Yesterday and yesteryear

Chris and Barry helped Nick mow a decent section of the seawall end of the heliport site yesterday to facilitate roosting when birds displaced from the seawall by wave actions. The conditions were atrocious yet they persisted to get most of the job done in a torrential downpour and strong winds.  Thanks very much for doing this.  There is a small amount of raking needed - if anyone is able to do this please contact Pete. 

There was about 12 snipe and otherwise just a Greenfinch flock

This is one of Howard's shots from earlier this week
It is looking over the Near Naze towards the south Lakes

It's a slow news day today, so I thought I would share a slightly older picture of the same area.

This is me and my Dad on the north side of Half Moon Bay c1955 (I'm the shorter one - Malcolm) 
I was beginning to learn about what lives on the shore, although in those days it was only once a year.
Along the horizon on the right is the old tanker jetty where the ammonia tankers unloaded.
The seaward end of this jetty is still marked by the two buoys out from the north sea wall.
Behind that is an old steam ship heading out from the harbour.
On the horizon to the left there is a latticework tower, that is the Skeleton Lighthouse.The latticework
has long been removed but its stone base is still on the Near Naze. It is that  stone base pictured in
Howards shot above, you can still see the metal struts that once supported the Skeleton lighthouse.

Back to today....

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds, both now ice free, but the "no swimming" pond is 1m above its normal maximum height. The water level is maintained by a sensor and pump and each winter it seems reluctant to kick in for the first time. At the moment it is much too deep for the dabbling ducks and there was no divers today either.

The main pond was only sparsely populated too

Mute Swan pair plus 8 immature 

Gadwall 2

Moorhen 2

Coot 3

South shore (MD)

Just a walk along the south sea wall.

Shelduck 60

Wigeon c300 - they like to freshen up in the freshwater runoff at Red Nab. You can see where the expression "water off a ducks back" comes from.

North shore (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent geese 11 at least out from the play area, seen from Whinnysty Lane

Nothing new

A strong SE wind, overcast all day, but the worst of the rain held off till lunchtime, then heavy and prolonged rain.

South Shore (MD)

Unfortunately I couldn't get out till the afternoon so a very wet walk along the sea wall!

Wigeon 300+

Shelduck 32

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4 on the beach by the wooden jetty 

Rock Pipit 1 near the lighthouse (first for a week or so)

This was the only picture I took today. From the shelter of the lighthouse. It is just to show how flat the
sea was, with the strong SE wind blowing the sea in the same direction as the incoming tide was moving it.

Fortunately, I had anticipated a washout this afternoon so saved some shots from yesterday (nothing that wasn't still around today).

Adult Herring Gull on one of the harbour platforms 

First winter Herring Gull on the harbour wall

The Black-Headed Gulls also rest on the platforms 
The yellow ringed Polish bird that has overwintered here every winter since 2017/18
has not turned up this winter, at least not so far. 

This Turnstone was feeding on the platforms, it appears to be eating the flesh from the barnacles. I have seen several species breaking off bits of barnacle shell for grit, but I don't recall seeing one being eaten before. It looks relatively easy, perhaps they are not overly tasty, or possibly it had found something other than a barnacle, it does look suspiciously white flesh.

Hopefully more tomorrow!

Loads of ducks

A heavy overnight frost, the last for a while. Also last for a while was a dry sunny say. The light east breeze just starting to freshen slightly as it drifted to SE.

North shore (MD)

Just two quick scans from Knowlys Rd.

Pale-bellied Brent geese 23 in the skear corner in the morning but only 13 seen near the play are in the afternoon 

Janet was spotting metal ringed birds around Heysham Head.

Female Kestrel with metal ring
Alan advises that: The only one ringed by us recently (since 1996) was October 2015.
It is technically possible that today's is that one but pretty unlikely. Typical lifespan is 4 years
 but one has been caught 15 years and 11 months old back in 2003 (but not locally).

This Blue Tit was in the Glebe Garden

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

A quick check of the main pond in the morning. The Black-Headed gulls were again stood on the ice, none with colour rings.

Black-Headed gulls plus a Herring Gull on ice

Most of the Mute were on the open water by the feeding area, but the bulk of the ducks were in another more central hole in the ice.

Mallard plus 5 Gadwall and 3 Coot

South shore (MD)

Just my walk along the sea wall

Shelduck 139 - some feeding quite close tho the shoreline.

The above clip is one of only a few of today's posted clips where you can't hear or see Wigeon. They were everywhere, unfortunately well spread out and quite flighty as the tide was out. Probably as many if not more than yesterday. The two biggest groups totalled 340 and there were many more than that.

These are a few feeding on gutweed off the sloping wall. I often see one or two here, but more today.

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 4 - this one is chasing another from its patch. 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4 initially feeding on the beach next to the wooded jetty then moved between the outflows when the tide moved them on.

It doesn't go empty billed for long. Here it catches either half a Sandmason worm or a small ragworm.

This Curlew definitely catches a Sandmason worm. It's hard to imagine the sensitivity of its bill and tongue to be able to feel such a thin worm in such deep mud.

This Oystercatcher also has a Sandmason worm.

Grey Plover 2 - both Grey Plover and all four Bar-Tailed Godwit in this clip.

Knot - just 2 again, feeding here with Redshank 

The only other waders were a handful of Turnstone and a solitary Lapwing.

Peregrine Falcon 1 - here it is buzzing Red Nab in the hope of lifting something, but nothing this time.

It headed back and landed on an old scaffolding frame, and was still perched there when I left.

High Wigeon count and Brent were seen today

The overnight rain stopped as it was getting light, then a dry and largely sunny day. A bit warmer, but the NE breeze was cold.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Just a quick check from the car.

Buzzard 1 resting on top of a small tree close to the bypass, next to the sub-station:

It was resting with both its wings outstretched, it looked as though it had hung itself out to dry, and perhaps it had, possibly after a bath. It dd look wet.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 19. I checked the skear corner from the promenade at low water, there was no sign of them then. A second check at 14:10 (2.5hr before high water) from Knowlys Rd, saw 14 making their way to the rocks out from the play area.

19 were seen later, but not sure yet who the observer was.

South shore (MD)

My daily exercise walk along the south sea wall this afternoon, didn't feel promising, but at least it was a lovely afternoon.

Wigeon 414 - 408 were moving towards Red Nab on the rising tide and a further 6 feeding around the wooden jetty.

These are just some of them around Red Nab on the way back. Many were still feeding
 among the rocks, but this bunch looked they they were getting ready to move off.

This Curlew was looking fine in the low afternoon sun

I set off in bright sunshine, the sun was setting as I reached the end of the wall, and it was almost dark when I got back to Red Nab!

As expected there was very little to see, except the Wigeon. But it was a beautiful, albeit brief, sunset!

Peregrine "best" of a wet bunch!

Overcast with rain for most of the day. Even so the temperature never got above 5°C. A light NE breeze.

Just a few bits from me today (MD)

Neither the tides nor the weather provided any easy bird viewing. A lunchtime walk along the south sea wall produced 

Shelduck 31

Shelduck were the only birds on Red Nab when the tide was out

Wigeon 230 - these are some milling around the channel next to No.1 outflow, directly below the sea wall. I only had my old pocket camera with me today, but at least it is better at picking up audio. You can hear the Wigeon whistling and the rain drops on the camera.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4 flushed by the incoming tide from the beach next to the wooden jetty.

Peregrine Falcon 1 - A bit unusual as it landed briefly on the rail of No.2 outflow, about half way down. 

Today's high water at 7.6m is just high enough to surround Red Nab. Sometimes the Brent Geese feed here at this height, so I popped back for a quick look at high water in the evening. No Brent today, probably as it was already almost dark and likely little disturbance on the north side (they have been feeding out from the play area before moving to Red Nab, unfortunately no reports today).

Grey Plover 1 - no chance of a shot today it was much too gloomy. This short clip is from yesterday, when it was in the same location.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick look at the main pond on the way home. It was almost dark.

Mute, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard and Gadwall all still present in the open water near the feeding station. But today joined by a male Tufted Duck.

Tufted Duck

The above shot is heavily enhanced, this is what the feeding area actually looked like. The Tufted is the duck at the back at the beginning of the clip.

Buzzards buzzed

Some heavy overnight showers of hail and rain. Overcast all day even so the temperature never got higher than 2.5°C. A light breeze began SE and ended up NE

Imperial Rd (MD)

I called in early on to see if the Stonechat were still around, but there was no sign.

Common Buzzard 2 

They were initially perched on two of the three tall posts at the south side of the road

The nearer bird was quite pale

There were two unhappy Carrion Crow trying to get them to move on, but to no avail. But the clamour attracted more crows and Jackdaws, then more serious mobbing began.

Eventually they'd had enough, the paler bird was the first to leave and it landed in the trees towards the north side, where they can regularly be seen.

Then the other one was persuaded to leave, interestingly, this one flew off further south.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick look at the two main ponds. The overnight rain had left a covering of water over the ice at the "no swimming" pond. Not a single wildfowl to be seen. But there was quite a gathering at the free area at the feeding station of the main Pond.

Mute pair plus 8 immature 

Coot 4

Moorhen 6

Mallard 22

Gadwall 16

Teal 1

These are some of the above.

South shore

Nothing feeding on the outflows again.

Red Nab

Pale-bellied Brent goose 7

Pink-Footed goose 1 - the injured bird was out from the foreshore again

Shelduck 27

Wigeon 150

Little Egret 2 

Grey Heron 1

Heron with Brent Geese and Wigeon

Waders in order of abundance:

Oystercatcher 

Redshank 20+

Turnstone 10+

Curlew 3

Knot (just 2)

Grey plover 1

In contrast to the 2 Knot on Red Nab, Howard provided this short compilation showing the Knot and Oystercatcher being pushed towards the old heliport wall on an earlier tide this week.

Stonechats come in from the cold

 It got down to -4°C overnight. A cold SE breeze with lengthy sunny spells .

Imperial Rd (MD)

I called in passing just before lunch.

Stonechat 2 at least. They were feeding just beyond the gate on the west side close to the bypass roundabout. One male and at least one female/immature, possibly two.

The female(s) were showing well, you can hear the traffic along the bypass in this clip.

Female or first winter Stonechat

The Male was quite striking and also showed regularly, but invariably with either it's back to me or behind some Reedmace. This was about the best clip I managed, I lose focus but at least he does a pirouette!

Male Stonechat, these are only the second records this winter period.
After such a productive spring passage

South shore (PM, MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 16 on Red Nab when Pete checked,  just 8 when I passed a little later.

Pink-Footed goose 80 flew high to the south. There was one on the foreshore rocks that tried to take off and join them, but it seems its flying days are over and it crashed landed in the sea. 

Pink-Footed Goose probably injured 

Shelduck 56

Wigeon 180

Grey Plover 1 on Red Nab feeding alongside a Turnstone 

The freeze continues

 A similar pattern with a heavy overnight frost (-3°C), followed by a sunny day. The NE breeze was light but cold.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

The Mute Swan pair plus the 8 immature had maintained a patch of clear water at the feeding area of the main pond. They were joined by 10 Mallard and 4 Moorhen.

Another two adult Mute had maintained a much smaller open area on the "no swimming" (definitely no swimming today!) pond.

The Gadwall had moved on, but 6 Teal remained. The only free water on the pond apart from the swans patch were along the margins. This adult Moorhen finds a patch, an immature one close behind.

South shore (MD)

Just a walk along the sea wall today

Pale-bellied Brent goose 12 flew to Red Nab from the north side at 11:30. On these tides they are not flushed from Red Nab at high water, and often stay untill the tide leaves the rocks.

Shelduck 14

Wigeon 248

Bar-Tailed Godwit 10 - one flock flew south

Bar-Tailed Godwit

This Robin was feeding along the sea wall, normally Rock Pipit territory. It seemed to be finding plenty of small "things" to eat. I zoomed in to try and make out what they were, but I still couldn't see anything. Hopefully it was sufficiently nutritious.

These Turnstone were also feeding on tiny items on No.1 outflow, it appeared to be precarious but I don't suppose it is, when you can actually fly.

By way of a change, Janet took this shot of a female Kestrel on the Barrows
It's normally a male seen hunting 

We are now moving away from the spring tides. Howard has been checking the roosting Knots for any that are colour ringed/flagged. It has been hard work. Viewing on the Heliport wall is difficult with overgrown vegetation, plus raptor disturbance has made the flocks flighty. And even when he managed a good view, only a very small proportion are marked, on one tide only 2 birds out of 2,000 were colour marked, and one of those was illegible! Even so perseverance has been rewarded and he has identified several birds over this set of tides. 

This isn't the ornithological equivalent of train spotting. These schemes are designed to identify the movements of the Knot and the results provide strong support when identifying areas that need to be preserved, to ensure that the Knot continue to have a future. (MD)

Unexpected Jack Snipe

Another frosty night but not quite as cold. Another calm and sunny day. What little breeze there was came from the NE

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP, MD)

Both me and Janet checked the gulls on the main pond ice, none had colour rings again, but they are quite mobile and always a decent chance of one turning up here.

Janet took advantage of today's lightning to take these nice shots:

Mallard are often overlooked as they are so familiar, 
but the drake is a particularly handsome bird

Female Mallard, also looking smart

Moorhen 

Grey Heron

The visitors to the Nature Reserve constantly maintain feeders around the feeding area of the main pond. Unsurprisingly, today it was particularly busy.

Some of the characters on this Blue Tit's ring are legible. Unfortunately not enough.

Blue and Great Tits

Coal Tit

I checked the "no swimming" pond. No Wigeon today and Gadwall numbers down to 22. Still 4 male Teal.

Some of the Gadwall and a Redshank, in reflective mode. There was some free water
on the pond, but this is all ice, the more reflective surface has a thin covering of water

The Teal also chose to rest where there was water over the ice or, more likely,
 it is just their weight sinking the ice slightly 

South shore (JP, MD)

I checked from Red Nab to the saltmarsh towards high water. A little later Janet went along the sea wall from Red Nab.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 23 at least - there were 8 feeding on Red Nab when I arrived, they were joined by another group of 8. This is some of them feeding alongside Shelduck.

When Janet reached Red Nab the 16 had moved on, but another group of 7 came from the north side and flew past Red Nab towards Potts Corner.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

There are normally Turnstone to be found along the wall, these are some particularly nice shots:

This one managed to turn a particularly large stone.
These shots from Jeff Gorse earlier in the week

These in flight shots by Janet today:

Turnstone 

Saltmarsh

Lapwing 75

Some of the Lapwing with a few Redshank 

Common Snipe 6 - the tide didn't get much higher than the above shot and there were no waves so the few snipe seen were just moving away from the water's edge.

Two Redshank, a Curlew and a Common Snipe in this clip shows just how sedate the movement from the incoming tide was.

Common Snipe and Redshank

Jack Snipe 1 - seeing one was unexpected, their presence was pretty much assured, but they are not normally flushed by this height of tide, and when they are, they almost always land on another section of saltmarsh. But this one lifted off the water's edge and flew right over my head towards Middleton Nature Reserve. Great views but too quick for a shot!

Dunnock 5 - at least 2 more than the usual here.

Big increase in Brents

A hard overnight frost (-2.8°C) followed by a sunny day, but the air temperature remained low. A light NE breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked in the morning

The gulls (Black-Headed plus a couple of Herring) were on the main pond ice.
Always worth checking these for colour rings, none seen today.

Cetti's Warbler 1 singing 

Redwing 4 -5

Redwing

Grey Squirrel, also after the Hawthorn berries

Janet located a male Wigeon, at this point on the main pond with the Mallard.

The last couple of winters we have had a pair of Wigeon in association with the Gadwall, so I went for a look in the afternoon (MD).

Sure enough it was now with the 28 Gadwall on the "no swimming" pond, no sign of a female though.

One of four male Teal

South shore towards high water (MD)

It was a lovely day, but surprisingly few walkers (none), so the birds on Red Nab had moved in with the tide and were close to the sea wall.

Shelduck 3

Wigeon 214

Pale-bellied Brent goose 43 - there were two main groups 32 and 11, but within these groups many were defending their patch to feed in smaller subgroups.

I think they are all in this clip, but they are not so easy to pick out as the strong sunlight is behind them. You can hear their soft honks as well as the Wigeon and Oystercatcher calling.

Adult Pale-bellied Brent geese

I had them to myself for about 10 minutes before the inevitable dog walkers arrived (dogs have to be exercised, I was just grateful for the unexpectedly long gap). By this time the two groups had separated 32 flew off into the sun the remaining 11 were still out from Red Nab when I left, but had moved on before Kevin passed a little later.

Great Crested Grebe 1 out past wooden jetty

Rock Pipit just 1

Robin 2 birds where there aren't normally any. One along the sea wall and this one foraging around the lighthouse