Is the lamppost Med back in town?

Very light north to NNE wind. High cloud with sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by John

Three nets set this morning from 7am to 10.30am. No Geese and little overhead movement of birds recorded, with a just a few Grey Wagtails and Meadow Pipits responding to mp3 lures.

Ringing List:

Grey Wagtail         5

Meadow Pipit        6

Blackcap              3

Bullfinch               2

Cetti's Warbler      2 (Quite a few dispersing Cetti’s around - four ringed this week)

Goldcrest              2

Chiffchaff              2

Reed Bunting         1

Great Tit               1

South Shore - high water 11:25 (MD)

Wigeon 11 on Red Nab plus 4 south

Little Egret 11 most on saltmarsh 

Lapwing 53 on saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 1

Linnet 13 on saltmarsh 

Goldfinch 4 on saltmarsh - this youngster is eating Sea Aster seeds.

Meadow Pipit a steady movement NE into the wind - 43 between 09:45 and 11:15

Swallow 5 east

Peregrine 1 probably more, were flushing the waders all the time I was checking, most waders ended up towards Potts Corner.

The only semi stable group of waders were the ones just in front of the saltmarsh, and they were very jittery.

In this group:

Dunlin 160

Knot 150

Redshank 28

Grey Plover 3

The tide brought the Knot and Dunlin close to me, but I couldn't see any ringed birds today.

There were 294 gulls resting on the mud, most Black-Headed gulls.

This one has a recent injury, but although it looks nasty, it never once tended to it, which it would if it was causing discomfort. Also when the tide reached it it flew off normally. I suppose white feathers will spread a little blood a long way.

BHG with what is hopefully a superficial injury 

Mediterranean gull 1 - was the only one in this group. Its face and bill pattern match the one that took to resting on the lamppost near the junction of Oxcliffe and Heysham roads last winter. But, even more telling is that the tips of its bill appear to be crossed, as was the lamppost bird. 

Adult Mediterranean gull 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet took these shots of Roe Deer this morning. There must be at least 5 deer involved, as the first image has a Buck with antlers in the background 

Peregrine stirs up the waders!

Heavy overnight rain cleared early. Very light breeze early on freshening slightly in the afternoon. Plenty of sunshine for most of the day.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan,

Ringing this morning produced a decent catch of 29 birds. After a very misty start with a particularly heavy dew the morning was calm and mild with a clear sky.

No Pink footed Geese were seen or heard today. A slow trickle of Meadow Pipits responded to the mp3 lure, probably about 50 in total but not systematically counted. They were dropping from height out of the clear sky and not seen passing over. Two further Grey Wagtails only were colour ringed.

Ringing list:

Grey Wagtail 2

Chiffchaff 4

Wren 1

Goldcrest 5

Blackcap 5

Long-tailed Tit 2

Dunnock 1 + 1 retrap

Cetti's Warbler 1 (adult)

Robin 2

Meadow Pipit 5

South Shore - high water 10:55

Mediterranean gull 1 one Red Nab - Pete

I had a walk along foreshore then on to the beach out from the saltmarsh (MD)

Grey Wagtail 1 low to east (towards Middleton Nature Reserve)

Wheatear 3 (only one on the way out, three on the return)

Rock Pipit 3 - 1 near rocky outcrop 2 at slipway end of foreshore trying to chase off....

Meadow Pipit 8 grounded near slipway plus 6 over to south

Meadow Pipit 

On saltmarsh 

Linnet 16 

Lapwing 44

Ringed Plover 21

Swallow 1 south

By the time I was on the shore, all the waders were spread all over the beach, not just along the waterline. I took this clip while I was thinking how to best check the birds without spooking them.

I needn't have bothered, just 20 seconds after this clip, the beach was empty! A Peregrine had lifted everything and had driven them south. So I stayed were I was and waited, sure enough the waders started returning, but the attack had left them flighty. By this time Howard was also on the shore and took this shot of me. I was checking birds already returned, the birds behind me are also returning.

The significance of this shot is how far from the birds I was at this point, but the tide was coming in and bringing them closer, no need to move. The returning birds split into two groups as yesterday, I stayed with the southern group while Howard checked the ones near the saltmarsh.

Neither of us attempted a detailed count but species same and numbers very similar to yesterday. Although in my group there were

Sanderling 7 - I counted 6 in real time, but this clip shows there to be at least 7.

I like this clip as the youngster hops to catch the adult up

Both groups kept lifting and reassembling, I didn't see the Peregrine again, but when they are flighty like this, it just takes one bird to take flight and they're all off. Anyway, my group moved further south, so I walked off.

This is Howard checking the close in group, you can see the slipway behind him. But also not a bird in sight, Howard was a good distance from the birds.

Here are a couple of Howard's pictures:

Knot and Dunlin

The Dunlin bottom centre here is colour ringed
Unfortunately just too distant to read the ring, but enough
to identify the scheme as being from mid Wales

Heysham skear 

I just had quick check in the evening sun (MD)

Eider 2

Male Eider just coming out of eclipse

Red-Breasted Merganser 13 (5, 6 & 2). This is the six

Little Egret 6

Pink-Footed goose 23 came high from the north before turning to head west towards Barrow.

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Dunlin 1, Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

It's strange, there were 50+ Godwits on the south side this morning, but I was really pleased to see this one.

Bar-Tailed Godwit in the evening sun

A tiny break in the rain, but it was well timed!

A southerly fresh wind in the morning gradually moved around to the west. Showers early morning, soon gave way to persistent rain.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

John's ringing report from yesterday:

Four nets set 6.45am to 10.45am

Fairly quiet again with only sixteen birds caught which comprised:

Grey Wagtails     x 5

Chiffchaffs         x 5

Reed Buntings    x 2

and singles of

Goldcrest

Goldfinch

Meadow Pipit

Blackcap

Little overhead movement of birds observed apart from Pink-footed geese, moving similarly to yesterday, northwards, with 1800 observed between 7am and 8.30am.

South shore - high water 10:15 (MD)

The plan was to watch the rising tide push the waders up the beach out from the foreshore. It was raining when I set off, rain won't affect the waders but would have made any photography difficult. Fortunately it had eased by the time I reached Red Nab.

Wigeon 4 on Red Nab, shortly into this clip a Redshank makes a distress call (they are always distressed!). You can't hear it because of the wind noise, but you can see the immediate reaction of all four Wigeon and the Black-Headed gulls.

Rock Pipit 2

Wheatear 1

Linnet 8

Shelduck 248 all headed south. The largest flock of 100 had been resting on the water out from the foreshore. This is them setting off south, you can see the wader flock on the shore below them. The rain was back now, so I was having to use my old camera.

Apart from the wader flock in the above clip, there was another further south, but still well within the recording area. So I headed for the gap between them. Periodically a group of smaller waders would leave the close group to join the one further south. Even so when I reached the waterline and checked the inshore birds there were:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 56

Grey Plover 148

Knot 1,200

Dunlin 300

Sanderling 2

The other group was too distant to count from where I was, but it was a similar size and mix, but probably had more Grey Plover.

Fortunately by this time the rain had stopped, probably the only time all day it actually stopped! It was just about high water, so I paddled out several metres (I always wear wellies on the beach). The near flat beach here means that the water is very shallow for some distance.

This clip is the close in feeding group. It's just to show location really, the birds continue around the sand bar.

This clip provides a bit more detail of some of the birds

I'd seen the Sanderling working their way south along the waterline as I was walking out. I had assumed they had joined the southern group, but they must have just fed in that direction when the tide was flooding, as now that it was ebbing they made their way back (quickly). They fed along the waterline directly in front of me. I do like it when nature ignores me!

Adult Sanderling in winter plumage

First calendar year Sanderling 

Sometimes, when you are closer to birds than you normally get, their detail can be confusing. It took me a while to be confident that this was just a small young Dunlin with a short bill. It's a lot easier on the screen than through a camera viewfinder - Pete advises Schinzii/arctica with nominate alpina

The rain had started again, I had checked the southern group and couldn't  spot anything different with them. So left them to it.

Ringed Plover 25 closer inshore.

High water tomorrow 10:50, no reason not to expect a similar gathering. The birds are easily visible from slipway area, particularly with a scope. Saturday's tide at 11:25 could be ok too, but you would need to be there about an hour before high water.  (MD)

Tawny Owl saves the day!

ESE light wind in the morning shifting to SW in the afternoon. Overcast all day but it remained dry.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Common Snipe 2 flushed from edge of the main pond - Janet

There were several Migrant Hawker around, this shot by Janet

Male Migrant Hawker

I had precious little time today, but managed a quick check of the two main ponds in passing (MD)

Mute unchanged 

Mallard 9 on main pond, several looking immature 

Gadwall 20 on "no swimming" pond

Shoveler 1 male coming out of eclipse.

Coot 2

Moorhen 5 including 1 immature 

Little grebe 1 now almost in winter plumage

If you've ever wondered why this pond is called the "no swimming" pond. It's this sign, once prominent, now surrounded by scrub and trees. I'm probably the only person to have read it in a decade!

It says: Danger. Keep out. Do not swim
Well, you have to call a pond something!

Heysham skear - low water 15:40 (MD)

This was the only walk I managed today, and this was really just a quick look.

Great Crested Grebe 2

Red-breasted Merganser 4 (2+2)

Eider 7

Little Egret 8

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and Dunlin 5

Cormorant and Herring gull resting on skear edge

Thanks to Jimmy (via Janet) for this shot and clip of a Tawny Owl, heard most evenings at Sylvan Place. Presumably based on Heysham Head.

Pinkfoot heading north all day

Very light breeze again, from east in the morning before switching to SW after lunch. Overcast for much of the day, but some sunny spells, becoming prolonged in the evening.

Pink-Footed goose 

Early morning summary from Pete - 6121 northbound, the combined total from Heysham and Middleton with no duplication.  These birds were spread over 2.5 hrs, not a low flying mass ex roost flight to eg Oxcliffe road feeding areas.  Therefore almost certainly a readjustment by overshooting birds heading back to perhaps the Solway area.   

David Kaye also recorded 5 skeins totalling 474 from Knowlys Rd again all heading north (between late morning to early evening)

I had 4 skeins late evening (MD) 267 again heading north, although one was very low

So the total today 6,682 - all north

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

An interesting morning. Only 20 birds captured in the nets for ringing:

Grey Wagtail 4

Wren 3

Robin 3

Blackcap 4

Chiffchaff 4

Reed Bunting 2

Only one other Grey Wagtail seen other than the four caught. 46 Swallows passed through the reserve but no Meadow Pipits seen (or attracted to the MP3 lure) in contrast to yesterday's catch of 15.

I just had a quick passing check of the two main ponds (MD)

Main Pond

Mute pair plus 7 cygnet 

Mallard 2 pair

Moorhen 2

"No swimming" pond

Gadwall 18

Moorhen 2

Shoveler not on the pond, but one flew over. There aren't many ducks that can be identified from a silhouette from below. Shoveler can be!

Shoveler 

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean:

Apart from the Pink-footed Geese there were 4 Chaffinch south, 1 Skylark south and 36 Swallows north. A flock of 8 Mistle Thrushes landed on one of the pylons before moving on. 

Ringing

The highlight was a Cetti’s Warbler

Another 3 Grey Wagtails caught and colour ringed 

Chiffchaff 2

Robin 3

Goldcrest. 1

Blackcap 1

Goldfinch 6

Greenfinch 4

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit 3 new and 1 retrap

Dunnock 1

Wren 1

South shore

Little Egret 6 on Red Nab (typically just 3 here) - Kevin

I had a walk out on the shore again, the tide was coming in but still had a long way to go so plenty of wet mud towards the water line (MD)

Rock Pipit 2

Wheatear 1

Shelduck 15 (3,1,4 & 7) all south

Shelduck 

There was a large feeding mixed group of waders towards the waterline, but the bright sun was low and made seeing nearly impossible. Eventually I managed to get near enough and at an angle to be able to pick out individual birds there were:

Bar-Tailed Godwit c60

Grey Plover c50

Knot c40

Dunlin c100

Sanderling 6

Even so it was still very difficult viewing. These are five of the Sanderling 

Sanderling along the waterline 

I was just wondering what my next move was going to be, when the only low flying flock of Pinkfoot all day, flew north just above the waterline

Pink-footed geese also silhouetted against the strong sun. 
They were only a few metres above the waterline, perhaps they had been resting on the beach.

They lifted all the waders which also flew north, I originally cursed the geese, but the waders landed about 50m north, allowing me a corridor to get to the waterline and wade out a little. Now I had the opposite problem, the sun was so bright as to tint the birds!

These two clips contain the Sanderlings (there is an option to view in slow motion that you may find beneficial)

Other waders

Redshank 15

Turnstone 1

Ringed Plover 18

Oystercatcher c400

Mediterranean gull 1 adult

This Bar-Tailed Godwit was feeding and a Black-Headed gull pinches its lugworm, all to easily in my opinion. It will lose the next one too!

David Kaye took this shot of a pony in the paddocks at Knowlys Rd. Presumably the Magpie is finding something to eat, but only room for one. The other bird has to wait!

What a difference a day makes

Very light and variable breeze, predominantly from the north in the morning, NW by evening. The day alternated between bright sunshine and thick cloud, but it managed to remain dry.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Despite not seeing or hearing Meadow Pipits overhead, 15 were caught and ringed. Chiffchaff dominated the warbler catch No retraps today:

Grey Wagtail 3

Meadow Pipit 15

Chiffchaff 10

Blackcap 1

Robin 5

Goldcrest 2

Wren 1

Dunnock 1

Blue Tit 1

Vis:

Pink-footed Goose 352 in 6 flocks mainly N

Grey Wagtail 9

Cormorant 7 south

Swallow 7

Meadow Pipit 17+

Chaffinch 1

Linnet 2 

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult

Magpie 2

A Cetti’s Warbler wandered noisily round the eastern marsh. 

Heysham skear - low water 12:50 (MD)

This was a test walk really, low water at 3.4m barely uncovers the inner skear, so no distance to walk.

Eider 4 (2males)

Red-breasted Merganser 10 (4 & 6)

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year 

2cy Shag with Lesser Black-Backed gull

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone plus

Knot 52 in one flock, showing well in good light, unfortunately none were ringed

Knot with the South Lakes for a backdrop

Knot

South shore  - high water 19:00 (MD)

Completely different to yesterday, not least as I was looking forward to my evening walk. I was feeling much better today perhaps I was just suffering from a touch of old age!

But, despite my enthusiasm, there was little to see, unfortunately these tides are so low all the exposed mud was dry. It's strange that I walked twice as far to get to the high water line this evening, than I did to get to the low water line on the north side this morning!

Dunlin - there was a flock feeding along the waterline as I was walking out, but they quickly moved on as the tide reached the dry mud. I probably would have been better going out earlier. Apart from those, just these two resting in the brief evening sunshine.

Dunlin

The only other waders were: Oystercatcher, Curlew and Redshank plus

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4

Bar-Tailed Godwit, also resting in the late sun

Shelduck 3 flying south

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

It was a nice evening!

First Shelduck back and more Sanderlings

Quite a fresh NW wind, overcast for most of the day with some light showers. The sun peeked through briefly in the evening.

South shore - "high" water 17:30 (MD)

I've been a bit under the weather today, probably a bit of "man flu". So didn't venture out till this evening, even then it was hard work, the mud felt stickier than usual and the sun made its only appearance of the day to be behind the waders, making viewing difficult!

There was a feeding group of 28 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin along the first patch of wet mud. Probably the group that the Curlew Sandpiper had been feeding with, but no sign of it today.

The tide doesn't come far up the beach on these low neap tides (just 7m today), leaving a very big beach and a very distant waterline. And when you get there, this is what you see!

Waders silhouetted by the sun, these are Dunlin

I had to paddle out a way and look back, the tide was still coming in, but only very slowly. This helped as the waterline became increasingly further away. 

It was mainly Dunlin that moved in to feed in front of me, but there was one Sanderling with them.

Sanderling, centre, with Dunlin

There were three more further along the beach 

Three Sanderling, far left, far right and centre.

Sanderling 4 

I haven't had a chance to scrutinise yesterday's inflight shots of Sanderling in a large, passing, Dunlin flock, but there were probably c15. These are some of them

Some of yesterday's Sanderling in a Dunlin flock

Estimates of other waders on the waterline 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 50

Grey Plover 20

Knot 50 

Dunlin 150

Mediterranean gull 1 adult

Mediterranean gull 

It was obviously going to rain so I started to trudge back. 

Shelduck 1 - I was going to say "distant", but then realised, that the duck was close inshore, it was me who was distant!

First Shelduck reported this autumn 

Rain it did, but not for long.

 Hopefully, the pleasure of walking will return by tomorrow (MD)

Another sad loss!

Tom Wilmer

Tom died this afternoon after being admitted to RLI.  Tom was a key figure in the early days of the observatory with notable fieldcraft skills and awareness of possibilities which, for example, produced the first Common Rosefinch and second and third Melodious Warblers for Lancs as well as lots of ‘bread and butter’ log coverage.  He was a key figure in Educational work in the old classroom until Power station executives unfortunately decided not to continue with the programme.  Tom then moved on to other things but still made occasional visits to Heysham if the Seawatching looked promising or there was a nice October easterly.  He was a valued member of the local birding scene and will be sadly missed

Once again, the wind started light from the north then freshened as it moved to NW. plenty of sunshine for most of the day.

Heysham skear - low water 10:50 (MD)

Little Egret 36 at least - there are 27in this clip

Pete advises that there were 255 little egret in the Ashton hall roost last Sunday and a few may have been missed!

Grey Heron 1

Red-breasted Merganser 12 (2, 4 & 6)

Great Crested Grebe 2

Waders, only: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone 

Peregrine 1 adult flushed them three times, but didn't see it catch anything 

South shore  - high water 16:30 (MD)

Grey Wagtail 1 in the newt pond again

Rock Pipit 1 near rocky outcrop 

These neap tides do not cover the mud, and the area where the Curlew Sandpiper has been feeding is now dry. No good for feeding just resting, which is what 34 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin were doing.

The other consequence of the dry mud is that the gulls tend to sit on it rather than stand, so little chance of checking for rings!

Common and Black-Headed gull resting on the dry mud

There were plenty of waders along the waterline out from the foreshore.

Bar-Tailed Godit 4

Grey Plover 100+

Knot c50

Dunlin c200

Sanderling 2 

Two Sanderling at the front - the waders segregated by leg length

But there were other flocks of waders flying past to the south, one flock of Dunlin certainly contained some more Sanderling, a closer check of my pictures is required to establish how many (not a job for tonight).

Linnet c40 on saltmarsh 

Butterflies in Nature Park

Comma 2

Red Admiral 2

Speckled Wood several 

Large White 2

Large White

Second generation female Large White, looking splendid!

Pink-footed Goose 1000+ heading south early morning over Middleton (John)

At least one skein moving north late evening (Janet)