Plenty of Brent about

Somehow, it managed to stay dry, despite some threatening clouds. A SW wind freshened slightly.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP, MD)

Mute Swan pair plus 7 immature 

Coot 5

Moorhen 4

Mallard 4

Gadwall 10 - 2 on main and 8 on "no swimming" pond which has now returned to its normal level.

Tufted Duck 2 male on "no swimming" pond.

Main pond Gadwall

The finches are taking advantage of the feeders

Goldfinch and Chaffinch

Goldfinch and Greenfinch 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 42

A quick look in passing from Knowlys Rd on the rising tide saw 34

Just as I arrived at Red Nab on the afternoon ebbing tide at least 28 landed from the south

But as I returned along the sea wall, as it was getting dark, 42 flew from Red Nab towards the west side of the bay.

Brent Geese heading west out from the wooden jetty

Also from the south wall this evening (MD)

Wigeon 250+ these are some of them leaving Red Nab

Eider 1 female/immature feeding at the seaward end of No.1 outflow. It appears to have a crab here.

Slightly unusual just seeing a solitary Redshank on No.1 outflow

The Manxman sails off into the sunset

A bit of raptor news from Angela Gillon:

Buzzard 1 in the trees at Imperial Road at lunchtime 

Kestrel 1 very low over the Barrows - these are only mobile phone shots but are perfectly good record and location shots.

Kestrel 

Low over the Barrows on Heysham Head

Swan down

Mainly overcast with just one shower this morning. A light SW wind

South shore (JP, MD)

Pale-bellied Brent geese 36 - 19 flew to Red Nab from NW at 10:10 then another 17 at 10:40.

Janet's shot of the 10:40 in to Red Nab

None seemed to be ringed, most are in this clip.

Shelduck 14

Wigeon 360

Great Crested grebe 1 feeding in the harbour near the waterfall.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a passing check of the two main Ponds

Main Pond:

Mute Swan pair but only 7 immature, looks like the estranged youngster yesterday may not have been accidental.

Coot 4

Moorhen 2

Mallard 10 plus 4 flying overhead 

Gadwall 4

"No swimming" pond:

The water level has now dropped to only 1m above its normal level.

Gadwall 19

Tufted 2 male

Male Tufted Duck

Grey Heron 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming

Cetti's Warbler 1 burst of song

Nearly swan down!

Some heavy early morning showers, after that dry with some sunny spells. A light breeze initially from SE drifted to the west.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP, MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult plus 8 immature are making a mud bath of the feeding area

At one point there were only 7 immature, one must have crash landed onto 
Middleton Rd, bringing traffic to a standstill, fortunately this included Janet who
managed to "shoo" it back to the main pond

Tufted Duck 1 - just the main pond bird today.

The male Tufted seems to be permanently preening

Gadwall 4 - 2 each on main and "no swimming" pond. These were the only wildfowl on the "no swimming" pond. The water level had reached 2m above normal, but it had dropped slightly today. The pump must have kicked in and the level will now quickly return to normal. Should make for some interesting feeding opportunities both on and around the pond in the next few days.

Coot 6

Moorhen 4

Coal Tit - the visitor maintained feeders are still attracting plenty of birds

South shore (JP, MD)

Rock Pipit on Red Nab

Black-Headed Gulls resting on No.2 outflow superstructure. It's always a
wonder why more birds do not rest here, they only do when it is particularly calm.

I couldn't get out till lunchtime (MD). So I just did a quick check of the saltmarsh. It was shortly after high water, and this was the highest tide of this set of spring tides, but the lack of waves still prevented it covering more then two thirds of the saltmarsh.

Common Snipe 3 - this clip of one foraging plus one lurking in the background is actually from yesterday.

Wigeon 105

Turnstone 5 - including the three regulars on the shingle shore

Reed Bunting 2

Reed Bunting with a distinctive white festher

A nice variety of waders

A mild and sunny day with a light north wind

North shore (HS)

Howard checked the roosting Knot for any colour marked birds and managed to read eight out of the 3,500 that ended up on the Near Naze at high water.

There was also this yellow flagged Bar-Tailed Godwit

Ringed as a 1st calendar year male 26/08/23 at Revtangen (Norway, Rogaland, Kelp)

This is the first record since it was ringed 109 days and 735km from point of ringing

South shore (JP, MD)

Janet checked the waders on Red Nab

A nice variety, including: Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank and Oystercatcher 

There was a very flighty flock of c1,000 Knot, likely some that ended up on the Near Naze later.

A few of the Knot

Knot coming in to land on Red Nab. 
One of these has a green ring, but much too distant to make out any detail 

I checked the saltmarsh (MD)

Grey Plover 1

Grey Plover

Curlew 2

Turnstone 3 - these three seem to permanently feed on the shingle on the west bank

Redshank 90

Lapwing 21

No Jack Snipe this tide, but 28 Common Snipe brought the total of wader species to 11.

As yesterday the tide coming in with hardly any waves left the Snipe reluctant to move on.

Common Snipe

Note the swathe its bill has cut through the water as it took off

Not sure if these two were being amorous or fighting! The bird below them to the left looks smaller and more boldly marked, but it is just another Common.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 16 - flew towards Potts Corner from the NW. Possibly had been feeding on Red Nab. The Dunnock you can hear in this clip was perched just above my head. I don't think it appreciated my presence!

Shelduck 5

Wigeon 114

Linnet 24

Reed Bunting 1

Timing......some good, some bad, some interesting

Very mild both overnight and during the day. Overcast with a few showers, particularly in the morning. The light east wind eased further during the day.

South shore (MD)

Just a check from Red Nab to the saltmarsh. 

This was the bad timing......the low atmospheric pressure meant that the tide was higher than I anticipated and Red Nab was already covered when I arrived.

Brent geese - none seen, if there were any in the morning they would have moved on before I arrived. A second quick check on the ebbing tide was too late and again none. (A passing check from Knowsly Rd also failed to locate any)

Common Snipe 13 - again I was too late in the tide, I'm sure others would have been flushed before I arrived

Jack Snipe 3 - this was the good timing. I went down specifically to watch the area of the marsh being covered where I saw a Jack Snipe lifted on the last set of spring tides (see post for 30/11/23). The tide that day was nominally slightly higher than today's, but today's was going to come in further. On the way around the saltmarsh both the tide and I flushed one each. Both headed towards Middleton Nature Reserve.

I managed this shot of a Jack Snipe heading towards Middleton.
This is about as good a shot as I normally manage.......but not today

I sat on a rock and watched the tide move further over the area where one lifted last month. This area won't have been covered by the tide since then. After a while I realised that a darker patch of "vegetation" at the water's edge was actually a Jack Snipe. It isn't immediately obvious.

It knew I was watching, but I had the advantage, I knew the tide was going to rise further, and soon it would have to show itself.

When it could no longer pretend not to be there, it took flight, and also headed towards Middleton.

Something seems to have changed this year. Normally when they are flushed, particularly on this height tide, they land on another area of saltmarsh.

Jack Snipe - what a splendid bird!

Wigeon 120 out from the saltmarsh, many more further out and flying around

Reed Bunting 1 

Imperial Rd (MD)

This was the interesting timing, interesting to me at least as I learned something. A heavy shower was just ending as I was going along the bypass. I wondered if the Buzzard would be on the fence hunting worms again. It was, but not quite as I expected.

I have been asked which fence to check, so I took this clip and panned out to show the location.

But when it began hunting, it was relying on a Mistle Thrush (perhaps I was hasty assuming the three Mistle Thrushes earlier in the week were just passing through) to catch the worms, then pinching them off it. The thrush would not look for worms when the Buzzard was watching, so the Buzzard tried its best to pretend that it wasn't. 

This was quite a large worm, probably a lobworm, it would have taken the Mistle Thrush some while to eat it, but I was surprised that it didn't try to take it with it.

Geese provided the main interest

An overcast but dry day. A very gentle breeze moved from NW to east over the course of the day.

Just my stuff so far (MD)

South shore

Just a check from Red Nab to the saltmarsh at high water.

Pale-belled Brent goose 18 - it was both brighter and the birds closer with the higher tide, so pictures slightly better.

This is a first calendar year bird, the most obvious feature being the white wing bars.

These are two adults with a first calendar year feeding on the gutweed.

There is still lots of gutweed on Red Nab, but it is getting shorter and the geese are grazing it from the rocks.

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 160

Little Egret 2

Waders:

Oystercatcher c300

Curlew 4

Redshank 20

Turnstone 6

Knot 25

Lapwing 40+ amongst the Samphire on the saltmarsh 

Imperial Rd

A quick afternoon stop off located 

Buzzard 1

Buzzard on one of the three concrete posts at the southern end. 
Unfortunately resting with its back to the road.

Mute Swan 2 adult

Little Egret 1 - it is using the same technique here as it does when it is fishing. The ground is very waterlogged and at other times of year frogs would be an option, but I think this is just about earthworms. Egrets just can't help being stealthy!

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Again, just a quick stop off, but I did manage to check both main ponds today.

Main Pond:

Mute Swan 2 adult plus 8 immature, they must have been having a fly around yesterday 

Coot 4

Moorhen 2

Mallard 2

Tufted Duck 1 male.

No swimming pond

Tufted Duck a second male

Teal 2 male

Gadwall 26 - 18 already on the water and 8 more came in.

The water level of this pond is now up by 2m. The dabbling ducks have no chance of reaching the weed, they must just be using the pond as a safe place to rest.

The water level is to the top of its banks in many places 

These are some of the Gadwall and the Tufted.

This is the arrival of more Gadwall, they circled several times before finally landing.

Gadwall

Pink-Footed goose 2000+ - this was odd, at 14:05 a single bird flew over low to the south. At 14:08 what seemed to be the entire local population flew over my head to the south. Unfortunately, I had low trees on either side of me so it wasn't possible to do a more accurate count.

Just a small proportion of the Pink-Footed geese heading south

It was very early for them to be heading back to their roost, they were low so presumably had been feeding close by. I'd driven along Oxcliffe Rd and the bypass earlier and saw no sign of feeding birds. But there is a lot of slurry spreading happening at the moment. Perhaps "their field" was about to be sprayed. If so, you could understand them taking flight!

It never really got light!

Last night's strong westerlies quickly died down, there was only a gentle SE wind at 08:00. It increased slightly during the day and shifted more to SW. Very low cloud all day, producing rain for much of it.

South Shore (MD)

I had a walk along the sea wall at "first light"! You couldn't really call it "light"

Pale-bellied Brent goose 17. It was 08:30 when I reached Red Nab, "sunrise" was supposed to be 08:20. I didn't expect the sun, but I did expect to be able to see! These are some of the Brent at 08:30:

It was a bit less dark on the return at 09:30, even so I had to increase exposure to make it this "bright". There are thirteen Brent in this clip, the other four were feeding separately.

Shelduck 22

Wigeon c150

Cormorants on the wooden jetty. This is 09:00 and the green navigation lights are still on.

Lapwing 87 on saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 1 near the lighthouse 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick passing check of the main pond

Mute Swan just the two adults, no sign of the immature birds, and the female was skulking in the reeds. 

Coot 5

Moorhen 4

Mallard 6

Tufted Duck 1 male

The Tufted Duck was minding its own business and having a preen

But this Coot wasn't in a tolerant mood

Imperial Rd (MD)

Buzzard 2

This pale bird was in the large trees half way along the road. Looking over to the second bird

A darker bird was alternating between being on this grass and sat on the same fence as yesterday.

It was raining at this time, and I finally realised what it was doing. It was scanning the grass from the fence and dropping down to catch whatever showed, presumably in this case, an earthworm. Not a great clip and it's windscreen wipers again I'm afraid. But it does show the technique. 

Birding behind windscreen wipers!

The strong south wind switched to the west at lunchtime and increased in strength all afternoon. Plenty of heavy showers.

Imperial Rd (MD)

It was raining lightly as I turned off the bypass and parked in the entrance to the wooden gate just south of the roundabout. But as I got there the heavens opened.

Buzzard 1 - it has been in the loose scrub below this fence, but when the rain began it hopped onto the fence post, presumably to be able to shed any water more easily. There is little to see in this short clip, other than the location and the fact that there are birds of interest to be seen without leaving your car. Sorry about the windscreen wipers!

Mistle Thrush 3 grounded by the heavy shower. This clip shows how heavy.

Mistle Thrush

As the rain eased they began feeding, the resident Blackbird was far from impressed!

They were quickly finding worms quite easily, another consequence of the heavy rain.

Even so, as soon at the rain stopped they flew off to the south.

South Shore (MD)

Just a quick check of Red Nab not long after morning high water

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 9 - a slightly strange record this. Once again it was raining heavily and they were not on the Red Nab rocks but a small outcrop to the east. There is a large freshwater runoff here, particularly after heavy overnight rain.

It was still raining, but not quite so hard when they flew off to the west, long before they normally leave Red Nab.

There was no sign of them from Knowlys Rd a little later. I wondered if they were a group with a different agenda, that was just temporarily grounded at Red Nab by the heavy downpour.

In the afternoon the west wind was getting quite strong, unfortunately the tide was out and would remain so till after dark. Still I had a walk along the wall and managed to walk out without any rain!

Just a few Black Headed gulls feeding on No.2 outflow.

Wigeon <50

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2

Rock Pipit 1 near lighthouse.

Peregrine Falcon 1 - I managed some better shots than I normally do as it hung on the wind briefly.

Peregrine Falcon 

This Herring Gull is breaking open a mussel in the inner harbour. Note it drops it from a little higher each time till it breaks.

This Carrion Crow caught my eye as its back appeared silver, but it was just an effect of the wind and the light. It is removing the last morsels from a wader carcass (looks to be a Redshank). Almost certainly the remains of a Peregrine kill. 

I managed to get back to the wooden jetty before the rain started again, fortunately the wind was to my back on the return leg. 

The west wind became even stronger after dark and the rain continuous. But the wind is forecast to quickly ease overnight.

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!