The battle lines are drawn......

An overnight light frost followed by a dry and often sunny day. Very light NW to NE breeze (calm at times)

Heysham skear - low water 09:05 (MD)

Pink-Footed Goose 735 in 10 north bound skeins between 08:00 and 08:55

Shelduck 1 north

I mentioned last night that I will be able to get further out this morning than I have since autumn. Not only further out but further south and north too. I took the south side heading out. The going was very difficult, the honeycomb worm beds and reefs have grown here, and they are not easy to traverse.

This is what laid ahead of me, some of these beds are 1.5m high.

Shag 1 immature feeding just out from the southern honeycomb worm beds. The gull has a small starfish. At this size they try to swallow them whole.

The honeycomb worm beds thinned out after about 250m after that the winter storms have stripped all the mussels. All that remains are the rocks of the skear bottom and banks of broken shells. It took 45 minutes to reach the first channel. This is as far as you can go in just wellies, it's a mile from the shore, and it only takes 25-30 minutes as a rule.

First channel, with bare banks on both sides. To the left is the start of the
outer skear, on the right is the end of the middle skear

So, the honeycomb worms have survived and the mussels have gone. There are also extensive honeycomb worm reefs on the north side. This is what today's title refers to. The battle for ownership of the skear between the mussels and honeycomb worm begins here. The honeycomb worm have the advantage of, first, still being here, and then the opportunity to spread further before the seed mussels arrive in spring. But when the seed mussels do arrive they arrive en masse and can smother everything. Unfortunately (for the mussels) the seed mussels attract large numbers of gulls (mainly Herring) that feed on them. I look forward to watching the battle unfold.

Knot 350 in small flocks

Knot and a couple of Dunlin. But this shot is not about the birds, it's just to show how  beautiful it
is out here on a nice morning. The dark banks just behind the Knot are Honeycomb worm reefs 

Cormorant 18 at least feeding and many seen catching flounders. This one has a large one but quickly released it. It is just about on the limit of what they can swallow and they normally try, but it was being harassed and I suspect it knew there were plenty of more suitable sized flatties around.

Cormorant with a large Flounder

Eider 38

Wigeon 2

The lack of mussels here is not a problem for the Eider at the moment. This clip of Eider and Wigeon starts with a female Eider eating a crab. She then catches and eats another all within 30 seconds!

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 19

By this time the tide was coming in quickly and concentrating the birds. This clip starts with preening Eider, then feeding Merganser, Cormorants resting after feeding and a feeding Cormorant with a more conservative sized flattie.

Just a small, section of the north side honeycomb worm reefs

Tides do not come in and out at a regular pace, they begin by coming in slowly, then start to speed up before slowing down again before high water. It was now 90 minutes flood and it was coming in very quickly.

Time to leave!

South shore- high water 14:40 (MD)

Just a check of Red Nab to the saltmarsh towards high water

Pale-bellied Brent goose 18 arrived at 13:00 and also seen flying south at 13:50. These are them arriving at Red Nab.

Shelduck 8

Wigeon c200

Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on Red Nab, 1 + 2 together on saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 8

Skylark 1

Nature Park 

This Jay was retrieving some buried nuts near the newt pond.

There are three finch species in this shot. Male and female Bullfinch, two Greenfinch
and a Goldfinch. You will probably need to open the image to see the detail.

A walk in the rain

A freshening SW then NW wind. Today's rain confined itself to the duration of my lunchtime walk, then quite a sunny afternoon 

Jean managed a check of Middleton Nature Reserve:

Main pond 
2ad 5imm Mute Swans as per usual
Moorhen 1
Mallard 2M, 1F

No swimming pond
4prs Gadwall
1 Coot
1 male Tufted Duck

Cetti’s Warbler at edge of reedbed on W side of ringing area

Pink-footed Goose 28 flew over heading south

Borrans Lane
Little Egret

South shore (MD)

My only outing today was to exercise my daughter's dog along the sea wall at lunchtime. It lashed it down on the way out, not so bad coming back.

Wigeon 200+ around Red Nab then south as it was covered by the tide.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 22 - I didn't see any on the way out, but they could have been missed in the rain. As I returned, they were gathering on the water, which is often a prelude to flight. And so it proved to be.

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Kittiwake 17 - 6 on the outflows (2 adult), 2 x first winter behind the ferry, 9 in the harbour (3 adult)

I like Janet's term for this pipe where they choose to rest......."their pipe". These are two adult and a first winter on their pipe. There were four more 1st winter birds further along the pipe.

This is the third adult with another first winter on the secondary waterfall. The young bird seems to have a particularly broad neck band, perhaps it was just the way it was holding its neck.

Rock Pipits 4 - sea wall near wooden jetty, sea wall near Red Nab, foreshore and saltmarsh.

Skylark 2 saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 5 saltmarsh 

Ringed Plover 26 - flew south over the caravan park, did a couple of circuits of the saltmarsh....

Ringed Plover

.....before settling on Ocean Edge grass. I say "settling" but they were far from settled!

At least the weather is set fair for tomorrow, and I am hoping to get further out on the skear in the morning than the light has allowed me since autumn - can't wait! (MD)

Peering through the mists......again

Very light southerly breeze. Low cloud/mist/drizzle all day.

Just my stuff so far (MD)

Heysham skear - low water 07:35

It was dark and misty......(I feel like saying full stop)

Brent geese - 3 flying around skear, at 09:05 a distant flock of 20+ flew towards the rocks out from the play area (which was out of visible range)

Pink-Footed geese - several skeins heard milling around above the mist.

Eider 18

Pintail 2 (duck and drake)

Great Crested Grebe 6

Still no Little Egrets

When you can see almost nothing, you can always watch the water. The lack of wind this morning does allow you to see just how quickly these 10 metre tides come in.

When I started this clip I was on the water's edge. By the time it finishes the water is three metres past me. You need to know that you have a safe path back when it comes in like this.

South sea wall

A pleasant walk along the wall starting 90 minutes after high water.

Pale-bellied Brent goose - I was expecting to see a largish flock arrive from the south, but it didn't happen. There were two already feeding on Red Nab.

Wren on Red Nab

Redshank on sloping sea wall

Female Red-breasted Merganser taking off from the pool on Red Nab

Kittiwake 16 -  4 adult plus 2 x first winter on the outflows. Another 10 x first winter in the harbour

This Black-Headed Gull grabbed this whitebait/sprat from No.1 outflow. It is almost snatched away by an adult Kittiwake, unfortunately you cant really see the Kittiwake in this clip.

Close up from the above clip showing the fish

Rock Pipit 2 - Red Nab/sea wall and lighthouse area.

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

A cosmopolitan mix

 First a couple of updates from yesterday.

Jeff Gorse paid a visit and enjoyed a walk along the south sea wall:

All the usual suspects in place Sunday PM (1.30-3) at Red Nab to the Harbour, 3 brent geese amongst large numbers of wigeon on the rocks at Red Nab, kingfisher and little egret fishing the same gully, several curlew and in the harbour area lots of kittiwake including this youngster which landed to preen almost at my feet

First winter Kittiwake

On checking her pictures, Janet realised that there were two different Grey Seals yesterday 

This female was near the wooden jetty

This one looks to be a male, was near No.2 outflow

And so to today. Very light variable breeze, overcast all day with the odd light shower.

South Shore

I just checked the saltmarsh as the tide covered it (MD). No Jack Snipe today.

Common Snipe 14

Wigeon 200+

Kingfisher 1 again flew from Red Nab towards Middleton Nature Reserve 

Reed Bunting 5

Skylark 1

Janet had a walk along the sea wall

Pale-bellied Brent goose 12 at least on Red Nab

This splendid Cormorant was also on Red Nab

Kittiwakes 20+ again mainly in the harbour. Janet took some lovely shots, these are just two of them.

First winter Kittiwake

Adult Kittiwake 

Young gull with a fish, I can't be sure what it is (fish or gull! MD)

Rock Pipit on the sloping sea wall

This Robin near the lighthouse was looking a bit bedraggled 

Kevin Eaves also had a look along the wall

Female Red-breasted Merganser near Red Nab

North shore

Howard managed to read another 5 colour ringed Knot at the high water roost, despite there only being about 1,000 birds today

This one is part of a Dutch ringing scheme

I checked the shore out from the play area on the ebbing tide in the late afternoon fading light (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 24 - almost certainly including those on Red Nab earlier

Dark-bellied Brent goose 1

The lightning was strange, the sky was grey, the sea was grey and flat (looking like the sky) and a grey mist excluded all but the highest distant features. This is the main group of Brent arriving from the south side, it shows what I mean. The dark lines behind the brent are ripples in the channels, not the nonexistent horizon.

This is the Dark-bellied Brent feeding with 2 Pale-bellied. You can see the large pieces of weed being eaten. A feast after the short cropped weed on Red Nab.

I was stuck, I didn't want to risk spooking them. I had to wait till the tide ebbed onto the shore, before heading away from them. When it had ebbed enough I carefully moved past them at a safe distance along the waterline. Success! But I needn't have bothered, 10 minutes later they flew out and rested on the sea a while. I don't think they were spooked, I've noticed previously that after feeding a while they often take a break, presumably to allow some digestion. Although this pattern isn't always clear as they are often spooked on busier days. Either way it allowed this in flight shot as they flew over me.

The light was fading quickly, but the Dark-bellied bird is more obvious in flight.
It is just right of centre

Eider 11

Great Crested Grebe 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit 18 feeding

Black Tailed Godwit 73 in one flock heading north

Black-Tailed Godwit

Finally, Jean checked out a seldom visited section of the recording area: Borrans Lane off Middleton Road. It's in grid square SD4159 so is in the recording area 

Teal 8

Redwing 25 in the trees along the path to the large substation 

There are some horse paddocks, stables and dung heaps so there were plenty of birds there including 25 Goldfinch, 17 House Sparrows a Pied Wagtail and an unringed Grey Wagtail. 

The whole area looks like it might be brilliant if there are "fall" conditions in spring.

A check of Middleton NR ringing site

Cetti's Warbler and a Water Rail heard in the central marsh.

Good and thorough coverage

Perhaps the last freezing night for a while, light SE breeze. Mainly overcast with a few afternoon showers.

South Shore

I just checked the saltmarsh just before high water (MD). I watched the whole of the saltmarsh being covered and again the Common Snipe surprised me, today by their relatively low numbers.

Common Snipe 15

Jack Snipe 5 seen, 1 possibly duplicated, but unlikely. A possible 6th could not be confirmed 

Reed Bunting 7

Skylark 5

Skylark 

This lark was calling as it flew, I was hoping my camera would pick it up, but it didn't. I just managed a couple of short clips, so I put them together.

Janet had a walk along the sea wall and took these nice shots.

Heron Flushed from its favoured rock

Kingfisher on Red Nab

Rock Pipit having a bath in the groundwater runoff on Red Nab

Not sure what this Black- Headed Gull has, but I'm not convinced that it is edible

First winter Kittiwake with a very edible sandeel or whitebait

Adult Kittiwake on the harbour "kittiwake pipe"

Grey Seal

Pete and Jean did a thorough count as part of this month's WeBS survey. 

This is Jean's report, it includes the snipe recorded above.

From Ocean Edge saltmarsh to Heysham Village Bay:

Cormorant 67

Shag 1

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

Wigeon 198

Oystercatcher 7780

Ringed Plover16

Grey Plover 1

Knot 5425

Jack Snipe 5

Common Snipe 15

Redshank 351

Turnstone 9

Black-headed Gull 66

Herring Gull 24

Great Black-backed Gull 14

Kittiwake 24 (20 x 1st winter, 4 x adult, most in the harbour and a few on the outfalls)

A Grey Seal was fishing by the outfalls

Most of the Oystercatchers and all of the Knot were roosting on the heliport sea wall (with a few overflowing onto the top). The Redshank were mostly on Red Nab, with others on Ocean Edge saltmarsh.

Howard managed to read another 7 ringed Knot today, despite the Near Naze birds being regularly lifted by "snappers wanting in flight shots".

This Knot's flag is blotched, but after careful checks of both sides it was  
eventually read. It is already beginning to get its red summer plumage

Sniping and Knotting

Another freezing night with a sunny day. A very cold SE wind.

South Shore (MD/JP)

I checked at high water (MD). The saltmarsh was already three quarters covered. I didn't expect to see any Common Snipe, which tend to leave early towards Middleton Nature Reserve, but thought there may be a Jack Snipe or two. Didn't see any Jack Snipe, but was surprised by.....

Common Snipe 63 - most flew around looking for somewhere to land, the regular birds, tend just to head straight for the Reserve, so presumably these "additional" birds have been displaced from somewhere by the freezing conditions.

Comment Snipe

Bar-Tailed Godwit 8

Kingfisher 1 - presumably the Red Nab bird, flew across the saltmarsh towards Middleton Nature Reserve.

Reed Bunting 5

Skylark 3

Linnet 5

Rock Pipit 1 

All the above on the saltmarsh, a second Rock Pipit was on Red Nab

A walk along the sea wall to the harbour located 

Kittiwake 30 - 4 on the outflows 26 near the harbour waterfall 

I was quite pleased with my Kittiwake pictures today, but they pale in comparison to Janet's shots. All the rest of today's images are either Janet's then later Howard's. Being high resolution they really should be opened to enjoy the detail within.

First Winter Kittiwakes in the harbour 

Cormorants coming in to land - first winter bird on the right

Turnstone and a Redshank along the sea wall

North shore

Howard managed to read another eight colour ringed Knot at high water, first on the Near Naze, then on the old heliport wall. Howard's excellent pictures make this look much easier than it actually is, only a tiny percentage are colour ringed, and most of the time those that are tend to be hidden or partially hidden behind other birds/obstacles.

These shots show the profusion of Knot

None of the above are ringed, then, almost unbelievably, this happens.......

.....you wait ages for one colour ringed Knot to turn up, then two arrive!

We have had the history of two of the birds read on Thursday, one was ringed on Ainsdale Beach Merseyside, the other on Sanday in the Orkneys. These colour ringed schemes are not designed to provide entertainment for birdwatchers. They are to identify bird movements, so that hard evidence can be presented to protect habitats vital for them to continue to survive. Howard did well reading eight today, but that was largely as there was only minimal disturbance of the birds. Further checks will take place in this current phase of spring tides. The spectacle of the birds roosting on the Heliport wall is special, but you need specialist equipment to read the rings. If you go for a look please enjoy the spectacle from a distance.

Plenty of barwits

Another frosty night followed by a sunny day. Light variable breeze.

South shore - high water 09:45

I only had time for a check from saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD)

Saltmarsh 

Linnet 5

Reed Bunting 1

Lapwing c180

Some of the Lapwing, there are c100 here
You might just be able to make out a snipe in the middle of the first island 

Common Snipe 31 flushed by the rising tide

Some of the flushed snipe, heading for Middleton Nature Reserve 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 113

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Red Nab

Plenty of Shelduck and Wigeon, but the tide had almost covered all the rocks and there was no sign of any Brent geese. I assumed they had already flown to the south, and perhaps they had, but surprisingly first 27 then 3 flew in from the south.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 30 - these are the 27 flying in.

The sharp eyed amongst you may have noticed them flying past this Heron resting on a rock.

Grey Heron

It was just a few minutes after high water and some of the closer in rocks were just exposed. You can see how close cropped the Wigeon and Brent are keeping the gutweed on the rocks.

Knot 200

Dunlin 5

Rock Pipit 1

North shore

Janet spotted the  27 Pale-bellied Brent arriving out from the play area at 11:45

I had a walk out later in the afternoon towards low water (MD). I didn't see any Brent at that time.

The shore was covered in Bar-Tailed Godwits again. Very difficult to count initially as they were feeding and moving regularly to different feeding areas. But later when I was on the skear they were lined up along the shore resting, allowing a count of 710.

This clip gives an idea of the dynamics early on. It starts with mainly Knot and ends with mainly Godwits.

This is one of the feeding groups

Knot c3,000 in two flocks, but several smaller flocks were joining them as the light was fading.

Some of c300 late arriving Knot

Dunlin 25

Eider 36

Wigeon 13 (6 and 7 heading north)

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Great Crested Grebe 4 - they are already displaying