Minus 8.....you wouldn't want to be a bird!

Another freezing night with another to follow (possibly the last for a while), temperatures barely got above zero all day. Plenty of sunshine and a very light east breeze.

Kevin Eave's weather station (within the recording area) recorded a temperature of -7.8C at 07:00. It was still -4C when I set off at 08:30. This shot out from Ocean Edge foreshore is 09:30, it is unusual for two reasons. First, Golden Plovers are very uncommon here, despite being plentiful in the Lune estuary. Secondly, it is the first time I've seen a bird with frost on its head, back and tail! (MD)

Golden Plover, covered in frost.....goodness knows what it looked like at 07:00!

South shore (MD)

Two visits again today, a full check in the morning plus a brief check from saltmarsh to Red Nab in the afternoon.

Morning check:

Saltmarsh 

Starlings 100+ I've been surprised that they haven't been here in numbers earlier.

Starlings with their feathers fluffed out

Greenfinch 9

Reed Bunting 4

Blackbird 2

Song Thrush 1

Song Thrush with its feathers fluffed out

Black-Tailed Godwit 4 - these were feeding in the creek just beyond the slipway, but I couldn't get a good look as other waders, including another Godwit (probably a Black-Tailed) were feeding in the middle of the creek, and I didn't want to risk spooking them. These are the birds in the middle of the creek, showing just how bleak it was. Oystercatcher, Godwit, Redshank and Curlew having to probe through the ice before reaching the mud.

Foreshore:

Golden Plover 1

Shelduck c150

Red Nab:

Blackbird 1

Meadow Pipit 1 ( the Rock Pipit is still around, I saw them both in the afternoon, but I think the Rock Pipit is spending more time in the Power Station grounds, where I am sure it knows of plenty of warmer areas to feed and rest). The Meadow Pipit seemed to be finding food as well. You can just about hear it peeping a couple of times.

Kingfisher 1 looking forlorn. The only ice free water on Red Nab was the groundwater run off, but that is currently too shallow to draw the fish up it and the tides too low to back fill it. The Kingfisher was sat on the sloping wall. I managed not to disturb it, but suspect it will have had to go somewhere else to feed.

Sea wall:

Grey Plover 1

Wigeon c120. These tides aren't good for them either. The tide barely reaches Red Nab, and without the tide the gut weed is either under ice or frozen to the rocks. Nevertheless, when I checked in the afternoon they were feeding around Red Nab edges. But at this time some were resting in the channel next to No.1 outflow, with a nice shot of the SeaTruck sliding past.

But in reality, ships that size don't just slide past, they displace a lot of water. I knew what was going to happen next, and I expect it is something the Wigeon regularly experience.

Black-Tailed Godwit 26 - I 5 were feeding in the same section of shore as above, but closer in. Another 11 flew over high to SE making a daily count of 29. The mud was soft here, but I didn't see them catch anything, probably why in normal conditions you don't see godwits here.

But there are worms to be found. This Curlew near No.2 outflow has a decent sized lugworm. But it caught it very near the surface, just prior to this clip. It must have seen it casting its waste.

Afternoon check:

I got back to the saltmarsh just as the tide was reaching the creek. It wouldn't get much higher today and won't cover the shore out from the saltmarsh again till next Wednesday.

Black-Tailed Godwit 5 - not sure what they were feeding on, but they were each feeding like this. I can only think their food items are getting smaller and they use this technique to filter whatever it is from the silt.

Teal 4 female - I like this clip, it's not often you see a Dunlin, Redshank, Black-Tailed Godwit and a Teal feeding together. It does demonstrate just how small a Teal duck is.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 550 most arrived 14:30, but a steady influx continued while I was there.

Knot c100

Dunlin c300

Redshank 60

I didn't check the north side today, and have had no reports, so I don't know if the Brent turned up at the play area again. If they did, they must have remained undisturbed as they didn't show at Red Nab.

Janet very kindly posted Jean's comments from yesterday regarding disturbance on "Heysham dog friendly" page on Facebook, so more pet walkers will be aware of the concern.

These low neap tides are the worst possible combination with the freezing temperatures, as so much of the shore becomes locked in ice. Hopefully tonight could be the last deep freeze for a while, possibly a bit of rain over the weekend will free the exposed shore, making normal, feeding possible again.

The cold continues to bite!

Another freezing night, with another to follow. It barely got above 0C all day, despite the almost constant sunshine, when there was any air movement, it came from the east.

Pale-Bellied Brent Goose 8 - initially seen on the skear at low water in two groups 2 + 6. Later, David Kaye saw 8 flushed by a dog early (13:10) from the children's play area. Shame, that's where the best food currently is. 

There were 8 on Red Nab at high water, before 6 flew off south.

As Jean points out, the birds are stressed in this prolonged very cold weather and extra energy expended flying off because of disturbance from off lead dogs causes loss of condition, reducing their breeding success next year or can even affect their survival this winter. Please pass this on to anyone you know who exercises their pets here, or anywhere where birds are feeding or roosting.

These are the group of six choosing to fly from the south side of the skear to the north side, just as the sun was rising. There is little food on either side, so it looks like they were just waiting for the tide to take them to the play area.

David's shot of all 8 being prematurely flushed from the play area

Also on skear:

Pink-Footed goose 8 seeming unsure as to where to go. Came from south, turned west, then back south again.

Eider 34

Red-Breasted Merganser 1

Little Egret just 1

Just single figures each Knot and Dunlin

Ringed Plover 10

Saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD)

Passerines on saltmarsh (excluding the resident Robins, Wrens and Dunnocks)

Blackbird 5

Skylark 1

Song Thrush 1

Reed Bunting 3

Greenfinch 12

Rock Pipit 1

Shelduck 170

Common Snipe 6

Last night's neap tide was not high enough to cover the shore out from the saltmarsh, yesterday's "idyllic" pools were frozen solid, as was the mud. The tide did reach up the creek though, this Curlew marks the extent of last nights tide reach. The straight line shows how flat the sea was.

The ice line marks on the creek sides show the extent of last night's tide

Black-Tailed Godwit 13 - the soft mud they fed in yesterday was soft no more, their only option was to feed in the creek itself.

This afternoon's high water was slightly higher than last night's, so I couldn't resist another quick look at high water. Hoping to see more Godwits, and I was far from disappointed!

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1,200 at least

Most of the waders in the water are Bar-Tailed Godwit

Here are some more coming to join them.

Black-Tailed Godwit 22 - there were at least two resting among the Bar-Tailed

The larger bird on the left is one of the resting Black-Tailed Godwits

Another two were waiting at the creek edge 

Black-Tailed Godwit - the setting sun giving their normally greyish
winter plumage a warm glow, reminiscent of summer plumage

As soon as the ebbing tide started to reveal the newly thawed shore, they were quickly joined by Redshank, Knot and Dunlin.

A little earlier 18 had flown over to the north

Black-Tailed Godwit

Other waders

Lapwing c100

Redshank c50

Dunlin c250

Knot c400

Grey Plover 5

I managed to leave without spooking any of them, which pleased me. But they were much more interested in finding food than worrying about me. Hope they all have enough fuel to keep them warm enough to survive through another freezing night! 

Survival of the opportunistic (being tough helps too!)

Another freezing night, but a warmer, overcast day with temperatures hovering around zero. But another very cold night ahead. The light east breeze continues.

Janet managed a "hobble" to Half Moon Bay yesterday. Not the ideal conditions for someone nursing a broken ankle! 

Lapwing 

This line of rising water vapour is coming from the Power Station
cooling water as the tide draws it from the outflows and past the buoys 

The only stuff I have so far today is from my morning stroll (MD)

South shore

Saltmarsh:

Pink-Footed goose 45 north 09:00

Shelduck 180 feeding on the mud out from saltmarsh and foreshore 

Teal 4 - two male together plus two individual female.

This is the area the Teal were using, they look like lakes surrounded by sparse pine trees, but are just shallow saltwater pools surrounded by ageing Samphire.

Area to the south of the saltmarsh creek
which is becoming an ever increasingly interesting environment 

Mallard 3 - a female with 2 male circling around saltmarsh 

Snipe 3 around the saltmarsh edge, but they also frequent the above area just south of saltmarsh 

Black-Tailed Godwit 6 - they have been very uncommon in recent years, and these birds were only here due the generally adverse conditions. Their food of choice are the large lugworms found further out. But lugworm tunnel deeper in cold weather, well out of range of the longest bill. They can still be caught but mainly along the tideline, where they are likely not to be at the bottom of their tunnel. But these godwit had chosen to feed in the soft mud just out from the slipway. I thought they may have been after the small lugworm that burry in this mud, but they must have been too deep too. They were catching something else....

These are three of them, they are clearly eating something, but it's not obvious what

This clip give a hint of what they were feeding on and shows the location.

This is a still from the above clip. A small round mollusc,
probably a snail, going down (well up then down) shell and all.

It seems like meagre fare, but it was worth fighting for!

The smaller bird is a Knot, another opportunist, finding the tiny invertebrates disturbed by the godwits.

Skylark 2

Reed Bunting 3

Rock Pipit 1

Sea wall:

Wigeon 240 in channel along No.1 outflow

Grey Plover 1 - I can never resist taking a shot of a Grey Plover, they seem to be so photogenic in all plumages.

Grey Plover below sea wall

Rock Pipit - this bird too has refined its feeding strategy. There are little or no invertebrates available on dry land, but it was finding marine invertebrates on this rock.

Ferrel Pigeons seldom get a mention but they are resident around the harbour area. While other birds were finding ways to survive, these two had something else on their mind. It does seem a strange time to be planning a family!

The silent sunrise

Another calm and freezing night. Plenty of sunshine during the day, but the air temperature never rose above zero. Very light east breezes.

Heysham skear - low water 07:40 (MD)

I set off at 07:30, it was minus 4C, it had been down to minus 6C overnight. The skies were clear but a big bank of mist hung over the sea.

Pink-Footed Goose one "typical" skein of 6 north, but 3 small skeins heading south (17, 20 +c10) possibly cold related movement. All movement before dawn.

The only birds seen on the sea were 13 Eider.

When the sun started to rise, it initially met a barrier of haze, it looked quite spectacular.

In the above clip you can hear the clamour of the waders. This noise is a constant background here, and I don't hear it. But I heard it when it stopped! About 15 minutes after this clip the sun had burned off the mist and it's rays were refreshingly warm. Everything went eerily silent! All the birds stopped feeding and just faced the sun to soak up the heat. They need all the energy they can muster to remain warm on nights like this. Food is required for overnight energy, but the sun's energy was very welcome for a few minutes.

Red-Breasted Merganser 2 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2

I didn't see either till I was about to walk back up the beach, they were both near the green marker post.

They waited till the tide caused them to swim, before flying off

Howard went to check out the waders on the old heliport wall. Unfortunately, someone walked right up to the roosting birds to take a picture, and flushed them all!

This is the very last thing the birds need! They've had a freezing night followed by a very short feeding window on the exposed shore. All they can do now is to rest to conserve energy before another freezing night. I'm sure everyone who reads this post respects this, but please advise others you know who may not be aware of the significance of disturbing wildlife, particularly at this time of year (Malcolm)

South shore (MD)

Saltmarsh 

Wigeon 70

Shelduck 5

Teal 2 flew from south and landed on the saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 6

Ringed Plover 1

Ringed Plover

Grey Plover 1

Grey Plover

Blackbird 1

Reed Bunting 5

Rock Pipit 1

Rock Pipit

Red Nab:

Wigeon another 140

Shelduck another 16

Rock Pipit another 1

Kingfisher 2 - there were definitely two today. One was feeding in the freshwater stream as I walked out. Then as I was getting to the end of Red Nab two flew past, at least one peeping loudly.

This was the "chased" Kingfisher, it flew along the curved wall

The second Kingfisher flew past on my left and when it was satisfied the other was far enough away, it returned to Red Nab.

One was still feeding on Red Nab on my return

Harbour:

Shag 1 possibly 2 - Tom Walkington had scoped one on the wooden jetty, near where the 2nd calendar year bird likes to roost. That had moved on when I arrived, but this immature was in the harbour. I just managed this shot of it with what looks like a Weaver, before it dived to orientate it out of sight of the cormorants who would try and pinch it.

It does look like a Weaver, but if it is, it is a particularly large one. I always worried about sea birds eating Weavers they have a savage sting in their dorsal fins, possibly fatal to a bird the size of a Shag.  I know birds swallow fish head first which flattens the dorsal fin, but even if not punctured I knew that the bird's digestive juices would eventually release the venom. Then I realised that's the point it is a venom not a poison. A venom needs to enter the blood stream to take effect. 

Even so this was a big one! When it surfaced again it was swallowing the fish.....it didn't go down easily!

It eventually went down and seemingly without harming the Shag, as it swam around looking quite plesed with itself.

Not much change

Another freezing night with a light NE breeze. Some sunny periods.

Heysham skear - low water 07:05 (MD)

It made a change getting down at low water in the morning, although the tide was already making and the sea ducks were a long way out.

Eider 54 at least, dark specks beyond them were possibly more.

Great Crested Grebe 5

Red-breasted Merganser 8 - just one feeding close in the other seven drifting in together in the far channel

Dunlin c100 in several small groups 

Dunlin, the low light reflecting the micro ripples across them

Knot originally c150 in one small flock, then the moment the sun rose a Peregrine started hunting and I didn't see them again. It's ideal for the Peregrine to hunt with the low sun behind them.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a check of the main pond in passing. The Mute are still managing to keep a small area ice free, Black-Headed gulls standing on ice but none ringed

8 Mallard sharing the open patch

Saltmarsh to Red Nab

Again just a quick check

Saltmarsh: 

Reed Bunting 5

Greenfinch 3

Blackbird 2

Song Thrush 1

Nothing along foreshore 

Kingfisher 1 on Red Nab

A mixed tit flock was passing through the Nature Park. This Blue Tit was already feeding on catkins (spring at last!)

Not really safe to venture far today

Freezing rain overnight left conditions treacherous. Some sunshine in the morning then mainly overcast. The light east breeze continues.

South shore (MD)

This was my only outing today. The mid morning walk out along the sea wall had to be along the raised section as the lower wall was a sheet of ice. Not so bad on the way back, as it had clouded over and a thaw had started.

Saltmarsh:

Reed Bunting 3

Blackbird 3

Common Snipe 1

Shelduck 73 out from the foreshore and on Red Nab

Wigeon 80+ around Red Nab

Greenfinch 2 Red Nab

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1

Heron, just before it decided that enough was enough

Kingfisher 2 (probably). There was one feeding on Red Nab on the way out. Apologies for the unsteadiness of this clip, but I was trying my best not to slip!

As I approached the end of the wall, what I took to be a second bird flew past me and out to sea, possibly to wooden jetty. When I returned to Red Nab the original bird was still around. There wasn't much else of note so I thought I would try some "action shots"

Rock Pipit 1 on wall near No.1 outflow - the shot below is from where the pipit was, but this shot is just to demonstrate the "steam bath" effect, where yesterday's Grey Seal was feeding.

And that's about it, I don't think, anyone else was daft enough to venture out.

Don't kick the birds!

Another freezing night plenty of sun during the day, but cloudy spells too. A very light breeze from the east.

South shore (MD)

A mid morning walk on the rising tide

There were a few passerines around the saltmarsh, most with their feathers fluffed out.

Blackbird 1 

First winter male Blackbird 

Reed Bunting 3

Reed Bunting 

Greenfinch 2

Male Greenfinch 

I'd walked around the saltmarsh edge, and had stopped at some ground water seeping out to check the Reed Buntings in the brambles above (not a coincidence that they were near unfrozen water). As I set off again my foot caught something. I don't know if I actually kicked it or it flew into my boot, but it was a Jack Snipe 

Jack Snipe

I don't like accidentally flushing birds, but particularly so in such harsh conditions. Fortunately it just did a short circuit of the saltmarsh and returned from whence it came.

Common Snipe 1 on foreshore rocks

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 on foreshore, 1 on Red Nab and this one along the sea wall. Totally oblivious to me and presumably finding recently deceased invertebrates blown into the wall edge.

Kingfisher 1 was resting on the sloping sea wall. It headed towards the wooden jetty

Shelduck 170

Wigeon c80

Little Egret 3 on Red Nab

Great White Egret 2 together heading west out from the wooden jetty.

Distant Great White Egret

Grey Seal 1 female was feeding in No.2 outflow. Unfortunately there was lots of water vapour rising off the warmer water, so I kept losing her in the mist, plus she kept diving, first to feed then to avoid the gulls when she caught a Bass. In this clip she has a Bass and the gulls start gathering.

I left her to her meal, as I continued my walk I thought that of all the creatures that I had seen today, this was the least, if at all, affected by the cold. Here she was swimming in what was effectively a sauna surrounded by sluggish fish (Bass are a warm water species). My speculation was borne out on my return. She had finished her meal and looked very content and relaxed.

Yesterday evening, Janet reported that the Pinkfoot in the fields beyond Meldon Rd were feeding well after dark. Today they must have fed better and began leaving just as it was getting dark. These are some passing into the recording area as they make their way to their overnight roost.

Knot......a lot more

Another freezing night followed by a clear still day. What little air movement there was came from the east.

South shore (MD)

I checked as the tide was covering the shore out from the saltmarsh 

Wigeon c60 arriving at Red Nab as I passed

Shelduck 150 counted but more arrived later

Lapwing 112

Not so many waders on the tideline today although plenty just beyond the recording area.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 10. These had been feeding on the tideline well within the recording area, but as they fly away, you can see the wader numbers increasing the further south they go.

I could have counted the more distant waders as "seen from" the recording area, but the tide was making quickly, so I just had a quick scan to check there was nothing different amongst them - couldn't see anything.

Other waders close in:

Ringed Plover 30 in small resting groups (14, 6, 7 and 3)

Dunlin c250

Grey Plover 5 (3 singles plus 2)

Grey Plover

Curlew 7

Oystercatcher 3 (unusually low number for here)

Redshank 80+

Common Snipe 12 - 5 were flushed as I walked around the edge of the saltmarsh, ground water seeps out here preventing it from completely freezing. The other 7 were feeding at the edge of the saltmarsh where the rising tide was thawing the mud.

Common Snipe behind Lapwing

You can see all 7 feeding snipe in this clip.

Reed Bunting 1

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I went to see if any darvic ringed Black-Headed gulls were resting on the ice. There were lots of gulls but no rings. It is worth checking here in these conditions as there is often at least one colour ringed bird.

The Mute Swan family have maintained an open patch of water at the main pond feeding area. As well as them there were another two adult keeping their distance on the ice, plus another adult on the completely frozen "no swimming" pond (definitely no swimming today!).

Eight Mallard plus two Moorhen made up the current wildfowl total.

The mainly frozen main pond at Middleton 

Near Naze and old Heliport 

Howard did very well again today in conditions that don't always allow a clear view of the birds, he managed to read a further eight colour ringed Knot. These are a few of today's birds.

They roosted first on the Near Naze
This one was ringed in Lincolnshire 

Then moved to the Heliport wall, fortunately some along the top

The older flags can be quite worn, by the rough terrain that they often feed over

Howard's excellent pictures make reading these rings look a lot easier than it actually is. If you go for a look please make sure that you do not spook the birds. Apart from the bird's need to conserve energy at this time of year, there may also be someone else watching from another vantage point. 

Common Snipe 30+ on the old heliport field

This clip from this morning is a bit different. It's on the shore out from the saltmarsh. The beach is very flat here, which means two things, first seawater is trapped between the ripples, which today had frozen between the tides. Secondly, the water come in very quickly. In this clip you can see the rising tide lifting the ice that formed between the ripples. They looked quite spectacular as most were invisible till they caught the sunlight. Still reasonably impressive as a clip, but it was much, much better in real time.

.......but, it was time to leave!

Colour ring day - well, yesterday actually

Another frosty night followed by a sunny day. Very light variable breeze.

Howard went down to the skear yesterday afternoon, to try and locate any colour ringed Knot. He did extremely well, managing to read and photograph eight birds. These are just some examples. You will need to open these images to clearly see the rings.

These orange flagged birds are from a scheme
based at Ainsdale beach Merseyside 

These unmarked flags with four colour rings are part of a scheme 
based in the Netherlands 

They are all, and probably more, in this flock

Coincidentally, I managed to spot a colour ringed Grey wagtail on Middleton Nature Reserve yesterday afternoon  (see scheme details on sidebar). This bird was ringed at Middleton last year and has already been seen once previously in the area this winter, so possibly going to hang around a while. It's always worth checking any Grey Wagtails for colour rings. It seems to be finding food very readily here, but these remnants of a shallow puddle would have been frozen over in the morning, presumably killing the various larvae that it is now picking up. A feast, but soon to be followed by a famine?

Today's records are from the north shore

Pete had a scan on the dropping tide from Knowlys Rd

Red-Throated Diver 1 (on sea and diving at Kent Channel range)

Great Crested Grebe 10 inshore 

David Kaye checked from Heysham Head late afternoon 

Red-Throated Diver 1 in (possibly same as Pete's)

Plenty of Knot (if you open this shot you can see one of the birds - bottom left - is ringed. Looks like the Merseyside scheme).

Knot with a few Dunlin

I managed the last hour of daylight on the skear (MD)

Eider 45 at least

Red-breasted Merganser 3 - this male was having a washing frenzy!

Shag at least 1

Cormorant, as well as the 5-6 normally feeding here, this flock of 16 were heading north.

It was a lovely evening, but it was time to leave!

Several shades of grey

The wind remains light and mainly from the north. A light overnight frost - my weather alert warns of an "unseasonably cold spell". I know the climate is changing but I still thought winter was the season to expect cold spells!

Report from Pete:

Hard work checking dropping tide channels off Heysham - just 

Red-Throated Diver 2 and flock of 5 Common Scoter in Kent channel area. 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult  Red nab 

plus two darvic ringed Shelduck - quite a few of these around.

Chiffchaff (collybita) ringed HNR - caught in feeder net, probably wintering around pond above office

South shore - high water 10:00 (MD)

I went on the shore out from the saltmarsh as the tide was covering it. Originally filled with waders, but the inevitable  Peregrine attacks quickly flushed most.

Shelduck 200+ these are some of them moving in with the tide. Unfortunately all either distant or in the water, so no chance of seeing any darvic ringed birds.

It was hard keeping track of the waders as they were constantly on the move, the larger ones not always returning. These are minimum numbers.

Lapwing 180 

Lapwing looking splendid in the sunshine

Common Snipe 6 (on saltmarsh)

Curlew 15

Ringed Plover 3

Dunlin 350

Knot 500

Grey Plover 16

Bar-Tailed Godwit 50

Redshank 120

This is what today's title refers to. When I check the waders here as they return from breeding they are a striking mixture of summer, winter and juvenile colours. Today they were all, just shades of grey!

These are Grey Plovers with some Bar-Tailed Godwit in the background 

These are Knot and Dunlin with a few more Grey Plover

Grey Plover showing its characteristic dark underwing patch

Also:

Rock Pipit 3 together 

Reed Bunting 4

Song Thrush 1

Greenfinch 2

All above on saltmarsh 

On Red Nab

Kingfisher 1

Wigeon c80

There was some more colour today, but I'm saving pictures for tomorrow's post, as I may not get a chance for a walk tomorrow.