The earlier seawatch paid off

A fresh SW wind all day, high cloud with periods of sunshine.

Seawatch report from Pete:

Sea HeySham 0630-0830: 

Razorbill 18

Guillemot 46

Razorbill/Guillemot 52

Puffin 1

Gannet at least 23

Common/Arctic Tern 2 very distant

Kittiwake 1 2cy

Sandwich tern 8

Arctic Skua 3 dark morph 1 light morph

Manx Shearwater  2

Grey Plover 8

Red-breasted Merganser 3

probable Slavonian Grebe 1

Plus an evening session:

Sea 1800-1900 north wall:

1 outbound dark morph Arctic Skua

1 Guillemot

1 Sandwich tern 

1 Manx Shearwater

2 Gannet

7 Raz/Guill

Heysham skear - low water 14:00 (MD)

Very little, the only waders apart from Oystercatcher were:

Whimbrel 3

Turnstone 1

No Little Egret on the actual skear, but 3 feeding in the inshore pools.

There seems to be no small shrimps around, hopefully just a consequence of the prolonged period of offshore winds. The return of inshore winds may help restore the balance.

Eider 45

Great Crested Grebe 1

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds to see how the mute situation resolved itself. It seems that the aggressive male was not coveting his neighbour's pond, but his neighbour's wife!

His mate with her cygnets was back on the "no swimming" pond. The main pond nest was deserted apart from broken eggshells.

The deserted main pond nest, you can make out broken eggs.
The female was sitting here yesterday 

The main pond female was now on the water accompanied by the aggressive male from the "no swimming" pond. The main pond male had at least survived the onslaught and was watching from high up the pond bank.

The original main pond male, now only tolerated at a distance. I was fearful for
his life yesterday, he could have flown away, but chose to remain with his mate.

It's tempting to make a comment, but it's not appropriate. It may seem terrible behaviour to our eyes, but it is only one of nature's ways of ensuring the survival of the fittest.

The sun was shining while I was there and there were clouds of, largely immature, "blue" damselflies amongst the vegetation along the west bank of the main pond. I'm not great at immature damselflies (MD) but most seemed to be Common Bluetail. Not all immature though, this pair were mating.

Pair of Common Bluetail damselflies 

There were some Blue Damsels as well, the only ones I managed a decent views of were Azure blues

Almost mature Azure Blue damselfly

Not sure about this one, other than it is immature 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet had a look this morning

Some of the four Roe Deer - these are female

Male Reed Bunting

No Grasshopper Warbler heard today but there was a Reed Warbler singing

The early bird...........probably should have been a bit earlier!

The quite fresh wind initially from SE later moving to south. Plenty of sunshine till late morning then overcast. Steady rain starting by early evening.

Seawatch report from Pete:

Sea HeySham north wall 0650-0800.  

Most in the first 25 mins - should have started earlier: 

1 Little Tern

2 plus 6 Manx Shearwater

51 outbound Sandwich Tern (no bloggers)

5 Gannet

14 Guillemot

11 Razorbill

15 Common Scoter

5 Kittiwake

Nice to get Razorbill and Guillemot all in identifiable range.  Tomorrow hopefully multiple skuas

South shore late morning (MD)

Wheatear 2 male and female, both large birds (larger size at this time of year suggesting "northern" birds)

Female Wheatear 

Linnet 6 each on saltmarsh and near lighthouse 

Rock Pipit 3 - 1 on Red Nab, 2 near the lighthouse.

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid afternoon (MD)

I managed a full circuit, hoping to see some insects, but the sun steadfastly refused to shine.

Mute Swan - oh dear, this isn't good...... on the outward leg there were two adult on the main pond, the female sitting. Another two adult near the nest site on the "no swimming" pond, and a single adult on the Tim Butler pond. But the "no swimming" pond pair have hatched their chicks, and the male had decided that he wanted to return to the main pond. On my return the aggressive male had the main pond male pinned down, while his mate waited with her cygnets. The main pond female was still sitting, but I doubt the aggressive male will tolerate her for long. 

The "no swimming" pond female with her cygnets (at least 7) now on the main pond.
I'll spare you the images of the main pond male being attacked by the aggressive male

Moorhen 5

Coot 5 adult plus 2 young chicks - as fluffy balls of feathers go, you have to say that Coot chicks spectacularly fail to be "cute". Mum really puts them through their paces here.

Gadwall 1 male on Tim Butler pond

Mallard 6 male on the Main pond plus 1 female with at least 7 chicks on Tim Butler pond. She was watching them carefully and encouraging them to remain in the cover of the reeds, hopefully these chicks will not go the way of the early clutch on the main pond. 

Little grebe 1

The warblers weren't overly vocal but I did manage to hear:

Willow Warbler 4+

Chiffchaff 4+

Reed Warbler 1

Sedge Warbler 4

Cetti's Warbler 2

Blackcap 2

Common Whitethroat 1

Insects were even thinner on the ground

Speckled Wood 4

Orange Tip 1 male

Large Red Damselfly 2

Large Red Damselfly

This moth had managed to land upside down on a pool.

I didn't watch it struggle for long. It was easy to rescue. Turned out it was a Mother Shipton. It quickly shook off most of the water, and I left it in vegetation, away from the pools to completely dry.

Mother Shipton moth

Finally, this Herring gull was looking for nesting material, when it hit the jackpot!

"Never mind the quality........feel the width!"

Still some good stuff, but not easy

The wind shifted from east to south over the day, quite fresh at times. High cloud with sunny spells.

Seawatch report from Pete (M):

Sample hour seawatch 0620-0720 Heysham 

Really tricky with 1/2 horizon scope maybe not the best strategy. Eg dark Arctic Skua picked up right at the top of the field of view then circled up in situ then NE, 12 Arctic tern only noticed heading inland high above the harbour on a short rest from the scope.  

In the scope view: 

6 distant Gannet, 

1 Red Throated Diver 

4 Guillemot

two distant auk which may have been yet more Puffin but too far away.

13 Sandwich tern (4 blogging)

5 Common Scoter

After that 2cy Shag fishing on dropping tide by yellow buoys

c15 swallow 

2 house martin N.  

750 large gulls and 3 Great Crested Grebe  skear area

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Nets set on both East and West sides this morning. A modest catch comprised the following:

Reed Warbler  1 plus 1 retrap

Willow Warbler  1 retrap

Reed Bunting  1 retrap

Sedge Warbler  2 plus 1 retrap

Lesser Whitethroat  2

Goldfinch  3

Long tailed Tit  1 retrap

Lesser Redpoll  8

A trickle of Swallows flew northwards through the reserve.

Heysham skear - low water 11:20 (MD)

The most notable thing today was the complete lack of small waders, apart from the Oystercatchers there were only Whimbrel 1, Curlew 4

Eider 33 - numbers are reducing now, the few remaining mature females are receiving plenty of "interest", the single female in the lead group here surrounded by 10 males.

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Plus the large gulls - a little earlier, Pete Crooks managed to count 790 large gulls (mainly 2nd CY Herring Gull) feeding on the mussel beds on the falling tide

Nice day, but not a lot happening.

Very light winds early on from NNW - NNE, swung to WNW by late morning and pretty much stayed there for the rest of the day, freshening slight. Sunshine in the morning with very heavy clouds in the afternoon but rain just about held off.

Heysham Skear - low water 10:25 (MD)

We are now on neap tides and not much of the skear was exposed.

Eider 55

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Shag 1 - assumed 2nd calendar year - feeding on north side

Curlew 9

Whimbrel 8

Turnstone 5

Knot 1

The (mainly) Herring gulls were feeding on the seed mussels, but the sea being flat calm and clear, allowed them to collect while under water, presumably helping to wash some of the mud off the seed mussels. There were c250 in this group, not all in the clip, and there were two other similar sized feeding groups.

Red Nab - high water 16:10

Just a quick look

Wheatear 5 on the foreshore 

Rock Pipit 1 

Whimbrel 3 (very noisy)

Curlew 1

Dunlin c100 (counted 97) initially out of sight beyond the outer rocks, but a Peregrine lifted them all briefly allowing a count, before they again settled, mainly, out of sight.

Some of today's Dunlin on Red Nab

There are loads of birds in the Nature park, regular visitors continued to leave seed out throughout the winter, and are still feeding them daily. This male Chaffinch was trying his best to out perform the other nearby birds (this call always makes me think of someone pushing a wheelbarrow with a squeaky wheel MD).

Kevin had a stroll along the south sea wall:

I took another slow walk along the sea wall again today and there were, slightly to my surprise, some more beetles. I've decided to call it the Beetle Wall!

16-spot Ladybird

Cytilus sericeus. A Pill beetle

Male Linnet in scrub behind Red Nab

Green Veined White in the Nature Park

A bit of a dampener!

The wind started SW and had moved to west by evening. The forecast rain held off till early afternoon, then it seldom stopped.

Only my stuff so far (MD) and I only checked the south shore in the morning and another quick check of Red Nab when the rain started.

Common Whitethroat 1 male still holding territory near the saltmarsh slipway.

Linnet 2 on saltmarsh in morning, 8 later in the rain. 3 pairs between lighthouse and waterfall 

Rock Pipit 4  - there were two on the wooden structure near the lighthouse nest site, but neither was the ringed bird.

Rock Pipit showing wing plumage

The other Rock Pipit on the wooden frame was the one with a bad leg.

Wheatear 10 (9 on the foreshore/Red Nab plus 1 near the lighthouse in the morning - still 7 on foreshore in the afternoon rain). This is one feeding behind the foreshore. This clip is actually from yesterday, but they were feeding here again today.

Whimbrel 1 in the morning 2 in the afternoon 

A walk through the nature park this morning the following warblers singing:

Common Whitethroat 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 2

Chiffchaff 2

Unusually no Willow Warbler heard today.

A walk through in the rain, found the area clear of dog walkers, the finches were taking advantage to feed on seeds on the ground. This is the area just next to the newt pond - Green and Goldfinch

Not just my stuff after all. Some bits from Pete this morning:

Greylag goose 2 on Ocean Edge grass

Location of Greylag

and the detail

Shag 2nd calendar year out from Heysham Head, along with a displaying pair of Great Crested Grebe.

Confused Brent

WNW moving to WSW wind, an odd shower in the morning, but some sunshine in the afternoon.

Pete and Kevin managed a seawatch - report from Pete:

Not much on the sea Heysham 1050-1200 but did include a bizarre Dark bellied Brent goose ‘chasing’ a Cormorant across from Barrow side 

5 Common scoter 

1 Gannet 

Harbour Porpoise

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet had a nice walk around the east side. 

Common Sandpiper on the main pond (it's worth opening these images to appreciate the plumage detail)

Common Sandpiper

Common Whitethroat 

Chiffchaff 

Sedge Warbler 

South shore mid afternoon (MD. KE)

Common Whitethroat singing from saltmarsh scrub, presumably the bird that landed here yesterday 

Wheatear 9

Rock Pipit 4 - only individual birds seen - saltmarsh, Red Nab, Waterfall and Lighthouse (not the ringed bird)

Linnet 8 on saltmarsh/foreshore plus 6 between lighthouse and waterfall 

Shag 1 2nd calendar year on wooden jetty 

Finally Kevin managed to spot this tiny beetle. 

Bordered Tortoise Beetle .. Cassida vittata

They're a coastal speciality and aren't very common!

Originally found on the wave shaped wall that catches the heat from the sun. Found, photographed and provisionally identified by Kevin. Thanks to Alison for confirmation of identity. I played a part.......that's my thumb it's sticking out on!

Inshore Skuas, including Bonxie

The wind started SW but swung to WNW by lunchtime. Heavy showers in the morning with increasing sunshine after lunch

Seawatch report from Pete:

Sea early incoming tide Heysham north wall: 

Nothing inbound after sandbanks covered despite strengthening SW wind; all skuas and terns outbound: 

Bonxie (Great Skua) 1

Arctic Skua two dark morph

Gannet 20 (including seasonally unexpected 2Cy)

Sandwich tern 11

Arctic tern 7 & 3

Common Scoter 2

Kittiwake 16 & 1

At least five wheatear gate 38 road. 

South Shore (MD)

Just a quick check from Saltmarsh to Red Nab mid morning - it had just started tipping down - there were lots grounded!

Wheatear 21

Linnet 8

Rock Pipit 2

Greenfinch 4

Willow Warbler 1

Common Whitethroat  1

Sedge Warbler 1

The above three in saltmarsh scrub

This Wheatear has obviously pinched the Linnet's preferred shelter

They were relegated to second choice shelter

An afternoon walk along the sea wall in the sunshine:

Wheatear at least 20 visible from Red Nab including the first 100m of foreshore. Plus another 7 on the scrub near Lighthouse . So absolute minimum number today 33.

Whinchat - surprisingly, after yesterday's high numbers, just 1 male with the Wheatears near the lighthouse.

Shag 1 2nd calendar year on wooden jetty 

Rock Pipit 1

Willow Warbler 1 near waterfall 

Linnet 4 between Lighthouse and waterfall 

From Pete - juvenile Woodpigeon, already - Knowlys Rd

Another good variety of birds

The light wind started from east then moved down to SSE by mid afternoon, by late afternoon it had moved to SW. A few showers in the morning stopped around 11:00. The high cloud remained with some hazy sunshine.

Seawatch etc report from Pete (M)

Marsh harrier 1 female type north up Kent channel

flock 39 Arctic tern

1-2 dark morph Arctic Skua

2 Gannet

17 Sandwich Tern 

2 Wheatear on the north wall

Garden Warbler on singing along Moneyclose lane

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Jean's ringing session included this feamle Common Redstart

Female Common Redstart 

South shore 

I had a walk along just as the last shower was ending (MD) there were 4 Wheatear and 1 male Whinchat plus at least one other Whinchat on the east side of Red Nab. Pete had already checked before the shower and there were no Wheatear or Whinchat then, so obviously brought down by the rain. On my return at 12:20, there were still 4 Wheatear but now 2 female Whinchat.

Female Whinchat 

This clip shows front and profile views of the other female.

But the rain had brought others down and they were consolidating at Red Nab. Alan Physick initially had 4 then, later, 9, possibly 11 Whinchat! Plus at least 10 Wheatear.

Only one Whinchat remained after the wind had shifted to the west.

Whimbrel 8

Curlew 1

Common Sandpiper 3 (1 + 2 together)

Rock Pipit 4 - the one on the saltmarsh was obviously "drawing me away" from where presumably it has a nest site. It kept landing just in front of me looking submissive, then moving on as I approached.

Linnet 2 on saltmarsh, 6 near lighthouse - this is one of the saltmarsh birds having a bath in a rainwater puddle.

Grey seal 1 female between the outflows, 1 male drifting toward the north wall buoys.

Also from Alan - Singing male Grasshopper warbler  in fenced off cable farm area on path to Red nab this evening (plus Middleton Nature Reserve bird singing)

Heysham skear

The Osprey did not return this evening, there wasn't even a Peregrine to break the tranquility, if anywhere can be tranquil with 2000 Oystercatcher and 400+ Large gulls!

Eider 40

Great Crested Grebe 4 - 2 displaying 

Red-breasted Merganser 8

Whimbrel 6

Turnstone 5

Common Sandpiper 2

A good morning seawatch and a nice Osprey nightcap

 Light variable winds starting north then drifting to west, high clouds with some weak sunshine, 

Seawatch report by Pete Crooks:

An adult Puffin relatively close inshore (inside the yellow buoys) gradually drifted past the North Harbour Wall towards Heysham Head between 10.40 and 11.10 am on the incoming tide.

Puffin - picture by Andrew McCafferty

Arctic Tern – A total of 116 in a series of widely spaced flocks were seen gaining height (with some disappearing into the sky before reaching the yellow buoys): 62 at 8.28 am, 9 at 9.24 am, 15 at 10.10 am (including 10 repeatedly landing on the flat calm sea) and 30 at 10.30 am. 

Kittiwake – a single tight-knit flock of 60 flew in while gaining height at 8.28 am (when the first Arctic Terns appeared).

Gannet – A total of c.33, including a high flying group of c. 15, then 6 + 3 + 8 + 1.

Also: 3 Sandwich Tern, 46 Eider and 8 Red-breasted Merganser in the first channel
34 Swallow – in groups of up to 5 low over the sea
2 Rock Pipit along the North Harbour Wall
1 Grey Seal
1 Harbour Porpoise – visible thanks to the calm sea surface

Additional records from Andrew McCafferty:

Red-Throated Diver 1 in

7 common scoter also in

1 Guillemot going out, all before high tide

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Greylag goose 2

Grasshopper Warbler reeling - same location as yesterday, towards the Tim Butler pond

South shore (MD)

Linnet 2 pairs around the saltmarsh plus 8, seemingly in pairs between the lighthouse and the waterfall.

Rock Pipit 3 one each at the lighthouse and waterfall, but no sign of the ringed male. 1 along the sea wall

Wheatear 2 

Shag 2nd calendar year on the wooden jetty 

Whimbrel just 2 

Common Sandpiper 2 together along the sea wall.

Common Sandpiper, well camouflaged amongst the wrack covered rocks

Easier to see when they move

This is just a clip of them flying down towards No.2 outflow.

Heysham skear (MD)

Low water wasn't till 19:50, I went down at 17:30

Shag 1 2nd calendar year feeding on the north side, presumably the bird on the jetty this morning

Eider 26

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Great Crested Grebe 3

Little Egret 13

Grey Heron 1

Whimbrel 6

Dunlin 17

No Turnstone 

Peregrine 1

Osprey 1 - at 18:00 all the gulls and Oystercatcher went up, I knew a large "predator" was about and suspected an Osprey, but I couldn't find it! Turned out it was just a distant speck about 1km north of the skear. Even when it got a little closer, it was difficult to get my camera on it and keep in focus.

This is it scanning the shallow lake just north of the skear.
There are about 20 large gulls just behind, but it managed to keep scanning.

Fortunately, I managed to keep a clip in focus long enough to show the dive and capture.

These are some stills from the above clip

Just before hitting the water

Caught a reasonable sized flattie (plaice or flounder)

I like this clip, as it shakes the water off its feathers before flying off with its catch, followed by some of the gulls.

This time last year when I saw an Osprey feeding here, it returned the following day. If we are to get a repeat performance tomorrow, it could be any time after about 17:45.

Still some stuff through the gloom

Light SSE wind with very fine rain reducing visibility. By evening the rain stopped and the breeze drifted to SSW, before easing to nothing.

Seawatch report from Pete:

Sea 0820-0920: Bit of sea action off north wall despite poor and variable vis: 

dark Arctic Skua out

4 Arctic tern

blogging Common Tern

5-7 Sandwich Tern

4 Gannet

a couple of Whimbrel in 40 mins.  Then nothing for rest of hour other than 5 swallow in poor vis. 

Earlier Pete Crooks had

two Common Sandpiper

one Wheatear.  

No coverage by me of anywhere else other than north wall

Grasshopper Warbler reeling on Middleton Nature Reserve - ref Janet

South shore mid morning on rising tide (MD)

Wheatear 1

Little Egret 3

Whimbrel 7 (1,1,2,1,2) moved from feeding areas by rising tide, most ended up on Red Nab

No other waders except for Oystercatcher 

Rock Pipit just 1 on Red Nab, no sign of lighthouse birds

Linnet 7 near lighthouse including one female collecting nest material. There have been two on territory a while.

This Lesser Blacked-Backed gull was also collecting nest material.

Shag 1 2nd calendar year on wooden jetty 

Grey Seal 1 out from harbour mouth

The persistent light rain encouraged this Sea Slater to make a hazardous crossing of the sea wall.

Heysham skear - low water 19:25 

Eider c50

Great Crested Grebe 4

Red-breasted Merganser 6

Shag 1 2nd calendar year - this clip starts with the Shag, two Merganser and two Eider, within a few seconds they are all gone!

c400 large gulls, mainly Herring feeding on the seed mussels

Whimbrel 8

Turnstone c120

Dunlin 1

Little Egret 9

Grey Heron 1

Carrion Crow 12

Grey Seal 1 - I like this clip, this seal is eating a fish, meanwhile the fishermen are oblivious to it!

This shot is from an angle that will not familiar to most of you. The two buoys are the two out from the north wall. Obviously Blackpool Tower in the background, the "mushrooms" between the buoys are the return water outlets discharging the water from the water treatment plant near Middleton Nature Reserve.