It's mainly about the Kingfisher today

Heavy rain started before daylight and continued till lunchtime. A fresh SE wind to begin with eased and shifted west after lunch.

South Shore (MD)

A early walk in waterproofs just from saltmarsh to Red Nab didn't find much.

Wigeon c150 flying around Red Nab

Rock Pipit 1

Meadow Pipit 2

Greenfinch 7 at Red Nab

Kingfisher 1 feeding in the large pool in the middle of Red Nab. It was still pouring down, fortunately the fresh SE wind was driving the rain on my back, so I managed to shield my camera to take this short clip.

Kevin Eaves checked after lunch and reported the Kingfisher near the freshwater culvert. I wasn't far behind him, but the culvert was bare. The heavy morning rain had washed silt through. The water may have been fresh, but it wasn't clear.

The groundwater run off through Red Nab culvert with
a lot of silt in suspension, not ideal for fishing.

It was trying its luck in the small pool near the wall, but this will not have been covered by the sea for a week and will be only slightly saline now. This clip is a bit shaky, but it is only to show where to look, although you need to look from some distance when it is this close to the wall.

Lapwing 258 resting out from the saltmarsh as the tide approached.

Some of the Lapwing out from the saltmarsh 

The sun came out briefly! I took this clip of one the four Linnet around the saltmarsh.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I just checked the main ponds this morning.

Mute, Moorhen unchanged 

Mallard 0

Gadwall 17

Tufted 2 male

Little grebe 1

Tufted Ducks (drakes) - no problem looking into the sun today!

Black Redstarts

Very light and variable breeze till mid morning, then it increased slightly and remained a southerly for the rest of the day. Very low cloud till late morning when the sun broke through for a while. Dry.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

It was ideal weather this morning but only two nets set to sample what might be about. Twenty one birds caught eventually including five Chiffchaffs and another unringed Cetti's Warbler.

Meadow Pipit 1

Wren 1 retrap

Redwing 2

Cetti's Warbler 1 + 2 retraps

Chiffchaff 5

Goldcrest 3 + 3 retraps

Great Tit 1

Reed Bunting 2

At about 07.30 the Pink-footed Geese put on a noisy and spectacular show with a few thousand filling the sky above the reserve and over as far as the shore, flying low northwards to their feeding grounds. (Just before 17:00 they made the return trip flying low, first over Janet's house then over mine (MD))

I was also entertained by a Stoat towards the end of concrete road which darted about bothering a pair of Pied Wagtails that had landed there - they did not seem sufficiently alarmed to fly away until the confrontation had carried on for at least ten minutes. 

A number of Meadow Pipits that responded to my mp3 player (7-10) could have been late migrants but might also have been local birds.

I had a quick look round after lunch (MD)

Mute, Mallard and Moorhen unchanged 

Gadwall 26

Tufted Duck 2 males

Shoveler 1 female

Cetti's warbler singing from central marsh

Chiffchaff 2 heard calling 

Meadow Pipits 4 (3+1) drifting through to south

Pete and Jean did the Webs count today.

These highlights from Pete:

Black Redstart 1 Female/imm near naze area at south end Heysham heliport. It was catching insects along with c5 pied and one Grey Wagtail plus one Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit - a lot of chasing and spooking each other. 

It was mobile and elusive and may have gone along seawall towards harbour mouth.

At 15:00 Jean counted 22 Pied Wagtail feeding.

I checked a little later (MD). Couldn't find the Black Redstart, but there were probably more Pied Wagtail, plus 3 Meadow and 1 Rock Pipit.

Not a great shot, but a good comparison of Meadow Pipit (above) and Rock Pipit
On Heliport wall

A second Black Redstart was very mobile between the slipway and Red Nab on Ocean Edge foreshore, located by Alan Physick. 

This full report from Jean:

This is what was on the heliport seawall and grass at high tide (WeBS count):

Oystercatcher 4400

Redshank 71

Turnstone 69

Lapwing 10

Snipe 20

Curlew 6

Pied Wagtail 5

Grey Wagtail 1

Rock Pipit 1

Meadow Pipit 1

BLACK REDSTART 1

Herring Gull 3

Black-headed Gull 3

Wooden Jetty

Cormorant 74

Shag 1

Herring Gull 10

Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Redshank 14

Oystercatcher 6

Black-headed Gull 44

Lesser Black-back 3

Great Black-back 1

Ocean Edge grass

Oystercatcher 3

Pied Wagtail 22

BLACK REDSTART 1 (this was seen on the rocks below the grass by Alan Physick)

Red Nab

Wigeon 169

Oystercatcher 1810

Curlew 14

Redshank 40

Bar-tailed Godwit 1

Little Egret 1

Grey Heron 1

Great Crested Grebe 1

Cormorant 2

Herring Gull 18

Black-headed Gull 16

Great Black-backed Gull 1

Lesser Black-back 1

South shore (MD)

I checked in the morning, no sign of the Black Redstart then

Lapwing 90 out from saltmarsh 

Shelduck 58 most in the freshwater pool out from Red Nab

Wigeon 165 in channel along No.2 outflow

Greenfinch 7 at Red Nab

Rock Pipit 1 Red Nab

Meadow Pipit 3 landed briefly near the lighthouse before heading off to the north side (possibly the ones seen feeding later)

Meadow Pipit silhouetted on the sea wall

Just as I got back to Red Nab, the sun finally broke through the low clouds. As I reached the gate to track to the Nature Park a "dragonfly" was flying north over the copse just behind Red Nab. Too distant to make out any colours, but its size and shape would normally be enough to identify it as a Migrant Hawker, but I couldn't be certain.

Goldcrest 1 near small anemometer 

Goldfinch 70+ in one flock milling around over the non operational land just north of the Nature Park.

Goldfinch flock - if you open this shot you can identify most of the birds.

Late Darter in the sunshine

It was another lovely day. Almost no air movement early on, then a light breeze from all points of the compass till mid morning when it settled to SE. Sunshine all day.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD/AW)

Alan Wilson took this picture of Common Darter sunning itself on the path near the gate on the south side of the reserve.

Male Common Darter

Mute 2 adult with 6 mature cygnets 

Moorhen 4

Mallard 10

Gadwall 22

Tufted duck 2 male on the "no swimming" pond

Tufted Duck with some of the Gadwall - picture by Alan

Cetti's warbler - 1 singing from central marsh

Heysham Skear - low water 08:00 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 3

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Eider 4

Shag 1 - probably the 2nd calendar year but too distant to rule out juvenile 

Little Egret 6

The waders were more interesting today, apart from the Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone there were:

Knot, two medium sized flocks and several smaller ones. I've not had time to count them, but estimated at least 1,500. This is one of the two medium sized flocks. Their murmurations looking particularly splendid in the red light of sunrise.

The low red tinged light also gave the waders a warm colour on the ground - these are Knot

One of 23 Dunlin

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Common Snipe 4 flushed from inner skear

Skylark 7 south (2 over skear plus 2, 3 over Middleton and Imperial Rd respectively)

Pink- Footed goose seen from various locations:

104 north 07:45

17 east 08:10

42 SE 13:50

C60 south 17:00

Other insects:

Small Tortoiseshell 2 Janet saw one fly in at helipad plus one through my garden.

Dragonfly sp - Janet just glimpsed one passing the children's play area below Knowlys Rd.

Hen Harrier

A light south to SE wind. Sunshine all day!

Pete managed an incoming tide seawatch 1205-1250

Razorbill 1 out

Red-Throated Diver 1 out

Hen Harrier 1 female -  seen by Nick Leech (not Nick Godden as I originally posted in error (MD)). It flew past Half Moon Bay, disturbing the wader roost, before heading over the Power Station.

I didn't manage to get out at all today (but will tomorrow! MD)

Just in......juvenile Shag

The wind had eased from yesterday and moved to south. Once again, the rain threatened all day, but it remained dry.

South shore 

Pete watched the noon ferry come in:

Kittiwake 6 adult with IOM ferry - four carrying on into bay, the other two flying rapidly out as it entered port.

New-in juvenile Shag harbour mouth

It was later in the afternoon when I checked (MD). A  juvenile Shag flew low into the harbour and landed on one of the platforms near the waterfall.

You don't have to be a bird plumage expert to recognise this bird as a juvenile. Every step seems like an adventure. Good to see that it has been feeding recently too.

Juvenile Shag

It was eyeing the waterfall area, and it looked like it was building up courage to go there, then the outgoing ferry's tannoy spooked it and it flew off and dived for cover.

The 2nd Calendar year Shag was also around. Here it is just out from the roundhead before flying to its favoured spot on the wooden jetty.

Guillemot 1 feeding on the far side of the harbour mouth

Kingfisher 1 providing a glimpse both on the way out and the way back on Red Nab

Shelduck 67

Wigeon 90

Linnet 38 over saltmarsh but very flighty 

Greenfinch 4 Red Nab

Rock Pipit 5 (2 saltmarsh, 1 Red Nab, 2 along the sea wall)

Reed Bunting 2 saltmarsh 

A flock  of Long-Tailed Tits near the small anemometer included a calling Chiffchaff 

Janet took this shot of some of the Oystercatcher roosting along the old Heliport wall 

Little Gulls top the bill

The SW wind freshened during the day. Dark skies threatened rain all day but it managed to remain dry.

South shore - high water 12:00

I checked at 09:00 (MD). I wasn't going to go along the wall, but when I saw how the wind was driving the waves, I thought it might be worthwhile. But there was nothing over the sea and only Black-Headed Gulls on the outflows.

Pete checked at high water:

Little Gull 1 adult plus a 1st Winter feeding on the outflows 

Kittiwake 1 on the outflows

They were still feeding on No.2 outflow when I checked again in the afternoon 14:00. Unfortunately this was the brightest time of the day and seeing the gulls against the "white" sea proved difficult.

First winter Little Gull

Adult Little gull

On the way back, I couldn't relocate the 1st winter and the adult had taken to patrolling the sea wall

This is the Kittiwake 

Steve Brown had a walk along the wall later, no sign of the Little gulls, but the Kittiwake was still around. Now feeding on No.1 outflow. By this time the light was fading and Steve had the opposite problem to me earlier. Still he managed these nice shots.

Pete advises that this is a 2nd calendar year Kittiwake 

Other records:

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh 

Greenfinch 3 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 1 Red Nab plus 1 along sea wall

Wigeon 75

Blackcap 1 male in Nature Park - near the newt pond. A flock of Long-Tailed Tits were passing through the same area, but it wasn't clear if the Blackcap was actually part of the group.

Goldfinch 30+ Between small and large anemometers

The Three Rs

A similar day to yesterday, with a SW wind and some heavy showers and occasional sunshine 

Just my stuff again so far (MD)

South Shore mid morning at the end of a heavy shower

When I was at school we were "taught" the Three Rs - Reading (w)Riting and (a)Rithmetic - not a lot of help to a lad who wasn't great at spelling to begin with!

I was reminded of it today as I checked the saltmarsh, only three passerines seen - Reed Bunting, Robin and (w)Ren

Chaffinch 1 female/immature along the foreshore, presumably grounded as I can't recall seeing one here before

Greenfinch 3 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Wigeon 41

This Dunnock was also on Red Nab, looking a bit nervous as it was sandwiched between a Robin and a Rock Pipit, both on territory 

Imperial Rd 

Just a brief stop off in passing

Little Egret 5

Grey Heron 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 1

Roe Deer 2 - looks to be a female with her fawn. The scrub they are heading for is the boundary to the Bypass. I doubt they would cross when the traffic is so busy but they must do at some point.

Roe Deer c20m from Heysham Bypass 

Just out of the recording area

Curlew 190 resting in the field on the left of Oxcliffe Rd as you reach the 40mph section after the railway bridge. Presumably flushed from their regular high water roost by the spring tide. I just started to film them when they took flight. I'd like to blame the noisy traffic, but it was more likely to be the funny looking guy pointing a camera at them!

Half of them continued west, but the other half circled round and landed again.

Just a few bits......and they were hard won!

A fresh south wind, the day fluctuating rapidly between blue skies and showers.

Janet sent this shot of House Sparrows in the hedges at the northern end of Moneyclose Lane. They are quite localised in this area.

House Sparrows

The only other stuff I have is what I managed (MD). I was busy today, every time I was doing something else the sun came out. But as soon as I ventured out, the skies darkened and the rain fell. The forecast today was for "light" showers. The only thing light about them was that you could do with a light to see through the gloom!

South shore

Just a look around Ocean Edge at high water to see if the current downpour had grounded anything 

Greenfinch 3 at Red Nab were the only finches 

Rock Pipits 2 on Red Nab plus 1 on saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh 

Wigeon 75 feeding on what little vegetation was still showing on the saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 2

Jack Snipe 1

The rain had stopped by the time I reached the Nature Park (the sun was out by the time I got back to my car!)

Chiffchaff 1 calling near small anemometer 

Goldcrest 1 feeding near small anemometer 

Female Goldcrest 

Heysham Head 

I exercised my daughter's dog after lunch, just in time for another soaking. At least we had the whole Head to ourselves.

Great Crested Grebe 1 feeding out from the Head 

Rock Pipits at least 3, probably 5

Meadow Pipits 3 grounded by the shower

Meadow Pipit

Hopefully more tomorrow 

A bit less of interest, but at least the mutes are back up to strength

A lightish SSE wind with steady rain till late morning, it remained overcast with a few more light showers.

South Shore (MD)

I checked the saltmarsh starting at the stage of the rising tide when I left it yesterday. It poured down the whole time!

Greenfinch 2 along the foreshore were the only finches

Song Thrush 1 grounded near slipway 

Wigeon 146 feeding over the flooding saltmarsh, but most headed towards Potts Corner as the tide covered the vegetation 

Common Snipe 3

Jack Snipe 2 - one or two may have left earlier, but I suspect 2 - 3 is the total current population on saltmarsh.

A check along the wall in the afternoon was at least dry, unfortunately of birds too. The only thing of note were

Shelduck 27 having a drink in the pool created by the freshwater run off from Red Nab.

Shelduck out from Red Nab on the ebbing tide

Carrion Crow flying along the sea wall

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

The good news is that the Mute family was back to the two adult and six large cygnets. Also their behaviour has changed, two of the cygnets had taken to just hanging around the seat at the feeding station, presumably these included the one that died. But today all were in the middle of the main pond eating weed

Mallard 9

Gadwall 13 (just 5 females)

I was watching their eye rolling behaviour. It seemed that the established pairs didn't bother. But the unattached birds were regularly signaling to each other this way.

This Moorhen seems supercharged as it zooms past what I took to be the already paired three females - not an eye roll in sight!

The other two females were in the middle of the pond, surrounded by eye rollers

Coot 1

Little grebe 1

A bit more of interest

A light SSE wind with Sunny spells and showers

 South shore - high water 09:45 (MD)

I went down to watch the tide cover the saltmarsh.

Kingfisher 1 on Red Nab, it came out from the freshwater culvert in the sloping wall, but then went to fish in the small pool closest to the wall (near the stainless steel bollards). You can tell we are back to spring tides, last night's tide will have "restocked" this pool.

Rock Pipit 2 - one on Red Nab and one on saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 5 at least on/around saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 38

Jack Snipe 1 (a heavy shower started just after I saw this, so I left for home before the saltmarsh was fully covered)

Lapwing 10

Wigeon 120 - they were feeding on the flooding saltmarsh, there was quite a lot of bickering going on and so very noisy. I took this clip mainly to capture their calls, but the wind made it difficult. Even so you can hear some of the whistling from the males.

Imperial Rd (MD)

I just called in passing there were

Little Egret 7

Grey Heron 1

Magpie 4

All feeding in a small area of recently churned up or partially slurried field, just to the east of the road.

Most of them are in this clip

This clip is just a Little Egret preening with a Mallard in the background. Both birds can be seen to look in the same direction when a potential threat is perceived.

Pete managed a quick afternoon check:

Shag 1 waterfall area late pm

Also single Black-Tailed Godwit on tideline near conger rock.  

No geese or water birds of note 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I'm tempted to say a late evening check, but it was only 16:00!

Mute pair, with again only 5 cygnets seen

Mallard 5 (3 males) main pond 2 males "no swimming" pond

Moorhen 4 main pond, 2 "no swimming" pond

The "no swimming pond was busy!

Little grebe 1 - not sure what's going on here. It surfaced with this dark round thing (snail?) in its bill

Little grebe with unknown item in its bill

It didn't discard it but dived again and didn't resurface in view. They do this when they are taking something large to eat in the margins out of sight. But it may have dropped whatever it was under the water and continued fishing. 

Shoveler 1 female

Teal 5 (3 male)

Teal, the male now out of eclipse 

Gadwall 22 - most were sat quietly on the water near the edges. But there was one female in the middle with a couple of "interested" males. I have to say she seemed a bit of a flirt! This is what has to be called "making eyes at one another".

Mind you the males were no better, I saw one "making eyes" at the female Shoveler, she wasn't impressed!