Little Gull and Arctic Tern still around, but not so easy today

A very light SE breeze in the morning switched to a slightly fresher NW in the afternoon. Sunshine all day.

South shore 

I just walked to No.2 outflow at high water in the morning (MD)

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 

Rock Pipits 4 - 2 on the foreshore in the morning plus 2 near lighthouse in the afternoon.

Wigeon 85 around Red Nab

There was nothing feeding on No.2 outflow at high water but on my way back....

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile flew from Red Nab towards the outflow.

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 male in the Nature Park. Not showing very clearly, but you can just make out his red spot at the back of his head.

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker 

Another check in the afternoon at low water covered the full length of the wall (MD, KE)

There were only Black-Headed Gulls on No.2 outflow on the way out but on the way back.

Little Gull 1 at least. The low afternoon sun made viewing difficult but the first sighting seemed to be of an adult, but the bird that provided better views suggested 2nd calendar year, as its underwings were relatively pale.

This was unusual, you don't often see No.1 outflow almost drained.

This is the baffle at the seaward end that brings any remaining tit bits to the surface.
This is why gulls often feed at the seaward end, even when the tide is quite high.

Whimbrel 1 late bird was feeding along the sloping wall beyond No.1 outflow.

Whimbrel - unfortunately it took flight when 3 noisy Curlew flew past and I lost it

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2 on the beach near wooden jetty

Snow on some of the South Lakes peaks

More Little than BHG!

Very heavy overnight rain. A fresh south wind, largely sunny with the odd shower in the morning increasing cloud in the afternoon leading to evening rain.

South shore

I went along the wall at high water 08:40 (MD)

At No.2 outflow there were just two species feeding

Little Gull 7 - 1 adult, 1 second calendar year and 5 first calendar year. This clip is remarkable, not for what you can see, just a 1cy and adult Little Gull, but for what is missing, not a single Black-Headed gull was feeding here.

The only other species was.....

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile 

It isn't as though there was nothing to attract the other gulls, the juvenile Arctic Tern easily picks a Whitebait off the surface towards the end of this clip.

When Janet checked at lunchtime there were a few Black-Headed Gulls feeding with the Little Gulls, but not many.

1cy Little Gull with 2 BHG

1st calendar year Little Gulls

Also this morning:

Shelduck 25 at saltmarsh

Wigeon c70 around Red Nab

No Rock Pipits seen or heard again today.

This orange ringed Cormorant was on the wooden jetty, frustratingly just beyond my capability to read.

It is just in front of the lighthouse on the wooden jetty. I've seen it here before.
High water is always best for seeing Cormorants roosting here. This shot is 30x optical magnification
zoomed to 60x digitally. It should be within reading range of good scope with a decent zoom

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult resting on Red Nab

Mediterranean Gull (top) with Black-Headed Gull

This Mediterranean Gull was on Red Nab 31/08/23. It was ringed as a nestling 
at Leipzig Germany 18/06/22 and was seen in Newport Wales 12/11/22 and
Dawlish Warren Devon 21/07/23

Two days ago it was seen at Alderney in the Channel Islands. Wayne Turner nicely summarised its history with this map.

Thanks to John Horton for the record and Guy McClelland for spotting this on Alderney Observation Blog.

Chiffchaff 1 calling in the Nature Park

North Shore

Report and Pictures by Howard Stockdale 

The  helipad Knot were displaced by the female Sparrowhawk within 10 minutes of my arrival.

Female Sparrowhawk

The Knot looked like they were going to land on the naze but did many passes before heading over to the headland where they stayed until around 11.0am, they were too far off for any viewable sightings so I watched the Turnstone feeding on the shoreline on the skear in the hope the Knot would eventually arrive but alas they didn't.

Turnstone with what remains of a Hermit crab

Turnstone with a Cockle

Redshank 

Just out of the recording area  - Newgate White Lund - first Waxwing (ref Pete - see https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/forum/bird-insect-sightings/  for details)

More Little Gulls

Heavy rain till mid morning. A fresh wind switched abruptly at 09:20 from SE to west.

South Shore (MD)

I just walked out to check No.2 outflow. On the way out the SE wind was driving the rain into my back, I "knew" walking back was going to be tough. I sheltered under the outflow superstructure while I checked the birds. In that time the wind had turned right round to the west and, thankfully, drove the rain against my back again when I returned.

Little Gull 6 at least. 3 adult, 1 second calendar year and at least 2 first calendar year.

This is one of the 1st calendar year birds. It wasn't easy maintaining focus through the rain, but a least this clip gives a sense on this morning's conditions (and a glimpse of the StenaLine heading out).

This is the 2nd calendar year, I originally mistook it for an adult 
as only traces of black on the upper wings.

Adult Little Gull

The juvenile Arctic Tern wasn't feeding this morning and so far I have not received any reports of it today.

Also:

Wigeon 60+ amongst Red Nab rocks.

Shelduck 31 out from the saltmarsh 

Dunlin 27 out from the saltmarsh 

Heysham Skear - low water 14:30 (MD)

By this time the sun was shining but you had to be wrapped up against the fresh west wind.

Eider 4

Red-breasted Merganser 5 together 

Great Crested Grebe 1

There were a lot more Knot today, at least 2,500. They always look impressive flying in the sunshine. This is the largest flock coming in to land.

When there are so many eyes watching you it is difficult to get close enough to check for rings. There was at least one orange flagged bird, but too distant to read. I did manage to read this one on Sunday though.

Ringed as a juvenile 24/08/21 at Ceredigion Wales. It has since been seen at
Southport and Fornby, but this is the first Heysham record

Oystercatcher 1,000 spread all over the skear. Very few of these are colour ringed, but I managed to spot one today.

Ringed as a nestling 18/06/21 at Garður Iceland.
It was seen at Loch Ryan Scotland 25/09/21 and again 23/02/23

Redshank 80

Turnstone 60

Dunlin 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 23

Curlew 9

Plenty of interest

Several showers, but sunny spells in between. A slightly fresher SW wind.

South shore

I only had time for a morning visit today (MD)

Linnet c60 on saltmarsh.

Shelduck 24 feeding quite close to the foreshore today. You can see them filtering invertebrates from the mud. It's no wonder their feeding is punctuated with regular visits to the freshwater run offs for a drink.

Wigeon c80

There was no sign of the juvenile Arctic Tern on the outflows this morning, but there wasn't one yesterday morning. Kevin Eaves saw it early afternoon.

Little Gull 5 at least. 2 adult, 1 second calendar year, at least 2 first calendar year.

Adult Little Gulls

2nd calendar year left and 1st calendar year right,  Little Gulls.
Black-Headed gull centre with wigeon behind 

Black-Tailed Godwit 23 - a distant flock flying south along the fishing lane.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - a female was calling when I got back to my car on Moneyclose Lane. Despite the traffic and rain you can still hear her calling.

Eddie Wilkinson also had a walk along the sea wall this morning, these are some of his fine pictures:

1st calendar year Little Gull

Male Wigeon

Cormorant 

Great Crested Grebe between No.1 outflow and the wooden jetty

Curlew

Redshank 

The Great Spotted Woodpecker was still showing well

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just the fleetest of passing checks of the two main ponds. Wildfowl as previous except.

Gadwall 5

I managed a brief clip of the Little Grebe on the main pond today.

Janet took this shot of a Grey Squirrel on the Barrows 

No.2 outflow still providing

A light west wind. Heavy showers all day with some sunny spells in between.

South shore (MD)

A couple of checks in the morning and afternoon/evening.

No pipits again seen today.

Linnet 50+ on saltmarsh 

Lapwing 45

Shelduck 18

Wigeon 178

Pink-Footed goose 295 in two large, high skeins heading south

Great Crested Grebe 1 in harbour 

Little Gull 5 - in the morning there was 1 x 2nd calendar year and 3 x 1st calendar year. In the evening they were joined by an adult.

Adult Little Gull

1st calendar year Little Gull

In the morning there were no terns, but in the evening the juvenile Arctic Tern was feeding.

The Arctic Tern looks like it was checking out the Cormorant 
In fact it was just shaking water off its head.

There was a bird preening on the sea between the outflows, thought it was going to be the Red-Throated Diver. Instead it turned out to be a solitary Wigeon, preening first, then having a bath.

The tide was almost to the sea wall, causing this Bar-Tailed Godwit to alter its feeding technique to catch small invertebrates.

These four birds were flying high towards the evening light, fortunately, both species
identifiable by their silhouette. Curlew and Bar-Tailed Godwit

Turnstone seldom visit the inner harbour, but these three were having a look around.

This Cormorant is by No.2 outflow, it makes short work of a Common Blenny. When I see a blenny being caught I always wonder, "What's changed?". Blennies are territorial and intertidal, living in rock pools or under weed or in rock crevices when the tide is out (they can breathe air if necessary). It has probably never been more than 100m from where it was caught in its lifetime, it will know every nook and cranny and will have faced the same dangers every day. But today, something changed and it was caught, no option for a second chance!

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

The regular main pond Grey Heron

Common Toad

Little gulls linger

A very light breeze more or less from NW. Sunny in the morning but clouds gathering after lunch and rain in the evening.

Heysham skear - low water 10:15 (MD)

Very low neap tides at the moment low water was only 3.5m, barely exposing the inner skear. But it was a lovely morning and an enjoyable walk.

Shelduck 2

Eider 8

I had hoped that there may be Brent geese this morning, but no, although there is more gutweed here now than there was a month ago (still not much though).

Great Crested Grebe 4

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Little Egret 8

Oystercatcher 600

Curlew 10

Redshank 100

Knot 400

Turnstone 30

Dunlin 9

Bar-Tailed Godwit 17 - these are two godwit coming in to join a feeding party.

These are also godwits, but the clip is really about the beauty of the waves gently rolling in. Far from the distant barking dogs.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

This is another nice clip that gives a sense of the skear in these conditions. Nothing exciting, just Dunlin, Turnstone, Oystercatcher and Bar-Tailed Godwit going about their business.

South Shore

Shaun checked this morning:

Outfalls 09:00-10:30: 

1 Sub adult Little Gull

1 adult Mediterranean Gull 

1 juvenile Artic Tern still present (No. 2). 

Wigeon just 104.

I checked late afternoon just before the rain began (MD)

Shelduck 115

Bar-Tailed Godwit 6 on the rising tideline

Number 2 outflow was still holding the main birds of interest:

Little Gull 3 - the 2nd calendar year/adult bird plus 2 x 1st calendar year. Both the young birds appear in this clip, by this time (15:45) the light was already fading quickly!

First calendar year Little Gull

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile 

Red-Throated Diver 1 - this seems to be a different bird, still obviously in moult (I've never seen such a pathetic wing flap!), it appears to have remnants of its red throat, unless it is an oil stain.

This clip begins with it swallowing a small fish, then pans out to show just how close to the sea wall it was feeding.

Red-Throated Diver

Outflow feeding patchy today

A largely dry day with just a lunchtime shower. A freshening NE wind

South shore (AH, KE, MD, JH)

I walked along the wall at low water (MD). There were just a few Black-Headed gulls feeding on the outflows. When I reached the harbour, the likely reason presented itself. The bucket dredger was operating very near the intakes for the outflows almost certainly discouraging any shoals of Whitebait. When I got back to No.2 outflow there were still only a handful of feeding gulls, but I saw Alison and Kevin arriving so waited. Good decision! Almost out of nowhere appeared.

Little Gull 2  - 1 first calendar year and what looked to be a second calendar year. This is the second calendar year/adult. It looked to have some black in its primaries, but in fact they were, at least partially, just missing feathers.

Little gull in autumn moult.
Its underwings not as strikingly dark as a typical adult.

The Little gulls left as abruptly as they arrived, but then the juvenile Arctic Tern arrived.

Kevin's shot of the juvenile Arctic Tern

By this time the tide had risen somewhat, there would have been a greater depth of water at the intakes, so perhaps more fish. Even so there were still a lot fewer other gulls than of late.

In the afternoon Josh Hedley checked the outflows and saw both the Little gulls and the juvenile Arctic Tern

Also this morning:

Wigeon 130 in the channels beside the outflows.

Little gull in the foreground with some of the Wigeon in the channel beyond.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 5 feeding on the beach between No.1 outflow and the wooden jetty.

Kevin's shot of one of the Godwits 

No pipits were seen, heard or reported today

Also from Josh this afternoon:

Shelduck 108

Chiffchaff 1 along the dog walk track

Terns and Dragonflies......remember, remember.....it is November!

A fresh NW wind. Sunshine for most of the day.

South shore on the morning rising tide (MD)

Shelduck 126 feeding on the mud.

Wigeon 108 waiting in the channels by the outflows.

Eider 1 male out from the harbour entrance 

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile plus Common Tern 1 juvenile feeding on No.2 outflow.

Mediterranean gull 1 adult at the seaward end of No.1 outflow before flying off south.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2 were feeding on the beach between the wooden jetty and No.1 outflow. The tide was rising up the channel beside them, but the tide doesn't just rise up against the mud, it rises through it too, effectively fluidising the mud. Makes for easy pickings!

This one runs from the higher, drier mud to the lower fluidised mud, you can see the mud colour change as it reaches it. It then has to run again to wash its Lugworm before its mate pinches it.

At this point the mud is so soft the Godwits can easily push their head right through it.

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore 

Linnet c50 on saltmarsh 

Harlequin Ladybird a "swarm" was sunning themselves along the wooden fence at the entrance to Ocean Edge. At this time of year they gather together, looking for suitable hibernation locations. There were two or three of the two main variations on every post for about 100m at least 30 Ladybirds.

Harlequin Ladybirds 

Middleton Nature Reserve - afternoon (MD/JP)

Mute Swan pair plus 8 large cygnets 

Gadwall 3 on the "no swimming" pond plus Janet saw 7 fly over.

Mallard 27 - the "tame" 12 on the main pond and a very flighty flock of 15 on the "no swimming" pond.

These are the "no swimming" pond birds. It must have been me that spooked them, but I was being as careful as I always am here, and I don't normally spook the ducks (the normally more flighty Gadwall remained)

Coot 12

Moorhen 6

Little Grebe 1 in winter plumage on the main pond, but very elusive 

Grey Heron 1 regular bird resting on the slope above the main pond

Cetti's warbler 1 singing at the "no swimming" pond

Sparrowhawk by Janet

Common Darter 2 - an old female and this male.

Male Common Darter resting on a late autumn fallen leaf

Roe Deer 1 female