Plenty of Pipits

It rained long and hard from early morning till 09:00. After that more showers in the morning, but a dry, and later, sunny afternoon. The SW wind continues.

South shore (MD).

Same routine as the last two days, a full circuit in the morning followed by a check from Red Nab to the saltmarsh in the afternoon. 

Morning check:

It was still raining when I started, but it was easing off and many grounded birds were starting to move on.

Stonechat 5 - there were 2 males and 2 females in the NE corner of the saltmarsh, possibly including yesterday's 3 birds. The increasing height tides have pushed what was a carpet of flotsam into what is now a cliff. This clip includes a male and female Stonechat, but is really just to show the flotsam. The tides are dropping again now and won't reach this height again till the autumn, so barring storms, this vegetation will rot down and harbour all manner of invertebrates for passing, and resident bills to forage for. It stretches for 100m around the NE corner.

The fifth bird was a female near Red Nab and had clearly had a soaking!

A soaked Stonechat

Wheatear 6

Reed Bunting 1 

Skylark 1

Skylark

Rock Pipits 3 - just 1 each Red Nab, Sea wall and Lighthouse (more later).

Meadow Pipit 62 - thee were 51 grounded on the grass behind the foreshore, but they were starting to move off. Another 11 flew over. This clip is some of the grounded birds getting ready to leave.

Pink-Footed Goose 20 - they initially confused me, as they flew silently, low over the sea in a straight line to the east (fortunately my shots were just good enough to confirm species)

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 45

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

Kittiwake 2 feeding on No.2 outflow

Linnet 2 near lighthouse 

Afternoon check

The sun was out! The four Stonechat were still in the saltmarsh corner, but no sign of the other bird. This is one of the females sorting her feathers out.

This Wren was hanging out to dry too.

Wheatear 7

Rock Pipit 8 between saltmarsh and Red Nab. One flew north from the foreshore display calling as it went

Pale Bellied Brent goose 9  - they arrived at Red Nab early in the ebbing tide and fed close in on the gutweed below the surface.

Mark Jones had a walk along the wall later in the afternoon, but the sun was still shining.

Some of the Wigeon

Redshank 

Female Red-breasted Merganser on Red Nab

Kevin Singleton took these shots from near the cafe

Knot, not disturbed by Kevin

Carrion Crow

Janet took this clip with her phone, of three Rock Pipit together on Half Moon Bay 

So there were at least 13 Rock Pipits today between the saltmarsh and Half Moon Bay

Imperial Rd (MD)

Just a quick drive in while passing.

Chiffchaff 3

Buzzard 2 - this is just a novelty clip, but it does show that you do not need to leave your car to see wildlife. This is one of the resting Buzzard. This is through my car window, I knew the recycling lorry was about to pass, I thought I'd see what the reaction would be......

........nothing!

Song Thrush, also photographed through car window

Footnote: We have received this comment (source unknown but thanks), it refers to the "mysterious fin sighting" - see post 21/03/23.

Sunfish have been known to invite seabirds to remove parasites by laying on their sides. Maybe the gulls were interested for this potential reason.

Not a lot of movement

Quite a fresh SSW to SW wind, mainly dry with long sunny spells.

Report from Jean:

Did a seawatch from Heysham Head graveyard from 0840 - 1040 

I was hoping to see some Gannets but none appeared. The visibility wasn't great, very hazy in the distance but there wasn't much movement in any case. All I saw were:

Red-throated Diver - 1 flying out of the Bay at 0945hrs

Kittiwake - 2 flying into the Bay at 0955hrs

Great Crested Grebe - 1 out

Common Gull - 13 heading into the Bay mainly in twos over the course of the 2 hours

Shelduck - 2 out

Meadow Pipit - just 2 north

Then the usual inshore Herring Gulls and a handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 90 Turnstone flew past heading towards the heliport, as did several hundred Oystercatchers. 

Pete checked from further south:

Bit too clear for seabirds at Heysham this am:  flock 20 kittiwake 

Pete and Jean also checked the Heliport roost. They managed to read three colour ringed Knot from the 650 birds, despite fox trouble again.

"Cute" Fox (not Pete's (or the wader's) description!)

South Shore (MD)

A morning full circuit with just a check of saltmarsh to Red Nab in the afternoon 

Stonechat 3 - 1 male and 2 female. I was surprised to see these in the NE corner of the saltmarsh this morning, as there had been no recent showers to ground anything. I couldn't relocate them on the return trip, but 3 again in the afternoon, and they looked to be the same birds.

Wheatear 8 - there was just 1 near the slipway in the morning, but my visit in the afternoon coincided with what proved to be the only shower of the day and 7 were on the new layer of flotsam on the saltmarsh. Another 1 on Red Nab.

Rock Pipit - 9. 2 saltmarsh, 2 foreshore, 3 Red Nab, 2 near lighthouse 

Rock Pipit and male Wheatear 

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 65

Shag 1 immature, at least, on the wooden jetty (a second candidate kept its head down)

Shag, on left, with Cormorants 

Kittiwake 2 x 2nd calendar year, one on No.2 outflow plus one on their pipe in the harbour. This is the outflow bird.

It managed to find something to eat

This is a 2nd calendar year Common Gull on No.1 outflow

First Gannet, more Stonechats and.......a mysterious fin

The lightish SW continues, heavy showers till mid morning, then just overcast.

Pete managed a seawatch:

Gannet 2 - first records this year

Guillemot 1

Harbour Porpoise 2

Tomorrow should be more productive for seawatching.

Also:

One of our Grey Wagtails, colour ringed 08/09/22 was seen at Earlswood Lakes, near Solihull, Warwickshire today 170km SSE.  Almost certainly on spring passage but could be late wintering departee (see sidebar for scheme details).

South shore (MD)

Two visits again, a check from the saltmarsh to the harbour during the morning showers and just a check from saltmarsh to Red Nab in the fine afternoon.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 2 on Red Nab in the morning

Wigeon 47

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

Kittiwake 1 - 2nd calendar year on No.1 outflow (and none in the harbour)

2cy Kittiwake 

Rock Pipits 6 - 2 on Red Nab, 1 along the sea wall, 3 near lighthouse including one on harbour wall above the nest hole.

Meadow Pipits 16 - 4 north past roundhead, then on the walk back from the waterfall after a particularly heavy shower 12 lifted from the scrub near the lighthouse and continued north.

Chiffchaff 2 grounded near the waterfall by the same heavy shower (plus 1 passed through my garden early afternoon)

Wheatear 7 in the morning 4 in the afternoon could have been the same birds.

Stonechat 13 - the morning birds were being grounded by the showers then continuing north when the rain eased. 2 male and 2 female feeding together on saltmarsh before heading off. No more seen till 2 female near the lighthouse. On the return there were 2 individual females on saltmarsh and again both were seen to head off north. So 8 in the morning but none remained when I left.

In contrast, the afternoon birds just wanted to feed and showed no inclination to move on. There were 5 feeding together in the NE corner of the saltmarsh (2 male plus 3 female) they headed in front of me a while before returning to the NE corner.

One of this afternoon's males also had a white rump, but not as pronounced as yesterday's male.

There is plenty of flotsam in the corner and they seemed to be finding plenty to eat.

This is one of the females

Howard took these shots of a fox on the heliport today

This is where the "mysterious fin" comes in. During Pete's morning seawatch, a dark lump on the water was drifting into the bay and periodically sticking up a big fin attracting the attention of gulls - Description wise this could be a Sunfish, but unlikely, apart from being extremely rare, there would be no reason for the gulls to be attracted to it. Possibly a member of the shark family scavenging a floating carcass. This would explain the gulls, but not really the large fin. Tope are the largest of the shark species routinely found in the bay, they can be large, but do not really have a very prominent dorsal fin - the mystery remains (MD)

Janet's camera has packed in! She's sent it to see if it can be repaired, but either way it may be some while before her valued contribution of pictures resumes. Fortunately she will still be out and about and will report what she sees.

Impressive Stonechat passage continues

The light SW wind continues. Heavy rain in the morning eased by late morning.

South shore.

I had a walk from Red Nab to saltmarsh and back again starting at 09:30 (MD). It was misty and raining hard

Wheatear 5 all male

A sodden male Wheatear 

Stonechat 5 - 7. I think I must have been the first person to walk along Ocean Edge foreshore this morning, as there was a succession of individual Stonechats resting behind the rock edges. As I approached each they flew off to NNW. My optics were stashed from the rain, and I couldn't even wear my glasses, but I got close enough to three of the birds to confirm Stonechat, before they flew off. Two others looked to be and behaved the same but were just out of positive identification range. So all the birds had moved on and I didn't see any around the saltmarsh, but on my return I did locate a male and female near the slipway, and they didn't fly off. No others were seen.

This sorry looking male was one of the slipway birds

Rock Pipit 3  - 1 on Red Nab, 2 moving along foreshore 

Raven 1

Raven - just seemed to be blogging

Janet had a walk from Ocean Edge to Harbour and back later in the morning when the rain had eased. Even so, she did well getting these shots as she was dog walking too.

Wheatear 1

Stonechat 8. 4 on Ocean Edge and two fly throughs of two birds seen near the lighthouse.

If you open this shot you can see the fine rain at this time

Three of the Ocean Edge birds

Stonechats near the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit 2 - Red Nab and the lighthouse. This is the lighthouse bird sat directly above last year's nest hole.

Rock Pipit above last year's nest site

Greenfinch 

Wigeon

I couldn't resist another check of Ocean Edge  mid afternoon when the rain had cleared (MD)

Wheatear 4 - 5 so some must have arrived after Janet checked

Stonechat 4 - there was a male and female near the slipway plus an individual female and male which both moved on. So the very minimum tally today was 11, almost certainly 13 and most probably more. This really is an exceptional passage.

Female Stonechat and a Wheatear on Ocean Edge grass (plus another Wheatear zips past)

This Wren was unhappy that a female Stonechat was on its patch!

The male passing through this afternoon was particularly striking with a prominent white rump.

Male Stonechat displaying white rump

This is him, heading off to the NNW

Pete checked the Heliport - no migrants seen. I checked the Horse paddocks, also no migrants.

Dearth no more

A light SW wind was a little cooler than of late, but still mild. Overcast all day.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Two nets set this morning in the feeder ride at Heysham for just three hours. The wind direction (SW) was not ideal for any passage birds but we hoped that some 'left-overs' from yesterday's movement might still be around. 26 birds in total captured:

Robin 5 (almost certainly movement)

Blackbird 1

Goldcrest 6 + 1 retrap (of a bird previously caught here last Autumn and earlier this March)

Long-tailed Tit 4 retraps

Blue Tit 3 retraps

Great Tit 1 retrap

Greenfinch 3 +1 retrap

Goldfinch 1

South shore

Jonathan had a walk along the sea wall.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 23 on Red Nab

Rock Pipits 4 - 5 including one checking out the nest holes near the lighthouse 

Peregrine Falcon 1 perched within Power Station complex.

Wheatear 2 

I checked from saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD)

Stonechat 2 - male and female together near the slipway 

Male and female Stonechat 

This is the male

Wheatear 6 male and 1 female/immature male (possibly including Jonathan's two).

Likely immature male Wheatear 

Imperial Rd (MD)

Quite a lot of wildfowl active today

Greylag Goose 2 flew from the direction of Middleton Nature Reserve and landed in the field to the east of the road.

Greylag Geese

Teal 12

Mallard 1

Water Rail 1 calling

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a very brief check of the two main ponds located:

Cetti's warbler 1 singing by "no swimming" pond

Chiffchaff 10 singing in the Alder trees between the ponds and feeding around the "no swimming" pond.

Chiffchaff 

On Friday I posted a clip of a Little Grebe taking advantage of the "dearth of insect eating birds" by feeding on the insects on the water surface. Today the grebes were diving for their lunch. There were Chiffchaff all around the "no swimming" pond, picking off the midges before they landed on the water.

You can see the insects flying around in these clips.

Janet took this nice shot of Roe Deer 

Female and male Roe Deer

Three "first of the year" and an unprecedented 25 migrant Stonechat......after a delayed start!

 Another very mild night and warm day. The light wind initially from south moving to SW late morning.

Pete and Jean made an early start, and it paid dividends, not so much for what they saw early on, but for what they didn't see.

While Jean conducted a visible migration survey from Heysham Head, Pete made a careful check of Heliport plus Ocean Edge/Red Nab. All before 07:45. No migrant passerines seen or heard, except for:

Sand Martin 2 in off at Ocean edge - first records this year

Also:

Pale-bellied Brent goose 20 at least on Red Nab.

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

Kittiwake 1 2cy on pipe in harbour

Redwing 2 HNR

Goldcrest 2 HNR

I arrived at the saltmarsh at 08:00 (MD). By this time Pete was back at the Heliport and was starting to see:

Wheatear 5 male - first record this year plus a trickle of Meadow Pipits.

The cloud was low and it was hazy and now the migrants were piling through.

A walk from saltmarsh to Red Nab 08:00 - 08:20 located at least

Wheatear 12 (all male)

Stonechat 8 (3male)

Meadow Pipit 32

Pied Wagtail 4

By this time the low cloud had morphed into light drizzle (which Pete identified as "perfect").

The flight line must have been narrow, nothing passed over or was grounded as I walked along the wall beyond Red Nab to the lighthouse (and no Stonechat seen in a later check at Imperial road).

On the return trip there were over 10 male Wheatear between Red Nab and saltmarsh, and they were moving through quickly. As were the Stonechat 3 male and 3 female were near the slipway and appeared to have just come in. Another male and 3 female on the east side of the saltmarsh.

Skylark 2 north

One of the 25+ male Wheatear through this morning

Female Stonechat resting on one of the "birds to look out for" notices. - No mention of Stonechat!

This female Stonechat was particularly obliging

Also:

Rock Pipit 6 - saltmarsh 1, 2 together on Red Nab, 3 between lighthouse and waterfall 

Common Snipe 35 flushed from marsh grass just south of saltmarsh 

Red- breasted Merganser 1

Whooper Swan 4 NW

Whooper Swan

Report from Jean:

Vis Heysham Head 0740-0940

North unless stated

Meadow Pipit 123

Pied Wagtail 2

Lesser Redpoll 1 (E)

Skylark 14

Chaffinch 3

Linnet 1

Stonechat 1M (NE)plus M&F grounded

HNR

Chiffchaff singing nr car park - first record of the year

I met Shaun checking out the Stonechats and Wheatears on Ocean Edge, he then continued his walk north:

Chiffchaff 11 -2 singing Moneyclose Lane + 3 singing HNR. Silent/feeding Chiffchaffs 4 Water Tank next to OBS and 2 at Dipping Pond. A decent arrival!

Helipad 

Wheatear 5 males & 2 females. 

Stonechat 3 females. 

Meadow Pipit 35 (grounded). 

With all the various reports Pete estimates at least 25 Stonechat were seen this morning, and, unfortunately, no one checked the horse paddocks at Knowsly Rd. Still not a bad tally, and unprecedented for the recording area.

Janet heard a Chiffchaff near the golf course but none on her walk around the east side of Middleton Nature Reserve.

Male Kestrel

Also from Janet - Brimstone butterfly - Londonderry Rd - think this is the first butterfly of the year, it's certainly the first Brimstone.

Better! In fact, warm and better

The temperature never got below 8C overnight and peaked this afternoon at 15C! (Thanks to Kevin Eaves weather station for weather details). The very light south wind continued. Just a few light showers plus one heavy one in the afternoon 

Pete advises that Wheatears were seen today just to the south between Fluke Hall and Knott End, but none seen or reported yet from the recording area, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

South shore 07:40 - 09:20 (MD)

Shelduck 25

Wigeon 150

Redshank 180

Wood Pigeon 11 on grass behind foreshore

Pied Wagtail 5 north

Skylark 1 grounded on foreshore 

Meadow Pipit 36 north. 25, 07:40 - 07:55 between saltmarsh and Red Nab. Only 8 more as I walked along the wall and only three on the return leg. These two landed briefly on Red Nab.

Rock Pipits 6 - saltmarsh, Red Nab (displaying male), seawall plus 3 between lighthouse and waterfall 

Greenfinch 8 on copse edge behind Red Nab

Male Greenfinch

Linnet pair near lighthouse 

Female Linnet

Stonechat 1 female near the lighthouse 

Female Stonechat 

Shag 1 immature flew out of the harbour towards the wooden jetty 

Shag, looks to be a 3rd calendar year (MD)

Kittiwake 1 first winter on "their pipe" near the waterfall 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick mid morning check of the two main pond's located nothing new, but this was interesting. It was already quite warm and there were lots of midges around. With the current dearth of insect eating birds, this Little Grebe filled the niche. You can see the insects on the water before it eats them. It seems easy pickings, but there won't be much fuel provided by a midge.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Last stop on the way home, and again some interest.

Common Buzzard 2 - this one has a small rodent, or possibly a frog.  I was still in my car at this point and struggled to keep my camera still.

By the time I'd gotten out and steadied myself better, it had eaten all it was going to. It cleaned its beak and flew off.

This one was calling a lot, fortunately I managed a short sequence when my camera wasn't making too much noise. You can hear it calling a couple of times.

Jackdaw 87 feeding in the field to the east of the road.

As dismal days go........today set the bar pretty high!

A light south wind, the rain alternated between drizzle and heavy drizzle!

Pete advises that Sand Martins are passing through the general area but none seen/reported so far within the recording area.

Just my "stuff" so far, but I didn't have much time today (MD)

Saltmarsh to Red Nab 09:00 - light drizzle

Shelduck 6

Rock Pipit 1 Red Nab

Pied Wagtail 1

Dunnock 1

Greenfinch 2

Imperial Rd - light drizzle

Normally a good detour for some records, but today I couldn't even manage an Egret or Raptor.

Mallard 2

Teal 4

Middleton Nature Reserve - early afternoon heavy drizzle

Wildfowl pretty much as yesterday but two pairs of Mute Swan. At least one female nest building.

This is just a flavour of the conditions, one male each Gadwall and Teal.

As I was leaving it was fairing up a little, so I took a couple of token clips. This is a Cormorant, immature Mute Swans and Black-Headed Gulls.

There are two pairs of Little Grebe on the main pond and at least one pair on the "no swimming" pond. No trilling heard today, but you don't have to watch for long for a feeding bird to show.

Jackdaw 25

Jackdaw and feral Pigeon vying for roof roosting rights

Pale-bellied Brent goose 12 at least, seen out from the play area from Knowlys Rd this afternoon. This clip isn't great, not much was today, but it was taken from my car and does show that the feeding birds here are easily visible from the road, with half decent optics.

The weather doesn't look great for tomorrow, but perhaps the birds will be better.

More pairing up

An overnight frost. A freshish south wind, overcast all day with some light showers.

Report from Pete:

Everything below is either within or seen from the recording area.

Shag 3cy off Heysham Head

Pale-bellied Brent goose 42 -  7 off Battery car park by the disused sewage outfall, 35 off play area 

Eider 102

Great Crested Grebe  6 

Red-breasted Merganser 9 

4 Meadow pipit from north end of stone jetty in 10 mins. 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Mute, Moorhen and Coot unchanged 

Greylag goose 2  - they have looked like they might fancy nesting here for the last few springs. Hopefully this year they might, if not disturbed.

Greylag Goose - the other just out of shot

Mallard 5 (4 male)

Gadwall 2 pair

Teal 2 pair

Little Grebe 2 pairs at least

Common Snipe 3

Water Rail 1 calling from the western marsh

Pheasant 1 male calling (I can't bring myself to call it singing!)

Cetti's warbler, contact calls and a burst of song from the "no swimming" pond

Great Spotted Woodpecker - this female flew from the direction of the large anemometer and rested in this tree a while (I've had to remove the sound, my camera was making it sound like it was drumming!)

It then flew back in the same direction - earlier this male was near the small anemometer in the Nature Park. To us, two different areas, but the two sightings would only be 400m apart.

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker 

Kestrel 2 - presumably a pair. This female was half perching, half hovering in this tree.

She flew off, but as I walked on a better viewing line revealed a male perched below where she had been.

Male Kestrel

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

This was mid afternoon and it had been drizzling and it continued to throughout my walk. So I wasn't expecting to see the Barn Owl, but was thinking perhaps a Stonechat, and fortunately I did see a male. I say fortunately, as it seemed to be moving through quickly. It rested on this Willow briefly and made no attempt to feed before moving on northwards. I was using one of my old cameras, so the image not so crisp, but at least the background noise is fine!

Grey Heron 3

Mallard 2

Hopefully more species will be moving through soon!

Tide and time.......

Quite mild, a light NW wind with some heavy, snow, sleet and rain showers with some sunny spells in between.

I was planning to, check the skear at low water at  09:45 today. By 09:30 the snow was of blizzard proportions. But the tide doesn't wait, so I donned my waterproofs and set off (MD)

Heysham skear - low water 09:45

To my delight the sun shone and the wind was almost absent for the duration of my walk. It rained during my drive home.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 38 - they weren't obvious to begin with as they were scattered around the skear, mainly in twos and threes. There is a modest amount of gutweed on most large rocks now. Nothing lush like the play area rocks or Red Nab, but plenty to go around, and only one person around to disturb them, and I made sure that I didn't. This is a typical relaxed feeding party.

As the tide rose, 8 flew off to the north.

This one has a damaged wing, it will do well to fly back across the Atlantic.
Good luck.....

The remaining birds collected in the NE skear corner. Most are in this clip.

They then flew to the south, 28 landed on the sea to the south of the skear, 2 continued south past the harbour. Some stayed on the sea

While others just had a paddle - they really are a handsome Goose

Eider 20 +

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Apart from the Oystercatcher, not many waders. Curlew 15, Turnstone 30+, Redshank 30+, Knot just 15

Sometimes when I walk along the shore I see something so familiar, that I forget that the logic of what I'm seeing may not be apparent to everyone (MD) This is an example:

Most of the Redshank feed on small invertebrates found in the small pools, channels and crevices between the rocks and mussels. But there are inevitably a few feeding higher up the beach on the mud. These are likely to be feeding on Blow Lugworms, but not whole worms, just their tail tips. The lugworm extend their tails above the mud to shed the waste mud that they have filtered any goodness out of, leaving the familiar "casts" on the mud surface. The tail tip is vulnerable and therefore has evolved to easily detach from the rest of the worm. A new tail extension then regrows, and although the tail tip will not be as nutritious as a whole worm, it will be a decent source of protein for a smallish wader. This clip begins with the Redshank grabbing a tail, washing it (probably only half of the detachable section), eating it then looking for the next worm actively casting.

When a worm is grabbed, it immediately contracts, this makes is wider and its body is held firm by its burrow sides, and shorter so any tail tip held becomes detached. This works well when the mud is relatively firm as it is here, but not so well in the soft mud, near the water's edge. That's why the serious worm eaters (Curlew, Godwits) feed close to the water's edge. What a lot of people forget, but waders know through experience, is that the tide comes in under the mud before it reaches it on the surface. So the mud near the edge is liquified and any worms grabbed can be extracted. (this is one reason why cars get stuck in the mud. They are driven around on the flat beaches, the mud supporting them easily. But as the tide starts to come in the mud can liquify below them, long before the tide reaches on the surface.  Once the tide is above the mud, the weight of the water compacts it, and it becomes firm again. Too late for any vehicles unfortunately. they are now firmly stuck!)

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - high water 15:25 (MD)

Another fortunate sunny spell between showers

The only passerines were 2 Rock Pipit and 2 Dunnock on the saltmarsh.

Pale-Bellied Brent at least 26 on Red Nab - almost certainly some of this morning's birds.

Pinkfoot 1 grounded on Red Nab

Wigeon c100

Imperial Rd

Just a drive along on the way home.

Greylag Goose 2

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 1

Mallard 3

Teal 4

Wood Pigeon 25

Buzzard 1

The Wood Pigeon roost in these trees and feed in the field on the east side of the road. These are a few of them roosting with the Buzzard in the next tree.