High Brent numbers, and some cold weather movement

What a difference to yesterday! Another freezing night, but not as deep a freeze as expected (coldest point was -1.9°C just after 08:00). A dry and sunny day with a light and sometimes nonexistent north breeze.

Heysham skear - low water 10:00 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 48 flew from the play area, circled and landed in the SE skear corner at low water. Probably spooked by dog walkers, but I have noticed previously that they seem to like to confirm that the tide has turned. More Brent later. This clip isn't great visually as the light was behind them, but you can hear them calling as they fly towards me. I love their soft grunting call!

Eider 25

Wigeon 1

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested Grebe 4

No Little Egret

Waders - just the inner and middle skear checked, there were many more, particularly Oystercatcher on the outer skear.

Oystercatcher 1,000

Curlew 125

Redshank 150

Knot 200 in several small feeding groups.

Turnstone 60

Ringed Plover 23

Dunlin 8

Grey Plover 3 - I can't ever recall seeing Grey Plover on the skear before. No obvious reason why, their camouflage is perfect and they seemed to be finding plenty to eat. This one was taking a rest from feeding and was just watching the world go by. Its world in this instance comprising, Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Dunlin.

Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Grey Plover

It was a beautiful morning for my first proper walk on the skear for three months!
At least there are plenty of rocks to rest on when my legs got weary. Malcolm

Imperial Rd (MD)

I called in on my way home from the skear. No sign of the Glossy Ibis (both here and a quick check of the horse paddock at Middleton). But where it had been feeding the other day were:

Curlew 75

Lapwing 15

Mistle Thrush 4

I called in again later in the afternoon and the above where all gone. The culprit was a Fox patrolling the field, no doubt what flushed the Curlew and Ibis the other evening.

Buzzard 1

South shore

I just checked from Red Nab to the saltmarsh as the tide was covering both (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 68 - these included the two Canadian ringed birds with a first winter bird. Also a white ringed bird, probably the Icelandic ringed bird seen before. These are just some of them just before they began leaving to the south.

They didn't all leave together, in order of departure: 39, 15, 6 and 8

Shelduck 20

Wigeon 200+

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 3

Waders included:

Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Knot 1 and Grey Plover 1

The Knot (left) and Grey Plover had been resting on a rock together, before being moved on by the tide

Saltmarsh:

Common Snipe 5

Reed Bunting 3

Wren 6 (typically no more than 3 seen)

Dunnock 5 (typically 2)

Rock Pipit 3 - 1 plus these 2 together

This is the lone Rock Pipit

Song Thrush 2 - this one breaks open a snail shell. They normally have a stone chosen specially for this (a thrushes anvil), but this one must be newly arrived, not only was the stone it used not ideal, there were no other discarded shells around it (the whistles in the background are Wigeon).

Robin just the single regular bird - I thought it slightly unusual that there were no more (as the Wrens and Dunnock). But Janet provided the answer.

Nature Park

Janet purchased some peanut chips in error. Her garden birds weren't impressed, so she has been leaving some on the posts near the white barrier. This is the area that other visitors also leave food. The Nature Park birds gather there in numbers and seem to particularly like Janet's peanut chips:

Robin 6 at least - they do seem to forego their territorial behaviour in cold weather.

Male Bullfinch waiting in the wings

A particularly handsome Great Tit

Male Blackbird 

Female/immature Blackbird 

It's mainly about the weather!

Overnight freezing snow was just beginning to thaw when the heavy morning snow began. It turned to rain late morning and the remaining snow soon disappeared. The SW wind became very strong in the afternoon with some heavy squalls.

This is a nice record shot of Jeff Gorse's Treecreeper in St Peter's church
grounds on Friday. Treecreeper are not overly common here.

Imperial Rd today (MD)

I checked for the Ibis early on before the heavy morning snow began. No Ibis but there were 50 Curlew feeding where it had been yesterday. It was beginning to snow harder now, you can tell how dry it was as the snow "flakes" click when they strike the camera.

A second check after lunch saw at least 70 Curlew and more, presumably displaced from further inland, were arriving all the time. 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just the main pond checked, to see if any of the resting gulls were ringed. None were.

Black-Headed gulls resting on the ice

Mute pair plus 7 immature 

Coot 5

Coot

Moorhen 4

Mallard 27

Mallard

Gadwall 6

Redshank, male Gadwall and Mallard

South shore (MD)

It was 2 hours before high water but the strong SW wind had already blown the tide in and the waves had emptied Red Nab.

The sea was wild, but this was the first serious wind for ages and it had only been blowing 
a couple of hours. Too soon to push any birds of interest in.

This is the Pilot boat, just leaving the protection of the harbour.

This Grey Wagtail was on one of the harbour platforms yesterday (I forgot to post it)

And that's about it!

The only other place I checked was just of the recording area to see if the Ibis was behind Middleton Parish Hall. The extra ponies had gone but there was snow on the ground and the ground water was frozen. Not surprisingly, no sign of the Ibis.

This is the area where the Ibis has been feeding, and this is before the heavy snow!
Heavy frost forecast overnight, have we seen the last of the Ibis? Hopefully not. (Malcolm)

A pair of winkle pickers and Ibis viewable from recording area.

A biting NW wind kept it cold, but dry all day.

South Shore (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 31 on Rd Nab.

Wigeon 400+

Shelduck 45

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

One of four adult Common Gulls patrolling the sea wall

I have been noticing increasing numbers of empty Periwinkle shells on the sea wall at Red Nab. Today I spotted a pair of Carrion Crows picking the winkles from Red Nab and then dropping them on the wall to open. Most took just one or two drops to open them, this one held out a little longer. You can see the empty shells littering the wall.

At the saltmarsh 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 16 quickly being pushed off the last remaining finger of shore by the tide.

Reed Bunting 5

Rock Pipit 1

Blackbird 2

Song Thrush 1

The male Grey Seal was feeding again. It was in No.2 outflow very early. It must have swam up from the seaward end. Here he is swimming along the central divide, before being spooked by a Black-Headed Gull.

He, or another male caught a Bass. There isn't a lot to see in this clip, but it does show what to watch out for. Clouds of gulls and the occasional dark blob popping out of the water.

Imperial Rd (MD)

I went to check in the evening. There were several Curlew feeding in the field to the east, just before you reach the recycling centre gates. Slightly unusual as they do not regularly feed here. Then a little further behind them.......

Glossy Ibis 1 feeding at 16:00. But not for long, something spooked the Curlew and the Ibis flew west with them.

Sorry about the wobbly nature of this clip, but it was some distance away and I had nothing to steady myself against.

Originally I thought that two of the flying birds may have been Ibis, but checking my shots didn't reveal another. Even so, if the horse paddock bird at Middleton was still there, it would have been a different bird. I went to Middleton Parish Hall to check, but no sign of the Ibis there, and there were several additional ponies in the paddock. Clearly it had been a busy day and it obviously had looked for pastures new. Worth checking Imperial Rd again tomorrow, particularly if it isn't at the horse paddock.

Bath time

A light northish breeze. Some sunny spells and some very light showers.

South Shore (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent 30 arrived at Red Nab early in the tide and spent a while bathing and drinking in the freshwater run off.

Shelduck 30 - although there would have been many more on the shore near the saltmarsh 

Wigeon 491 - just timed it nicely for an easy count as they made their way towards Red Nab. It's no wonder the gutweed there is like a billiard table cloth. 

These are a few late comers flying in.

Eider 3 near the wooden jetty

Shag 2 at least - these two were together on the wooden jetty 

The Shag on the right is one of last year's youngsters, now a 2nd calendar year bird.
The Shag on the left is much darker so at least a 3rd calendar year bird.

There is very little white on the more mature birds chin, possibly it is a 4th calendar year

The 2nd calendar year bird is ringed. Looks like a yellow ring on the left leg
and a metal ring on the right. Another one to watch out for.

A little later, just after the ferry had arrived, this Shag was having a "bath" out from the Harbour mouth. I couldn't see the birds on the wooden jetty, but this one was too dark to be the 2nd calendar year bird, but it also seems to have more white on its throat than the older bird on the wooden jetty.

Bath is in inverted commas as it was really a thorough shake down, it was obviously in serious need of washing its feathers. It was like this for at least a couple of minutes.

Immature, likely 3rd calendar year Shag

On the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 4

Reed Bunting 

Song Thrush 1

Song Thrush 

Rock Pipit 3 seen in total, this is the saltmarsh bird

Rock Pipit resting on a Pelican garden ornament 

By this time the tide had almost covered the saltmarsh, still:

Common Snipe 3

Jack Snipe 1

Grey Seal 1 - it was the male's turn to be feeding close in today. Here he is in No.2 outflow.

Just out of the recording area - the Glossy Ibis was reported behind Middleton Parish Hall at least at lunchtime.

Sometimes you have to rely on the wildlife coming to you

Another dry but overcast day, the light wind freshened slightly as it moved tomSW.

I didn't have much time today (Malcolm). So first just a couple of shots of a visitor to my Heysham garden.

Immature Sparrowhawk

South shore (MD)

Just a very brief check of the shore out from the saltmarsh as the rising tide was covering it.

Pale-bellied Brent goose c25 seen distantly leaving Red Nab and flying SE.

Shelduck 60

These Shelduck are filtering invertebrates from the soft mud. Note their bill action.

Their bill feeding action leaves unmistakable patterns in the soft mud.

Two examples of the patterns left in the mud by feeding Shelduck

Wigeon 200+ 

The waders don't hang around for long, these spring tides cover the mud very quickly here.

Curlew 50

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Oystercatcher 200

Grey Plover 15

Redshank 25

Dunlin 100

Ringed Plover 4

The above on the mud

Lapwing 12

Common Snipe 3 

On the saltmarsh 

These are Grey Plover just before the tide moves them on. You can see how quickly it rises over the relatively flat shore here. A Knot pops in at the end to provide a nice size comparison.

Imperial Rd (MD)

This was my only other outing today and was just a brief check in passing.

Water Rail 1 squealing from the pond near the recycling centre

Teal 5 lifted from the same pond

Stock Dove 2

Roe Deer 1 female

Just out of the recording area - Middleton Parish Hall.

The Glossy Ibis in the horse paddock behind the hall was seen by several observers. Including Angela Gillon. When Angela checked there were also:

Redwing 10

Green Sandpiper 1

All the regulars still present (although one less Bass)

Mild, dry and overcast, the NE breeze switched to NW at lunchtime.

South shore - hight water 11:15 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent geese 17 - flew to Red Nab, but today had been on the north shore first. Flew towards Potts Corner towards high water.

Shelduck 100

Wigeon 200

Eider 1 - it has a crab here.

Rock Pipit 1 along the sea wall

Grey Seal 2

This male has just caught a Bass. 

But they are messy eaters and it soon attracted the gulls

When the Cormorants started turning up too the seal disappeared with its catch
Seals can swim for several minutes underwater and it clearly headed off somewhere more secluded 

Meanwhile a female was by No.2 outflows - females have a pale skin with dark blotches, while males have a dark skin with pale blotches , sometimes when the blotches are particularly dense it is not always possible to tell if it is the skin or the blotch that is dark. But no ambiguity with this female.

Female Grey Seal

On the saltmarsh:

Common Snipe 33

Jack Snipe 1

Reed Bunting 3

Greenfinch 10

Linnet 35

Jef Gorse visited the area this morning

Very impressive wall full of oystercatcher, 
and spot the curlew, on the heliport sea wall.

Kestrel hunting over Heysham Head clifftops.

Treecreeper (not common here) in the grounds of St Peter’s Church where a sparrowhawk also whizzed through at the feeding stations in the garden. Snowdrops emerging into flower in the churchyard too.

Curlew in the fields behind Knowlys Road.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

An evening check from the hill on the southern section 

Jackdaw 200+ but more dispersed today. Three medium sized flocks on the reserve plus still some nearer the village.

Stock Dove 15 seen going in to roost, but most were quite early and I could have missed some.

Glossy Ibis 1 seen lifting from its feeding ground at 16:30, then seemed to land again straight away. I waited a while longer but no more sign of it.

Just out of the recording area:

Ibis still going strong in the horse paddocks behind Middleton Parish Hall
Jeff Gorse

Outmanoeuvred by the Ibis.........again!

Overcast and reasonably mild. A light NE breeze.

South shore - high water 11:00 (MD)

Pale Bellied Brent geese 17 - these flew to Red Nab in a line directly from Walney, not from the north shore.

Pale-bellied Brent geese dropping down on to Red Nab having flown from the west side of the bay

Today's high water was 9.2m. This would normally flush the Brent from Red Nab, but the flat sea and very high atmospheric pressure meant that it didn't reach as high as it would do normally. The gutweed is now very short and there was no one around (I don't count), so the Brent took advantage to feed closer inshore at high water. This clip shows the ideal feeding conditions for them, the gutweed is short but floats when covered in water, making for easier grazing.

This clip shows just how short the gutweed is, and how close the Brent were to the sea wall.

Shelduck 60

Wigeon 200

The tide only just reached the saltmarsh edge.

Common Snipe 28 and 21 of those were flushed from the marsh grass that now runs more or less as far as Potts Corner.

Reed Bunting 1

Linnet 1 

Rock Pipit 1

Grey seal at least 1. One was seen some distance out, highlighted by a group of gulls waiting for it to surface. Then later, it or another (looks like a male) was feeding in No.1 outflow.

North shore

Alan Physick checked the north sea wall

Rock,Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 1

Peregrine Falcon 1

Howard did well and managed to read 11 colour ringed Knot. These are examples from three different schemes

Glossy Ibis - initially feeding just outside the recording area around the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. Shaun watched it till it flew off (also 13 Redwing feeding in the field). It was later tonight, almost 16:30 and quite dark. It took a line that would have taken it right over my (MD) head if I had been on the hill on Middleton Nature Reserve, and towards the harbour if it continued. But myself and Alan Physick were stationed in the Business Park on the other side of the road. If it doubled back at all it didn't get that far. Possibly it chooses different roosts in different weather conditions, it was definitely much milder this evening. The game is still afoot!

Jackdaws, Jack Snipe and Ibis

Again, very cold but not freezing overnight. A dry cloudy day and slightly warmer. A light north breeze.

Howard took this lovely shot of a Lapwing on the Near Naze, earlier in the week.

South Shore - high water 10:10 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 10 on Red Nab

Shelduck and Wigeon similar to yesterday.

No sign of the yellow ringed Cormorant on the wooden jetty, but this immature Shag was showing well on the first section of the Jetty.

A Grey Heron was also on the jetty.

Rock Pipit 2 (sea wall and lighthouse)

Imperial Rd (MD)

I went in the field to the west to see if I could locate the Ibis roost from the high ground next to the recycling centre this evening.

Jackdaws were constantly passing overhead to join the roost near Middleton Village (more on these later). No Stock Doves passed over so wherever the roosting birds are arriving from it isn't this direction.

Buzzard 1

Meadow Pipit 1

Jack Snipe 1 - flushed from the low lying waterlogged field.

Glossy Ibis 1 - 16:18 it had left the feeding area near the horse paddock and started off west, it did cross into the southern section of Middleton Nature Reserve before doubling back and flying into the Business Park. Unfortunately I could only glimpse it skimming over the trees, so couldn't see where it ended up (reinforcements tomorrow so we may do better)

Interestingly, it lifted all the Jackdaws from their roost. A Heron had flown a similar path a few minutes earlier without bothering the Jackdaws. 

There were over 300 Jackdaw, I took this clip by just roughly pointing the camera at them while I scanned the horizon to see if the Ibis would reemerge.

Roe Deer 2 female, the smaller one probably immature.

Just out of the recording area - Middleton Parish Hall (MD)

The Glossy Ibis was feeding in the field next to the horse paddock behind the hall this evening. The standing water is still frozen, but there is enough thawed around the edges for the Ibis to wash its worms. It was having no difficulty in catching them, it caught 4 in just over a minute. I've had to condense the first clip slightly to make the file small enough to upload. You can hear the Jackdaw roost already gathering.

How many does it eat in a day!

Plenty of interest today

Another cold, but not freezing night (1.8°C) followed by a dry and often sunny day, but the temperature remained cold (5.1°C peak mid afternoon).

South shore

I checked from Red Nab to the shore out from the saltmarsh at high water and early in the ebb (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 8 on Red Nab

Shelduck 120 out from Red Nab and the saltmarsh 

Wigeon 150 around Red Nab

This is a nice panoramic clip of Red Nab, it begins with some of the Shelduck and ends on some of the Brent

Although it hasn't dropped below freezing for the last two days it hasn't been warm enough to thaw what was frozen earlier in the week. This includes the mud out from the saltmarsh. Today's high water did thaw where it reached and the waders were taking advantage of the invertebrates that again became accessible as the tide ebbed.

This is the view looking out from the foreshore. The shiny mud at the water's edge is where today's tide
reached, the darker mud beyond is still frozen. You can see the waders feeding in the ribbon of thawed mud.

I was particularly careful today about not getting too close and spoking the waders. They had been through a cold night, but now there was some warmth in the sun and the tide had freed up breakfast. These are the same waders in the above shot, but this clip is from the east of them with the sun behind me.

StenaLine heading out

Totals of the waders I could see easily:

Curlew 60

Oystercatcher 25

Bar-Tailed Godwit 180

Lapwing 63 (also feeding on the ribbon of thawed mud)

Knot 1,000

Redshank 30

Turnstone 10

Dunlin 200

Ringed Plover 14

These are some of the Ringed Plover with Dunlin in the channel just beyond the saltmarsh 

This is looking back from the saltmarsh as I was leaving. All the waders were still feeding,
and the area of newly thawed mud much larger.

Reed Bunting 

Janet checked from Red Nab then along the sea wall.

Turnstone 

Little Egret having a bad hair day

Male Wigeon

Cormorant on the wooden jetty with a yellow ring.
Pete advises that it is a Sinensis or hybrid.
Unfortunately only 2 of the 3 characters showing - one to watch out for!

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I went down this evening to watch the birds heading to roost from the top of the hill on the southern section of the reserve.

Wood Pigeon 20+ came in to roost, most quite early on. They were preferring the conifers.

Six Wood Pigeon in the late afternoon sun

Stock Dove 23 at least. Some larger groups this evening , including one of five and one of ten.

10 Stock Doves plus Starlings

Jackdaw 280+ - there was a small roost of 32 on the reserve, but the large one was just to the east, at least 250 in this clip.

Glossy Ibis 1 - I had checked the horse paddock at Middleton before positioning myself on the hill. There was no sign of it then, but it must have been feeding somewhere close by, as its flight line was as previous. It was heading low along the line of Middleton Rd then turned and headed east, in a line that would take it to the Business Park to the east of the reserve.

Just out of the recording area. No Ibis seen in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall, but this Grey Wagtail was finding plenty to eat.