BRS still around but inaccessible.

 Calm to very light NNW breeze. High clouds in the morning, giving way to warm sunshine.

Good coverage today with Pete, Jean, Janet, Tim and Malcolm all contributing below.

Black Redstart 1 female/immature - this is the message Pete posted on the WhatsApp group:

Harbour/power station black redstart still present along single track road, but please avoid this sensitive area and restrict observations in the harbour/power station area to the north wall, nature reserve area and the route via Red Nab along the outfalls seawall. Thanks.

North Shore.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 38 - 33 feeding near the children's play area, plus a flock of 5 flying north up the bay.

Great Crested Grebe 12

Eider 68

Shag 1 juvenile feeding near conger rock. This clip from the skear starts with a Great Crested grebe through Cormorant and Eider to a juvenile Shag on the water, unfortunately it was directly behind the Cormorant when it dived. The waders flying past are Knot.

There were a lot more waders on the skear today - these are estimated numbers:

Oystercatcher 2,000

Redshank 150

Dunlin 30

Redshank 120

Turnstone 10

Curlew 30

South shore

Pink-Footed goose 40 SE over Ocean Edge 12:40

Shag 2 juvenile in harbour 

Juvenile Shag on and around upstands near harbour waterfall 
Pictures by Janet

Two Cormorants - the lead one a mature bird in breeding plumage
You'll probably need to open the image to see the detail  

Rock Pipit 3

Wigeon c150

Shelduck 14

Middleton Nature Reserve 

A more thorough check of the east side today.

Mute swan 7 adult (including 1 on Tim Butler). 9 juvenile.

Moorhen 14

Coot 1

Mallard 18

Teal 6

Tufted Duck 7 male

Gadwall 39

Wigeon 2 (pair)

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Little grebe 1 - on main pond today

Pink-Footed goose 2 and 14 north

Pheasant 2 (male and female)

Bullfinch 8

Goldcrest 1 (at least) not sure if it was with a small mixed Tit flock or just in the same place.

Just out of recording area:

Mediterranean gull 1 on lamppost just north of Four Lane End traffic lights.

Black Redstart near the blue building on Sandylands

Brent and Shag behaving, plus some Siberian Chiffchaff news

SSE wind, overcast and occasional light showers

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 32 (at least). I walked out to the skear at 11:00 (MD). I couldn't see any Brent out from the children's play area from the top of the steps, but when I reached the bottom of the steps, there they where!. They were so close in that from the top of the steps only their backs would have been visible and I was looking for their pale flanks. I sat on a rock and watched 23 of them walk past me, feeding as they went. They seem incapable of standing still to feed. As ever, they were led by the Canadian ringed birds.

I was really pleased this morning, there were several dog walkers in the area, but they were all aware of the Brent, pointing them out to others and controlling their pets so as not to disturb them.

When I returned from the skear at 12:15, all the Brent were out from the play area and had been joined by others there were at least 32 then and all seen were pale-bellied.

Pink-Footed goose 57 - an unusually ragged and silent flock came from the west and headed inland over Heysham Head. One does call once towards the end of this clip, but that was it. 

Eider 130+

Red-Breasted Merganser 2 (pair)

Great Crested Grebe 1

The only waders on the middle skear were c500 Oystercatcher. There was a handful of Redshank and Curlew on the inner skear.

South shore

Shag 1 (at least) juvenile. Tim checked at low water in the morning, and took this location shot of one resting on the lower struts of an upstand near the waterfall.

Shag resting on an upstand at low water

I checked towards high water (15:30)  this juvenile Shag was in the harbour mouth, I zoom out to show the location, the wall in the foreground is the one around the lighthouse.

Also, at the same time from the lighthouse, the ringed Rock Pipit was feeding on the sloping wall. This is the male of the breeding pair that nest in a hole in the harbour wall below the lighthouse. 

One of three Rock Pipits today

Wigeon c150 in the evening 

Shelduck 14 in the morning 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 26+ on Red Nab at 16:15. 

Finally here are some excellent images taken by Craig Bell yesterday, please open them to really enjoy the image quality.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

These next two shots are just out of the recording area, at Sandylands, please remember yesterday's request to respect the privacy of residents in this area.

First the Black Redstart 

Female or immature Black Redstart 

Plus a Siberian Chiffchaff! - the only record of this bird was Craig's brief sighting yesterday.

Black Redstart

WSW wind. Mainly overcast with a few showers, and glimpses of sunshine.

Black Redstart 1 female/immature on power station fence by (first) dog leg down the single track road to gate 38 (ref Craig Bell) - As this track is along the Power Station boundary, you may attract the attention of the  Power Station Police here. They will just need reassurance of your reason for being there, but best if you have some form of identification, and pictures inside the power station boundary are not allowed. (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 36 seen from Knowlys Road (ref Mark Breaks) - later at 14:30 at least 31 landed on Red Nab

Shag 1 juvenile in the harbour, at least in the afternoon 

Heysham skear - low water 10:40

Eider c120

Great Crested grebe 2

Little Egret 3

Waders:

Oystercatcher c2,000

Knot c250

Dunlin c50

Redshank c100

Turnstone c20

Curlew c20

Some of the Knot and Dunlin having a brief rest at slack water.
Even the "sleeping" ones always have one eye on you.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just the 5 minute check in passing

Mute, Coot and Moorhen unchanged.

Mallard 10

Gadwall 41 (2 on main pond)

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Wigeon 2 (pair) - this clip is as much for the audio as the video. After a while, the drake Wigeon whistles for his mate (she was on the other side of the pond and continued to totally ignore him). But at least it persuaded the drake Shoveler that he wasn't a threat.

Teal 11 - these are some of them dropping in

Tufted 3 male - the Coot has now decided that it is more expedient to hang around with the diving ducks (they reminded me of three Nuns and a Vicar.........perhaps I should get out more! (MD)). At least they didn't pinch its meal.

Just out of area:

Black Redstart 1 female/immature again near the blue house along Sandylands. 

There has been some, very understandable, concern raised by the residents of the houses where this bird visits their gardens. Cameras and optics looking into private property is only acceptable with the owner's permission. Please respect the privacy of the residents.

Unseasonal Seal

West wind. Rain all morning reducing to sunshine and showers by the afternoon.

South shore mid afternoon 

Sea wall and harbour - Kevin

Pale-bellied Brent goose 24 (at least) on Red Nab

Wigeon c150

Shag 1 juvenile patrolling above the waterfall, which was covered by the tide.

Juvenile Shag above the harbour waterfall 

Ringed Plover 1 on Red Nab, along with the Oystercatchers

Greenfinch 3 on Red Nab

Grey Seal 1 - Grey seals are around all year, but are not common here in the winter months. This one looks to be a female.

Grey Seal - males have pale markings on a dark background, females
have dark marking on a paler background. This appears to be the latter,
but you might need to open the image to see markings clearly.

Saltmarsh area (MD)

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 feeding amongst the flotsam in the NE corner

Reed Bunting 4

Song Thrush 1

Common Snipe 2

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Little change except:

Gadwall increase to 41

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Just out of the recording area:

Black Redstart 1 female/ immature - these are Nick Godden's comments from LDBWS website today: 

Not a surprise at all to find the black redstart still in the same area of Sandylands near the blue house about 11.05 this morning. Mostly using the gardens today. Don’t be put off by “no sign today” messages! It’s elusive and can easily go out of sight in the gardens or rocks but will surely remain all winter unless we get a spell of hard weather.

Also rock pipit again in the same area

No surprises today

Another cold wind, today from SW. A mixture of sunny spells and showers, some of hail.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Only real change from yesterday was that there was no sign of the Shovelers today, plus I forgot to include Tufted yesterday.

Mute, Coot and Moorhen unchanged

Mallard 14

Wigeon 2

Gadwall 39

Tufted Duck 4 male

Heliport wall

Black-tailed Godwit 1. Plus the roosting Oystercatcher and a few Knot, quite early on the rising tide - Ref Tim Woodward.

South shore early afternoon (MD and TW)

Shag 1 juvenile by the waterfall - 1 also seen here in the morning from Fishers side

Wigeon c120

Pale-bellied Brent goose 34 on Red Nab, including the Canadian ringed birds - they are all on this clip, shortly before the tide moved them on from Red Nab.

Pale-bellied Brent heading towards Posts at 13:20

Lapwing 71 out from the saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 1

Rock Pipit 7 - I said no surprises today but 5 together on the saltmarsh was unusual, possibly attracted by the same pile of flotsam that attracted the Turnstone and Sanderling yesterday. Although they weren't feeding there when seen. Also 1 on Red Nab and 1 near the waterfall.

Reed Bunting 2 with the saltmarsh Rock Pipits

Nice Sanderling surprise

 A bitterly cold south wind early on with high cloud. Rain/sleet started about 10:15, after that there were some heavy rain showers and the wind shifted to SSW.

Heysham skear - low water 08:20 (MD)

Eider c60

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Shag 1 (at least) fishing to NW of skear

The only time the sun shone today was just after sunrise for a few minutes. It was such a difference to the gloom both before and after, that I feel obliged to use one of the clips I took in the low morning light.

This is a nice mature male Eider waddling through the old Honeycomb worm mounds. At this time of year, the winter storms strip much of the mussels from the skear. This normally leaves the bare skear bottom, but this year what remains are the old honeycomb worm beds that last year's mussels formed over. But it begs the question as to what will happen this year.

Just out of recording area:

Mediterranean gull 1 adult resting on the telegraph pole just north of its usual lamppost at Oxcliffe Rd traffic lights.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Mute 6 adult 9 juvenile 

Coot 1

Moorhen 8

Gadwall 41

Wigeon 2 (returning pair)

Shoveler 3 pair plus immature male

South shore mid-late afternoon 

As I set off, the heaviest shower of the day started. When I reached the saltmarsh, it was still largely covered, although the tide was ebbing quickly. There was something foraging in the flotsam in the NE corner of the marsh. I would have guessed Starlings, but there was something white with them. As I moved towards the corner it became obvious, even through the rain, that they were c12 Turnstone with a......

Sanderling - this first clip was from as close as I dare go without disturbing them.

But the tide was ebbing quickly and allowed me to get onto the marsh and look back at them. A Turnstone quite unceremoniously pushes the Sanderling away towards the end of this clip.

I left them to it, but as I walked away the rain stopped, so I popped back for a clearer shot.

Sanderling with Turnstone - Sanderling are a rare winter visitor here

I left them for a second time, and they were still foraging as I left the saltmarsh.

Rock Pipit 6 (2+1 on saltmarsh, 1 on Red Nab plus 2 on sea wall)

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh 

Wigeon c100

Pale-bellied Brent goose 10+ - there were none on Red Nab as I walked out, but it was just becoming exposed. On the return at 16:20 there was a feeding group in the middle, but very difficult to see in the gloom but at least 10.

Shag 2 juvenile on waterfall - this clip from lighthouse shows both Shag, plus a Cormorant 

This one shows one performing their distinctive dive

Finally, a sign of the times. It was quite dark as I returned to my car, but this Kestrel near the small anemometer was still hunting. No need to waste energy hovering, or go to roost in the dark. This high luminosity lamp was illuminating the bare ground below and the Kestrel was just waiting for supper to scurry past. I wonder how late it can do this for? (MD)

Ringed Necked Parakeet

A cold WNW wind, but sunshine all day again (having said that, the sun set at 16:05!)

Ring Necked Parakeet east over shops by Knowlys road yesterday per Dominic Green 

South Shore 

Wigeon 150+

Shelduck 6

Shelduck 

Rock Pipit 5 - 1 on saltmarsh, 1 on Red Nab, 2 on the sea wall and 1 near the waterfall. These are the two along the sea wall. They have been feeding together like this since the lighthouse nesting pair fledged one young last year. I have always thought of them as the female and young from that nest. But that is speculation based only on apparent continuity of behaviour, there is no way of knowing. (MD)

This next clip is actually from yesterday. It is the Red Nab bird, it had just had a bath and was rearranging its feathers, providing a nice view of its plumage.

The Polish ringed Black-Headed gull now in its sixth calendar year.
It has been recorded at Heysham in winter in all of those six years.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 31 - there were none on Red Nab when I passed before the tide reached it, although there was, slightly unusually, a flock of 7 heading west at 10:30. Later Tim Woodward saw 31 as late as 15:30, when, as yesterday, the tide would have left the rocks.

Kingfisher 1 - one of its favoured fishing spots is on the edge of the groundwater culvert opening on the sloping wall on Red Nab. I managed to get quite close without it seeing me, and it revealed itself to have a reddening base to its lower mandible. So, it's an it no longer, she's a she!

Kingfisher - the red on the base of its lower bill showing her to be a female

Wildlife on the doorstep......well, kerbside.

Overnight rain turned to clear skies and sub zero temperatures by dawn. A cold NNW wind with sunshine pretty much all day.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

My car was covered in a sheet of ice, I thought the ponds would be iced over too, but the rain must have continued long enough and the ponds were completely ice free (MD).

Just the two main ponds checked:

Mute Swan 5 adult 9 juvenile 

Moorhen 7

Coot 1 - I like this clip, the Coot seems so pleased with its chunk of weed. It evades one group of Gadwall, just to have most of its meal pinched by another. An occupational hazard I suppose if you share a pond with 42 dabbling ducks.

Little grebe 1

Gadwall 40 ( all on the "no swimming" pond)

Tufted Duck 4 males

Shoveler 2 (pair) - I don't know if these are the same male and female that were present last week, but today's birds were definitely together.

Heliport wader roost

Howard managed to read more colour coded Knot rings at high water including this bird - you will need to open the images to see the ring detail.

You can see how the lower outside edge of the orange flag is being worn away by
the rough terrain it often walks through - I have the same problem with my wellies!

This is one of Howard's pictures of the same bird, but taken two years ago.
You can see that the wear had started but not as pronounced as today's shot.

It's nice to see that the Norwegian ringed Oystercatcher is still with us.
It will be a third calendar year (3CY) bird now.

South shore

I was intrigued by Shaun's report yesterday of the Potts corner Brent stopping to feed between the cafe and Ocean Edge saltmarsh, so I timed my walk to coincide with any repeat performance (MD).

Pale-bellied Brent goose 31 - I walked along the shore towards Potts from the saltmarsh on the ebbing tide. No sign of any Brent until I was close enough to see the cafe. The tide was quite a way out by that time, but the Brent were feeding close in on gut weed covered rocks. Unfortunately, it couldn't last for long, as this section of beach gets quite busy as it becomes exposed, as this clip will demonstrate. These birds are well south of the recording area, but soon all 31 will be well within it.

They brazened out the car passing twice, but by 13:45 something else spooked them and they set off north. They shaped to land after about 300m, where there are more gut weed covered stones, but they must have been later in the tide than yesterday, and when they realised that the Red Nab rocks were exposed they continued on and landed there instead. It seemed strange sitting on a rock outside the recording area, watching birds fly into it! It took them almost two minutes to reach Red Nab, this is just the first 500m

They were still feeding on Red Nab when I got back at 14:45 (I'm a bit slower than the Brent!). The tide had already left the rocks then, but there is much less disturbance here than out from the children's play area. But the gut weed is generally cropped much shorter by the Wigeon.

The following records are all on, around or just out from the saltmarsh.

Wigeon 150+ (Out from saltmarsh when tide was still quite high)

Common Snipe 3 (returning to saltmarsh after tide had left it)

Rock Pipit 3

Reed Bunting 5 - this is the first occasion this winter when I have seen more than one here.

Reed Bunting 

Waders just out from the saltmarsh, these high spring tides leave this flat area of mud very quickly, leaving invertebrates stranded, the waders feed quickly - these are Knot and a few Dunlin, not much to see apart from the feeding pattern.

Knot 35

Dunlin 20

Ringed Plover 14

Turnstone 2

Redshank 30+

Finally, this is what today's title refers to. The following clip was looking west from Imperial Rd (the road leading to the "Waste Technology Park" just off Heysham bypass (the 50mph section)). It represents the eastern boundary of the recording area. These two Roe deer were no more than 50m from the bypass, you can hear the traffic.

My first thought was that it was a Roebuck following a doe, but checking the video I realised that they were both bucks.

This is the first one, you can see its proto-antlers forming.

Roebuck with its velvet covered antlers just beginning to form

The antler development of the above buck is typical for so early in the year. The buck behind it, in contrast, has remarkably well developed antlers for so early. They are shed every year of course, but presumably the second buck is more mature and its antlers destined to be impressive. Only four prongs so far, but surely going to be a six pointer.

Roebuck with very developed antlers for so early in the year.
They will continue to grow until the velvet sheds late March to April

So, it would seem that the second male wasn't so much following as "seeing off"!