Saved by the wind....at least we were

A light east wind, later moving more SE. Mainly overcast with some very light showers.

Report from Pete:

Marsh tern sp 1 at the seaward end of No.1 outflow, seen only briefly and distant from Ocean Edge. Too distant and brief to be able to rule out a juvenile White-winged Black Tern, but probably a juvenile Black Tern

Heysham skear - low water 11:00 

I went down about 08:00. One reason for going early was that a White-Tailed Eagle with radio tracking was known to fly to Humphrey Head yesterday evening. It was a bit hazy, but at least I could see Humphrey Head, probably as close as I'll ever get to seeing a White-Tailed Eagle (MD)

Eider 7 female/immature plus a raft of 11 males

Wigeon - 2 + 14 north

Great Crested Grebe 5

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year feeding

As I was leaving it was obvious that a serious fire was raging somewhere south of Heysham Head. Not only plumes of black smoke billowing across the bay, but a continuous sound of emergency vehicle sirens.

Serious fire south of Heysham, more on this later.
This was 10:00, David will be in this shot somewhere, see post below

Heysham Head

Report from David Kaye

9-10.30

Small group of house martins and swallows included a single sand martin

4 wheatear

1 shag (same bird as above)

1 very dark fox near the chapel

1300-1430

2 eider

2 new rock pipits chased off the regular single

4 wheatear 

Wheatear 

alas no eagle

After leaving the skear, I followed the smoke, it became obvious that it was somewhere close to Middleton Nature Reserve. I couldn't get too close as fire engines were already on the scene and more were arriving all the time. The main outpouring of smoke appeared to be just south of the Water Treatment Works within the industrial estate. I would have only been in the way if I had stayed, so I left, sincerely hoping that no one had been, or would be, injured.

Janet went to Middleton in the afternoon. The fire was still smouldering and she said that Middleton had been very lucky, if the wind had been from the more normal west the southern section of the reserve would have been at serious risk.

Still wisps of smoke visible in the afternoon, just beyond the
the western boundary of the southern section of the reserve

Some of the Goldfinch flying from just one tree

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean

Despite the drama at Middleton, the Heysham birds just got on with attending the feeders behind the office and the following were caught and ringed between 10am and midday:

Greenfinch 10 (one was a retrap)

Chaffinch 2

Dunnock 3

Blue Tit 1

Chiffchaff 1

South shore - high water 16:40

I went down just before high water to check the waders on the beach out from the saltmarsh (MD)

Wheatear 2 on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 2 on foreshore plus 3 on the rocky outcrop just south of the saltmarsh 

Three Rock Pipits on the rocky outcrop. A bird held territory here all
last winter, but I couldn't find any evidence of them breeding here

Swallow 2, 6 and 2 south

There were a lot of waders on the tide line, but at 8.1m is was still coming in quite quickly and the smaller waders soon moved further south. The numbers below are what I counted but I didn't get them all:

Dunlin 570

Ringed Plover 6

Oystercatcher c500 (didn't count)

Knot 33

Grey Plover 85

Bar-Tailed Godwit 19

Curlew 60

When one takes flight it spooks others and soon most are flying. This is the point when most of the small birds and some of the larger ones took flight.

In this clip, it's mainly the  Godwits and Oystercatchers remaining, but it does show how quickly the tide was coming in.

Dunlin and Ringed Plover
I've not pre sized this one, in case you want to check the detail

There always seems to be one bird that behaves differently to the rest, while 570 Dunlin were feeding along the water's edge, this one was quite happily treading for small invertebrates just a few metres from me.

When all the other waders had moved on, I remembered this bird and looked around. It was still in exactly the same spot, although now up to its belly in water. Perhaps a different sub-species to the others or perhaps just a different "personality" (MD)

One of two Painted Lady resting on the saltmarsh rubble during a light shower

Footnote: Checking local media shows several reports of today's fire, but none mention any casualties.

Duck numbers growing plus another Clouded Yellow

Quite a fresh east breeze, mainly sunny with some overcast spells.

First some pictures by Kevin Singleton from yesterday:

Painted Lady - Middleton Nature Reserve 

Curlew - south shore

Eider - south shore

Heysham skear - low water 10:20 (MD)

Just the standard fare today

Little Egret 9

Grey Heron 1

Eider 5 including one eclipsed male

Great Crested Grebe 5

Red-breasted Merganser 5 (4 + 1)

Waders - just: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and 3 Ringed Plover

South shore

Clouded Yellow butterfly  one male by the saltmarsh slipway, seen by Pete this morning.

I checked it out early afternoon (MD).

I started on the eastern side of the saltmarsh where the bulk of the Sea Asters are. No sign of the Clouded Yellow but 15 Small White and 2 Small Tortoiseshell coming in/feeding

Small White, topping up on a Sea Aster before continuing inland

There were another 7 small white and 1 Small Tortoiseshell between saltmarsh and Red Nab, some obviously coming in. Then no more along the sea wall till No.1 outflow (where the tide had reached the sea wall). Between there and lighthouse another 8 small White and 2 Small Tortoiseshell - both the Tortoiseshell and a couple of the Whites seen to come in off the sea. Unusually, there were no butterflies along the scrub between lighthouse and waterfall.

Rock Pipit - just the 1 defending the drying "pool" on Red Nab

Linnet 18 on the rocks near the pool on Red Nab

Wheatear 5 - 1 on foreshore plus 4 taking advantage of the insects coming in off the sea near the roundhead.

A particularly rufous Wheatear 

This one seems to have a bee or wasp, either way, it wasn't prepared to swallow it. It didn't help this bee, but it might prevent others from being taken.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I just called in on my way home to check the "no swimming" pond 

Coot 1 

Little grebe 1 adult 

Little grebe - still in summer plumage, although fading slightly 

Shoveler 1 male

Male Shoveler in eclipse - they always make me smile (MD)

Gadwall 12 including 6 males coming out of eclipse. They were all preening and washing their new feathers. This male was typical (co-staring: Coot, Shoveler and Moorhen (not obvious))

Water Rail - I'm not sure about this. Loud squeals certainly sound like a Water Rail but they appear to be coming from the industrial area to the south. But unless they are castrating pigs in there, I can't think what else it could be.

Swallow 3

Janet took these shots

Migrant Hawker 

Brimstone - looking splendid with the sun shining through its wings

Life by the water's edge

A fresher ENW wind, sunshine for most of the day.

Heysham skear - low water 09:45 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 5 (one group)

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year 

Eider 6 female with juvenile on sea plus 11 partially eclipsed males, originally resting on a sand bar...... 

Some of the male Eider, one appears to be ringed

........then they flew off north as the tide started making.

Wigeon 22

Teal 3

Pintail 3

But, interestingly, all initially in the same flock. They came from the south, but as they crossed the skear, the Wigeon and Teal wheeled around and flew back south and past the harbour, meanwhile the Pintail continued north into the bay.

This is the parting of their ways. The lead bird here is a Pintail, as is the sixth. 
The two small ones below are Teal

The above still is from this clip, you can just make out the three Pintail continuing north, just after the flock gains height the first time. The Wigeon and Teal looked like they were going to land, but they changed their mind and returned south after this clip.

South shore

It was this walk that today's title alludes. All the sightings of interest were on the water's edge, some resting, some bathing and some feeding (MD)

Rock Pipit 4 including the territorial bird in the slime pit. Howard took these excellent shots of it yesterday. It's got a brandling eathworm.....where has that come from!

Rock Pipit washing a Brandling earthworm before eating 

Linnet 28 between the above pond and the freshwater culvert. Janet took these shots of one having a bath in the freshwater stream.

Linnet

Just before No.2 outflow at the bottom of the sea wall was a tiny bird. Turned out it was a 

Reed Warbler - it must have been exhausted, the tide was rising slowly and it couldn't be bothered to move. This is how far the tide (the bubbles are perfectly natural spume) reached before it moved!

Reed Warbler having an unintentional bath!

This was the second time the tide reached it, it seemed a little more alert this time.

It was fortunate, as the tide was also moving kelp flies up the wall. It managed to catch a few, and then disappeared, when I wasn't watching it.

Reed Warbler by the sea

Mediterranean gull 1 adult flying around No.1 outflow.

Dunlin 25

Another mixed flock, mainly Dunlin with Redshank and Turnstone 

again these were taking advantage of the rising tide to feed on the invertebrates on the sloping wall near the wooden jetty.

Eider 5 out from harbour mouth

Mallard 1 male - dragged itself out for a rest on the wall, near the lighthouse 

Starlings 200+ feeding between lighthouse and waterfall - this shot is one of Howard's from yesterday 

Mainly immature Starlings

Grey Seal 1

There were Small White and Small Tortoiseshell coming in off the sea, just 6 and 5 respectively seen, but the tide was in and they were coming in all along the sea wall.

Nature Park

Long Tailed Tits 24 in one flock tree hopping south.

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter 1

Meadow Brown several 

Speckled Wood several 

Small White several

Small Tortoiseshell 2

Red Admiral 2 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 - fortunately I saw it land, I don't know if it had just come in, but when it was disturbed by a Migrant Hawker, it lifted high and flew off north.

A nice fresh looking Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

50 plus House Martins over sea Whinnysty Lane - ref Kevin Singleton

Top raptor double

It forecast sun for today, and the sun "promised" to shine all day, but it never really happened. A steady NE fresh breeze.

Report from Pete:

Mediterranean gulls 4 juv, 1 ad seaward end hey one (3-4 Juv common gull as well). Later another adult and 2cy on Red Nab, but numbers way down

Hobby chased by peregrine headed high to south (Red nab) - Peregrine returned to power station roof.  

From Heysham Head:

9-10 Great Crested Grebe

1 x  2cy shag

(plus unidentified diving duck in poor silhouetted light which disappeared - not an Eider) 

At least 46 swallow heading north into wind along coast in combined 30 mins observation.

Janet checked Red Nab to Heysham Nature Reserve 

A general view of Red Nab on the rising tide

Territorial Rock Pipit patrolling its slimy realm (see yesterday's post)

Whitethroat on the Nature Park newt pond

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Common Darter 

Meadow Browns (female and male)

This dead tree was obviously an ideal sun trap for the Red Admirals

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean

We caught 22 birds this morning:

Swallow 2

Grey Wagtail 1

Blackcap 3

Sedge Warbler 3

Reed Warbler 2

Whitethroat 1

Chiffchaff 3

Willow Warbler 1

Goldfinch 1

Robin 1

Wren 2

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit 1

Vis:

Grey Wagtail 6 (but only caught 1 🙁)

Marsh Harrier 1 juvenile south 06:50

Swallow 15

Goldfinch 41 (largest flock = 25)

Chaffinch 2

Greenfinch 1

Grey Heron 3 flew over which is unusual

On the reserve:

Cetti’s Warbler 1 callled a few times on the east side

I had a stroll around in the afternoon (MD)

Coot now up to three

The male Shoveler was still on the "no swimming" pond.

Gadwall 2 - 1 male plus 1 female/immature 

Female/immature Gadwall

Other wildfowl as recent

Dragonflies - not many today

Emperor 2

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter plentiful 

Butterflies, again not many

Speckled wood

Meadow Brown

Small White Red Admiral 4 close together

Comma 1

Comma

Red Admiral, much less conspicuous with its wings closed

Roe Deer 1 

We had a Mexican stand off though the trees

Roe Deer

Before it got bored and tootled off

Shoveler returns(?)

A light NE breeze. Some hazy sunshine but largely overcast

Pete advises that Clouded Yellows are being seen both south and north of the recording area. Both Janet and myself were out and about today, but didn't see any. Tomorrow's looking promising though.

Janet checked Red Nab to Heysham Nature reserve.

Red Nab:

Two of the Three Wheatear 

This Robin seems to have set up territory on the eastern edge of Red Nab

One of four Rock Pipit - more on this later

Linnet

Treble-bar moth

Nature Park:

Small White

Meadow Brown

Male Common Darter

Heysham Nature Reserve:

Female Migrant Hawker 

Immature Common Darter 

Common Blue, so worn you can almost see through its wings

Kestrel 

North shore (MD)

Mute Swan three out from the green marker post

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Wildfowl as recent except:

Coot numbers doubled - now two

Shoveler 1 eclipse male on "no swimming" pond. Time will tell if it is passing through or back for the winter!

Male Shoveler in eclipse 

Butterflies:

Meadow Brown

Small White

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell 

Common Blue (with see through wings like Janet's)

Dragonflies:

Emperor only 2

Brown Hawker 2

Migrant Hawker 7 (including 2 pairs in cop)

Migrant Hawker male

Common Darter - lots of males, but the only female seen was this old one

Old female Common Darter

Red Nab (MD)

I had a look on the rising tide, earlier than Janet. 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult - the only bird I could locate among the Black-Headed gulls was the green ringed German bird.

Mediterranean gull with green darvic ring amongst the BHG.
This bird was ringed as a nesting in 2012

The overnight tide was the highest of this set of spring tides, but the light off shore wind meant that it didn't top up the pool at the start of the sea wall. So, barring storms it will now not be topped up with sea water till 10th or 11th September. So almost two more weeks, goodness knows what life will emerge from it, especially if occasional rain prevents it from drying out completely.

Drying pool at the very beginning of the sea wall

The territorial Rock Pipit is certainly expecting, and almost certainly currently experiencing, a bounty. It is defending this pool vigorously, allowing the other three Rock Pipits freedom of the rest of Red Nab. Always worth a check if you are passing.