It blew!.......it blew very hard!

Storm Debi arrived as forecast, very strong SSW to W gale force winds (peak gust on Kevin's inshore weather station was 47.9 mph at 13:30 (it felt even stronger than that on the sea wall!)). The winds increased all day till mid afternoon. The strong wind was regularly accompanied by very heavy rain.

South Shore 

I battled out against the wind at 13:00 at the peak of the storm! (MD). The tide was up to Red Nab but ebbing now. It was impossible to look directly out to sea, I had to turn round and look back. There were only a few gulls feeding along the sea wall, but they were all "good ones" and flying quite close to the sea wall where the wind is deflected. Even so it is amazing how such light creatures could battle against the wind at all.

Little gull 14 at least. There were 8 adult (possibly including a second calendar year) plus at least 6 first calendar year. It took forever to reach No.2 outflow. I sheltered from the wind and rain below the superstructure for a while and took these clips. They are all pretty much the same, it didn't matter where I pointed my camera, there were always Little gulls in the frame.

You get a glimpse of Red Nab rocks in these first two clips.

This clip is looking straight out to sea. Six 1st calendar year birds and an adult. There were almost certainly other 1cy but six was the most I saw at any one time, but as you can see in this clip they were moving around very quickly when the wind took them.

This clip begins with an adult Little gull and ends on the only other gull feeding here, a Common gull.

The rain stopped for a while so I took the opportunity to walk to the end of the wall. Little gulls were feeding along the whole length, but it was impossible to tell which you had already counted. 14 was the most that I could see at one time. The only other gulls were

Kittiwake - 1 first calendar year zipped past on the wind. Plus possibly more in the inner harbour (no chance of standing still enough for a clear view), worth checking the pipe near the outflow intakes tomorrow.

As I was walking back No.2 outflow was becoming defined, there were already at least 14 Little Gulls feeding on it. 

As I reached Red Nab.....

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile was battling low and close in to the sea wall heading for the outflow. 

And that was it, everywhere else was scoured of all life, including human, I didn't see another soul. Tomorrow might hold some of the wind blown stuff in for a while.

Knot rings thin on the ground, so far this year.

A light SSE wind early on became fresher and ended up quite strong. Heavy rain started late morning with just a short afternoon window.

Howard checked the old helipad wall and near naze yesterday. There were c3000 Knot but the only colour marked one he saw was in flight and too distant to read.

The circled bird was the only colour marked Knot from 3000 birds

This is a panoramic of the birds on the Near Naze. 
If you open it, the detail of each bird is clear to see.

South Shore 

Sorry if my records are becoming repetitive, but I currently have a trapped nerve in my back and the flat level walk along the sea wall, with somewhere to rest all along it, is all I can manage at the moment (MD). Fortunately, at least there is something to see here. 

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile feeding on No.2 outflow this morning. The tide was coming in and already quite high. The Tern was feeding just along the sea wall. 

Little Gull 2 first calendar year - there was no sign of them in the morning, but I managed to walk out to No.2 outflow in the gap in the afternoon rain. The tern was still there and now joined by the two Little gulls. This clip is really to show the change in conditions as you can hear the fresh wind blowing through the outflow superstructure.

1st calendar year Little Gull

This Black-Headed gull had a conspicuously dark head for this time of year.

Peregrine Falcon 1 above the Power Station 

Shelduck 6

Wigeon 130 - these are a few eating the gutweed on Red Nab this morning.

Janet took this nice collection of Cormorant shots yesterday, there are always plenty to see here, particularly when the tide is in.

Rooting on the platforms in the harbour

and on the wooden jetty

Cormorant 

Same stuff, but better pictures! Plus Scandinavian imports.

Almost no wind, what little air movement there was came predominantly from the east. A nice sunny day.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

A Visitor from Norway! John and I set nets today at Heysham after the recent spell of wet and breezy conditions. The finch passage may have tailed off now as fewer were caught. However, we did capture two birds wearing rings from elsewhere. One, a Greenfinch and the other an adult female Chaffinch with a ring from the Norwegian ringing scheme. These more than made up for the lack of numbers. A higher proportion of retrapped individuals than recently was caught:

Dunnock 2 retraps

Robin 1

Blackbird 2 + 1 retrap

Redwing 1

Goldcrest 3 + 2 retraps

Coal Tit 1 +2 retraps

Blue tit 4 + 6 retraps

Great Tit 2 + 2 retraps

Chaffinch 1 Norwegian Recovery

Greenfinch 1 Recovery

Goldfinch 3 + 1 retrap

South shore

Janet walked along the sea wall and had her camera with her this morning. She took some excellent shots of both the rare and everyday. Definitely worth opening these pictures to enjoy the detail.

Arctic Tern 1 juvenile on No.2 outflow

This is a nice sequence of it taking a small whitebait from the outflow. Its bill looks surprisingly long when it is open.

This Black-Headed Gull appears to only have one leg.

But it doesn't affect its feeding ability on the outflows

Eider Flying in, with the wind farm in the distance 

Sparrowhawk, high above the Power Stations

Dunnock, looking particularly striking on Red Nab

I had a walk along the wall mid afternoon (MD)

The juvenile Arctic Tern was still feeding, but now joined by....

Little Gull 2 - 1 first calendar year and a second calendar year.

Second calendar year Little Gull

The younger bird was patrolling up and down like a caged lion (I've removed the sound as there were some noisy visitors passing at this point).

Wigeon 130 - these are just some of them coming in to land in the channel next to No.2 outflow.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3 - feeding with gusto on the beach next to the wooden jetty.

Wren, also looking striking in the scrub near lighthouse 

The male Great Spotted Woodpecker was showing in the Nature Park again.
They showed regularly all last winter period too, then disappeared during the
breeding season 

Just out of the recording area - Nick Godden via LDBWS webpage.

Heysham Moss from Oxcliffe Road (not the Reserve)

Little egret 11

Cattle egret 1

Curlew 285 

Oystercatcher 43

Redshank 1

Pied wagtail 2

Also from LDBWS webpage - Ian Hartley - White Lund

7 Waxwings about 9:20am, in berry trees around Booker cash and carry.

Also a flock of 8 Cattle Egrets flew over heading south

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