Morse code mode!

An overnight frost, then dawn to dusk sunshine, quite warm when sheltered from the light, but cold NE to NW breeze.

South Shore (MD)

It couldn't have been more different than yesterday, at least weather wise. The birds were pretty much the same.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 36 - these are 32 of them flying into Red Nab from the north side.

These are the other four, having a drink with Shelduck. Although the tide has now reached it, where they are drinking from is fed by the freshwater runoff. 

This clip is what today's title refers to, yesterday I managed to drop my best camera. I thought I had gotten away with just superficial damage, but today's clips are accompanied by what sounds like my camera tapping out morse code. It's never been a quiet camera, actually it sounds like it is steam operated! But this may be a sound effect too far, if it doesn't resolve itself I may have to post clips in silent mode in future.

Shelduck c20

Wigeon c50

Rock Pipit 2 - the Red Nab bird displaying and this one on the foreshore 

Not sure what it has found, but it gets eaten

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a check of the western side.

Mute Swan 2 adult on "no swimming" pond plus another on Tim Butler pond. 5 immature on main pond

Little Grebe 3 at least on the main pond.

Little Grebe

This one strayed too close to another's territory 

Mallard 8

Gadwall pair on main pond two males on the "no swimming" pond

Teal at least 15 - this one is upending on the main pond, despite the morse code and passing traffic, you can just make out a Little Grebe trilling.

Coot 5

Moorhen 4

Water Rail 2 squealing

Redwing 15 along eastern boundary 

Roe Deer 1 male

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve

Janet had another stroll around this nice reserve, she didn't see the Barn Owl today, but Tom reported it near the solar panels.

These nice shots by Janet:

Female Reed Bunting 

Male Reed Bunting 

Blue Tit

Long-Tailed Tit

Common Buzzard

Sparrowhawk 

Four Roe Deer in the field to the north of the reserve, they look like two
female with two immature. Roe Deer are not renown grazers, perhaps
 they are just avoiding unwelcome attention from the males

A good soaking.......pretty much for naught

A fresh west wind, very heavy showers early and mid morning.

South Shore (MD)

It was dog walking day today and the timing meant Red Nab would have been covered when I got there. So I had a quick look first just before Red Nab was covered. Unfortunately this was at a time that the heavens decided to open!

Pale-bellied Brent goose 43 - before I reached Red Nab I could see them flying off, the tide was already quite high. Then, most unusually, they circled around and landed back on Red Nab. By this time the only exposed gutweed covered rocks were close in. 37 birds at this point. I risked getting out my old camera.

Pale-bellied Brent and Wigeon on Red Nab

The above shot belies the abysmal conditions. This clip gives a better impression, you can hear the wind and rain.

As the available weed became scarcer, tempers became frayed.

They came as close to the sea wall as I've ever seen them before eventually flying off, probably because I was the only silly soul to be on the wall!

I say it was all for naught, simply because when I returned an hour later with my daughter's dog, the rain had stopped and the Brent had already returned to Red Nab, but this time more of them - 43.

Wigeon 130

Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Nothing of note behind the lunchtime ferry

Shag at least one immature on the wooden jetty, there looked to be two but by size only as one kept its head firmly tucked in.

Little Egret on Red Nab

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet checked again today, but a little later, no sign of the Barn Owl.

Roe Deer 2 female in the field just north of the reserve.

Dark-bellied Brent joins the Pale

It managed to remain dry again, but rain seemed imminent all day. The early light breeze was from the east, before moving to west.

North Shore.

Pete Crooks checked the rocks out from the play area on the morning rising tide:

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 67 all together in one group

Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1 individual c100m away

South Shore - high water 10:30 (MD)

Today's tide at 8.4m is just enough to flush any brent from the play area, and sure enough they were feeding on Red Nab. Quite spread out and always some behind rocks. I managed to count 63 Pale-bellied and 1 Dark-bellied, but I'm sure all Pete's birds would have been here.

This clip shows the nice diversity on Red Nab. A few of the Pale-bellied Brent, Wigeon, Shelduck, Curlew and an Oystercatcher.

This is the extent of a 8.4m tide's reach on Red Nab.

At least they were integrated on this side. This is the Dark-bellied bird with some Pale-bellied.

Dark-bellied Brent top centre

Wigeon c50

Shelduck c80 - most near saltmarsh 

Little Egret 1

Peregrine Falcon 2 - they came in off and were heading north. They were squealing and performing aerial acrobatics. I have seen them behaving like this at this time of year, when a male catches a bird then "hands" it to the female in mid air. But there was not an obvious size differences between these two, and on checking my shots, neither had anything to hand over. Looks like they were just "practicing". If you watch in slow motion you will see the lower bird flying upside down for a second or two.

A still from the above clip, showing the lower bird upside down 

They continued north, still calling to each other.

Rock Pipit 3 - I calling and displaying on Red Nab, 2 along foreshore. This is the Red Nab bird, still calling even when feeding.

Reed Bunting 2 around the saltmarsh 

Nature Park

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 drumming. This is a male, when he hears another drumming (presumably the female), he backs down the trunk to a better resonance spot and drums in reply (sorry it is largely out of focus, but it does show the process).

This is the female, she isn't using her bill to drum now, but to strip away decaying bark in search of grubs.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Just a quick passing check

Teal pair

Grey Heron 1

Greylag Goose 4 - technically "seen from" the recording area, they were in the field to the east of the road.

Greylag Geese

This Grey Wagtail turned up in my garden this afternoon (MD). It is within the recording area. I've not seen one here all winter, despite managing to keep the waterfall operational throughout the cold spell, so this one must be passing through. It fed a few minutes then disappeared, presumably continued on its way. 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet had another early morning walk, no sign of the Barn Owl today.

Roe Deer 1

Female Roe Deer

Grey Squirrels seldom get a mention, but this is a nice shot.

Brents back to full strength, plus excellent Barn Owl shots

Another dry, overcast day with a very light NE to NW breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Paul and I set just one net in the Heysham feeder ride this morning. Although it was calm and the temperature not very low it felt quite cold, especially as we were there for nearly five hours with little physical activity. As on previous days there were more retraps than new birds although one Greenfinch was trapped wearing a ring from elsewhere.

Dunnock 4 retraps

Robin 1 retrap

Blackbird 1

Long-tailed Tit 6 retraps

Blue tit 2 + 3 retraps

Great Tit 1 retrap

Greenfinch 4 + 2 retraps

Goldfinch 7 + 1 retrap

Bullfinch 1 retrap

South shore - high water 09:50 (MD)

We're still on neap tides at 7.9m the tide doesn't cover the shore south of the saltmarsh 

High tide out from the saltmarsh 

Shelduck 93 here plus whatever was around Red Nab
Curlew 95
Oystercatcher 37
Redshank c200
No godwits
Knot c20
Grey Plover 4
Dunlin c1,000
Common Snipe 6 (lifted by something from saltmarsh but quickly landed again).
These are mainly Redshank feeding.

These Grey Plover came in with a flock of Dunlin and a few Knot, but the Dunlin were flighty and didn't settle.

Dunlin plus a single Redshank, you may need to open the shot to spot the Redshank

North Shore

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 77 at lunchtime (ref Pete)

A later check by Pete:

Mid-afternoon: Still at least 50 pale-bellied Brent visible from Knowlys road but many hidden by raised honeycomb worm beds. (308 Eider, 6 rbm, 9 gcg Heysham head to Morecambe town hall)

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet had a early morning walk and managed these excellent shots of the Barn Owl. Although these shots are on/around the Moss, Janet also saw it fly across to Imperial Rd.

Resting on the solar panels on the north side of bypass 

Resting in the Moss

Flying across the Moss. You can clearly see the ankle strap, but
all vestiges of jesses are gone

Heron also on the solar panels

Roe Deer 4 - 2 male plus 2 female

A nice shot a female with a male. The long rump tuft (it's not a true tail)
of the female showing the difference between the male's plain rump.

All four Roe Deer

First Brent for a while

The light east wind continues. A dry but mainly overcast day.

South shore Red Nab to saltmarsh (MD)

Shelduck c80

Wigeon 25 (almost certainly more beyond Red Nab

Rock Pipit 1 male parachuting over Red Nab

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh - this is a slightly different viewing angle

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick check of the main ponds on my way home.

Mute Swan, the 5 immature remain on the main pond while the adult pair are on the "no swimming" pond

Mallard 8

Gadwall 14

Teal 2

Coot 5 

Moorhen 6

Cormorant 1

Grey Heron 1 - this clip looks like the Heron is sharpening its bill on a stone. I expect it was just cleaning it.

Little Grebe 3

Jackdaw 10

Heysham skear - low water 16:00 (MD)

Eider c30

Pale-bellied Brent goose 11 - these surprised me, there was none amongst the rocks out from the play area, despite there still being plenty of available food there. They were drifting on the SW tip of the skear, but obviously had been resting on the skear itself. There was no food were they had rested, but they had been feeding somewhere, the area was marked with copious droppings. They drifted towards the SE skear corner.

Brent geese drifting along the southern side of the skear on the rising tide.

Before flying low to the north

Great Crested Grebe 2

Little Egret 2

Waders:

Oystercatcher c1,000

Curlew more than recently c50

Redshank 100+

Turnstone 50+

Common Snipe 2

Dunlin 12

Knot c2,000

A nice shot of the largest Knot flock with the South Lakes as a backdrop 

Footnote: Barn Owl - those of you who read the posts in the evening may have missed the amendment to yesterday's post.  Additional images taken by Ian of the Barn Owl, and a closer check of my images, do indeed makes it look like an escapee with brown ankle straps and short brown jesses.

Just possibly, a suggestion of movement

A very light east breeze. A dry day after a morning shower.

South shore (MD)

I went out just as the morning shower ended, wondering if it had grounded anything passing over. And possibly it did, but nothing obvious.

Collar Dove 1 resting on the small anemometer 

Collar Dove, there hasn't been one in the Nature Park over winter

Yesterday there were no passerines along foreshore and Red Nab, today wasn't much better, but there was 

Pied Wagtail 1

Dunnock 2 

One of two Dunnock on Red Nab 

Rock Pipit 3 - definitely not movement, these were the three near the lighthouse. This one was feeding on the sloping wall.

Little Egret 2

Shelduck c80

Wigeon 130 They are in full breeding plumage now and looking very smart. This male is having a preen and provides an all round view.

Eider pair out from the Harbour

No Kittiwake remain 

Redshank 152 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Thanks to Ian (via Janet) for these shots.

The Barn Owl appears to be attached to a ribbon, but it probably grabbed some foliage when it grabbed the rodent, and it won't relax its grip till its ready.

However, other detailed shots seen by Janet, do look like it the brown near the talons are jesses and ankle straps. So, perhaps I've been mistaking those for prey in its talons, and is, as Ian suggests, the owl is an escapee (MD)

March.......came in like a lamb

A slightly fresher NE wind but still very mild. Some sunshine with scattered light showers.

South shore (MD)

Just a quick check from Red Nab to the saltmarsh. It felt like a ghost town! No sign of any passerines except a glimpse of

Kingfisher 1 flew across Red Nab

I did say it was just a glimpse

Little Egret 1

Shelduck 88 - these are a few of them on Red Nab, quite a lot of posturing going on.

Once again no geese seen or reported flying over or feeding on and around the area.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Just a quick look in passing.

Buzzard 1

Common Buzzard

Wood Pigeon 43 - they were feeding in the field east of the boundary road, so technically "seen from". But they do rest in the trees on the west side. These are just some of them.

You wonder what they find to eat there.

Hedgehog 1 - seen near Trumacar school early morning. First record this year, thanks Joanne.

A bit of an anticlimax day, and little sign of much change in the weather till next week, then it looks even worse! 

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (MD)

I couldn't resist another look this afternoon although I wasn't really expecting the Barn Owl again, the showers, although light were more persistent at this time. 

Grey Heron 2

Teal 2 female

Roe Deer 2 - unfortunately they saw me before I saw them and I didn't even get a decent look at their rumps to check what sex.

Saved by the Moss!

Another dry but mainly overcast day. The light NE wind continues.

North shore - low water 11:50

Pete checked:

Low tide channel area as viewed from Knowlys was dead - 30ish Eider only, no Brent 

I had a quick look in the skear corner (MD). This Curlew has a crab, two Bar-Tailed Godwits watch on. Crabs limbs have evolved to break away relatively easily, they grow again, starting at the next shedding of the old exoskeleton. It allows them to escape when grabed by a limb, unfortunately it also means they are relatively easy to disarm before eating.

The Curlew stuck at it for about a minute, but eventually gave up and the crab survived, albeit a limb or two missing.
 

Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (MD)

A mid afternoon walk. This reserve is just outside the recording area, but all the birds mentioned below, with the exception of the Herons, were seen to fly over the bypass, either from or into the recording area.

Barn Owl 1 - flew from the recording area carrying what looks to be a vole.

Barn Owl

Buzzard 1 - initially resting in a tree on the Moss, before flying across the bypass to Imperial Rd.

Common Buzzard

You can hear the cars along the bypass in this clip.

Sparrowhawk 1 flew high to SW

Woodcock 1 - unusually high and straight and again to south

Woodcock

Thrushes sp c150 - again flying south, unfortunately the light was behind them making identification difficult, but at least some of them appear to be Fieldfare (MD)

Grey Heron 3 - it is "frogging season". Lots of frogs gathering to spawn, makes for easy feeding! I'll spare you the clips. 

Little Grebe numbers increasing

A light NE wind, some sunshine with the odd light shower

First a couple of nice Curlew shots from Kevin Singleton taken a couple of days ago. 

One landing with its feathers acting like air brakes, only hopped off the wall

Just my afternoon stroll around Middleton Nature Reserve so far today (MD)

Mute Swan - 5 immature on the main pond, the two adult back to the "no swimming" pond where they nested last year. At least one more adult on Tim Butler pond.

Coot 6

This one was in flight across the main pond

This is why, it was being chased away from another's territory. This is the chasing bird

The two Coot on the "no swimming" pond were more relaxed

Moorhen 6

Mallard 16

Gadwall 8

Teal 2 on western scrape

Little Grebe at least 6 - these are three birds on the main pond. One of the two together was trilling, 

Summer plumage Little Grebe 

Water Rail 1 squealing 

Common Snipe 4

Grey Heron 1

Heron coming in to land on the "no swimming" pond

Little Egret 2 together flying east

Pheasant 1 male calling

Cetti's warbler 2 - singing birds on central and western marshes

Skylark 2 grounded bird(s) accidentally flushed

The battle lines are redefined

A cold light NE breeze. Overcast with a few sunny spells.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

John and I went to Heysham and set just one mist net in the feeder ride between 10.00 and 14.00. It was rather cool with a light northerly breeze to start with which strengthened and veered towards the east later on - not a good direction for that ride. 34 birds were captured, 19 of which were retraps. There were fewer finches than we had hoped.

Dunnock 5 retraps

Robin 5

Long-tailed tit 2 + 4 retraps

Blue Tit 1 + 3 retraps

Great Tit 1 + 5 retraps

Greenfinch 5

Goldfinch 1 + 1 retrap

Bullfinch 1 retrap

Heysham skear, low water 10:00 (MD)

Unusually, no geese of any description seen or heard.

Shelduck pair on the water before flying off north (they are uncommon on this side of the harbour)

Eider 35 - this female was calling for her mate who was just a bit further out, unfortunately her calls aren't really audible in this clip, still it does show that they are not the drab brown duck that they appear at distance.

Great Crested Grebe 2

Red-breasted Merganser 9

Little Egret - none on the skear but one close inshore

Waders: Oystercatcher c1,000, Curlew c15, Bar-Tailed Godwit 4, Redshank 50+, Turnstone 30+, no Knot, Dunlin 10.

The waders only actually feed on the Honeycomb worms when their beds are damaged and the worms accessible. But most do feed on and around the smaller beds, as the crevices hide all sorts of invertebrates. In this clip there are Oystercatchers, Turnstone and Dunlin. One of the Oystercatcher finds a small crab.

The recent series of very high spring tides has damaged some of the Honeycomb worm beds. It's not the height of the tide that does the damage it is the force of the rapidly ebbing currents as huge volumes of water drains very quickly. Here it has stripped a large section down to the skear bottom.

The area on the right was the same as that on the left before this set of tides

This shot shows why the waders don't try and reach the worms in undamaged beds. This is the detail of the above face (I haven't pre-sized it in case you want to open it, to better see the detail). This bed is 20cm high, and when not feeding the 2cm worm retreats to the bottom of its tube.

Detail of Honeycomb worm tubes

As well as this area being stripped away, there are new "Grand Canyon like" features that were just narrow drains before.

Additional areas of Honeycomb worm beds swept away

I said on the 26th January that the battle line had been drawn for this year's struggle between the Mussels and the Honeycomb worms for dominance of the skear. There are still large areas of honeycomb worm beds, but this last set of tides has reduced the starting point for the worms, they will not regain this ground before the seed mussels arrive. 

Although I showed a clip earlier of the waders feeding on a small honeycomb worm bed, they rarely feed on the large areas covered by the worms. In contrast the mussel beds are major feeding areas for waders and gulls when the tide is out, and Eider when the beds are covered.