A few more hints of spring

A dry and often sunny day. A very light, occasionally breathless, southerly breeze.

South shore (JP, MD)

I checked the shore out from Ocean Edge and Janet had a walk along the sea wall.

Skylark 2 north - both quite close to the eastern shoreline, one as I walked out towards the waterline and another on the way back. Presumably more in between.

Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh 

Pink-Footed goose 73 NW

Shelduck 74 feeding on the mud

Waders:

I started off doing a precise count, then this lot, mainly Godwits, landed.

I was just going to do a recount when a Peregrine lifted everything except the Oystercatchers and Curlew.

So I had to settle for estimates 

Oystercatcher 100

Curlew 40

Bar-Tailed Godwit 500

Knot 200

Dunlin 50

Grey Plover 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Knot and a Grey Plover

Pale-bellied Brent goose 30 flew from Red Nab to the south

The Brent geese fed for as long as possible on Red Nab rocks today 

Some of the Black-Headed gulls are well towards breeding plumage

Cormorants on the wooden jetty, Shag not seen today

Rock Pipit sat above the nest site near the lighthouse 

On the north side:

Mistle Thrush one singing in the trees at St Peter's church yard - ref Angela Gillon

31 Pale-bellied Brent

132 eider,

6 Red-breasted Merganser

3 Great Crested Grebe 

1515hrs from Knowlys - ref Pete(M)

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a passing check of the two main ponds

Mute 2 adult back on the main pond and 7 immature keeping their distance 

Mallard 10

Gadwall 5

Teal 3

Coot 6 

Moorhen 2

Little Grebe 1 - now moving to summer plumage.

Shortly after the above clip,p it caught a relatively large fish. It flew to the cover of the reeds before attempting to swallow it.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Buzzard 1 - at this time (mid afternoon) there was almost no air movement. The pale morphed bird was just soaring and calling.

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming

Redwing 1

Redwing

Jackdaw 39 and Magpie 17 feeding in the field to the east of the road.

Teal 5

Moorhen 1

Roe Deer 1 

Fox (Vixen) 1. I know that at least one of the regular post readers, calls in to Imperial Rd when passing and sees most of the wildlife, but foxes keep evading. It's the right place, you just have to be lucky enough to be there at the right time.

Young Shag showing well, but not giving up its identity (just yet).

A dry and sunny day with a light west to SW wind.

South Shore (MD, JP)

I had a walk along the sea wall first on the rising tide (Malcolm). Janet was just starting as I was getting back.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 37 - this flock of 31 arrived first from the north side, followed a little later by 6 more.

Brent, Wigeon and Oystercatcher on Red Nab

Some of the Brent just before they flew off to the south

Wigeon 200

Even the Wigeon are arguing over grazing rights

Redshank 230+ were trying to fit on the wooden jetty planking (move along at the back please).

The Redshank weren't the only ones struggling to get onto the jetty. It looks like an earlier bird had pinched this Cormorant's "place".

There were several Cormorants feeding around No.2 outflow

Quite an impressive leap, but not up to Shag standards

Shag 1 first winter was showing very well in the harbour, it was swimming around the platforms when I checked.

1st winter Shag

It was close to the harbour wall, my initial thought was that it was indifferent to me. But it wasn't indifferent, it knew I was there and kept an eye on me, but just didn't care!

Later, when Janet checked it was on one of the platform's struts. Unfortunately, with its ringed right leg kept firmly out of sight.

Rock,Pipits 4 - one each Red Nab and lighthouse, two near the waterfall 

This Little Egret on Red Nab with the light behind it makes an interesting shot

On the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 2

Goldfinch 3

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Both the Glossy Ibis and Green Sandpiper seen today

Gutweed still in short supply

A few morning showers, then dry but overcast. A light SW wind

South shore (MD)

A check towards high water

Pale-bellied Brent goose 26 on Red Nab, but they left towards the south quite early in the tide. These are some of them, not long before they flew off. You can see how close cropped the gutweed is here, and tempers were becoming frayed.

Wigeon 140

Rock Pipit 2 - one on foreshore and a displaying male on Red Nab.

Imperial Rd (MD)

Buzzard 2

Common Buzzard

This is it taking to the air, you can just hear a contact call above the Greenfinch chattering (the bird ziping past early in the clip is a Wood Pigeon)

Stock Dove 4 to the NW

Greylag Goose 29 feeding next to the road in the field to the east.

Pink-Footed goose two skeins - 24 south 58 north

Some of the northbound Pinkfoot flying over the pylons - it is glamorous here!

Heysham skear (MD)

A few more birds on the sea this evening.

Eider 36

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Great Crested Grebe 1

Pale-bellied Brent goose 10 rested in the SE skear corner a while, probably some of this morning's birds. Resting is all they can do here, there is absolutely no food for them. After a while they moved to the outer rocks from the promenade. You can see some green in this area where there is still some gutweed on the rocks. Not lush but at least there isn't 300+ Wigeon to share it with on this side.

Hopefully the longer and, possibly warmer, days ahead will allow the gutweed to grow faster than it is being eaten.

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

The Glossy Ibis was absent at 11:00 but seen at 12:00. Always worth waiting for if you want to see it.

A day of two halves

It rained all morning with a SE wind. Then after lunch the wind shifted to the SW, the clouds cleared and the sun shone.

South shore 

I managed a wet walk along the sea wall in the morning around high water. Then another, more pleasant, walk in the afternoon sun (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 20 at least feeding on Red Nab at high water.

Wigeon 180

Eider 3 out from the harbour mouth in the afternoon 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 5 on waterline next to wooden jetty (afternoon)

Redshank 250 - this group was trying to rest along the sloping wall. It is only a quarter of what there had been, plus there was another group on Red Nab.

Shag 2 - in the morning there was just the one in the harbour, the one we have been calling a subadult.

But today it revealed the beginning of a tuft which is part of adult breeding plumage.
Subadult no more

The tuft was helped by the wind behind it, although it still remained upright when it faced the wind. Sorry about the shaky nature of this clip, but the wind was quite strong at this point.

In the afternoon it was joined by the metal ringed first winter bird.

It rested a while on the furthest platform. Unfortunately, my camera and/or me wasn't
good enough to pick out the characters. Particularly frustrating as the section of the
 ring showing would include the vital missing two characters! 

In this clip it has a good look around without bothering to move anything but its neck.

It then flew down and joined the adult feeding by the waterfall.

Adult and 1st winter Shag plus a Cormorant 

Rock Pipit 5 at least - 2 along foreshore, 1 Red Nab, 1 sea wall and at least 1 lighthouse 

Weasel 1 near foreshore slipway

Nature Park 

Goldcrest 1 at least in the afternoon sun

Goldcrest

Shag puts on a show

The SW wind became quite strong in the afternoon. Largely dry with some afternoon showers.

South shore

I had a walk along the sea wall twice (Malcolm). Once in the morning at high water and again in the afternoon when the wind was strong, and the tide was out. Nothing of note blown in by the wind but it wasn't strong for long.

Wigeon 150

Shelduck 7 south (2, 3 and 2)

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male in the harbour in the afternoon.

Shag 1 first winter feeding close to the sea wall between Red Nab and No.2 outflow in the morning.

First winter Shag

We don't often get Shag feeding to the south of the Harbour and there were loads of Cormorant around too, but the Shag's distinctive leaping dive easily identified it, even at distance. It didn't stay on the surface long, so this clip is a compilation of six dives. It was catching fish, at the beginning of the last of these dives you can see it swallowing one, unfortunately with its back turned.

Its dives take it clear of the water, revealing a metal ring on the right leg. Likely, but not necessarily, the same bird that Janet photographed (see yesterday's post). 

Previous occasions when young Shag have been seen feeding here was shortly after their arrival into the area, they then tend to switch to feeding around the harbour and at the north side. But if this is the same bird photographed by Janet it has been around a while. Either way it did catch at least one fish, so perhaps a chance of a repeat performance.

Rock Pipit 3 - one along the sea wall and two near the lighthouse.

Redshank 200

Peregrine Falcon 1

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis in field next to horse paddock this afternoon - from Katie who overlooks the site.  

Also three Meadow Pipit there yesterday.........things starting to slowly move

Ringed Shag traced to ringing location and approximate date.

A dry but mainly overcast day after overnight rain. A light west wind.

This from Pete (M)

Common Scoter 1 female off sunny slopes Heysham (and drake off Morecambe town hall area)

Only 36 Eider in recording area (569 Eider in total most north of Sandylands old outfall)

Heysham skear - low water 14:20 (MD)

Eider 5

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 36 (probably more as most were feeding just to the north and many could have been hidden by the sand bars)

Redshank 100

Knot 600 - they all headed off to the north as the tide began covering the skear. This is the largest flock setting off.

Turnstone 80

Ringed Plover 5

Dunlin 3

Imperial Rd (MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult

Mallard 4

Teal 3

This male Mallard has seen me and is sounding the alarm, albeit a quiet one, you can't hear him over the bypass traffic. A male Teal behind seeks cover, a female Mallard is also visible, but only flinches.

Redwing 1

Kestrel 2 gained height together were lost from sight.

Buzzard 2 perched close together in a tree.

Light and dark morph Common Buzzard

The pale bird took flight first followed by the darker bird, you can just about hear their contact calls

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

The Glossy Ibis was feeding in the paddock at 16:25. This clip shows it to be still losing feathers, and it seems to be on smaller morsels today, possibly grubs.

The Green Sandpiper was seen earlier with the Ibis.

This is the picture of the ring on a juvenile Shag in Heysham Harbour taken by Janet on 9th February. Unfortunately just the last two digits were out of sight. But thanks to Pete and Richard, in contact with various scheme managers, we now know where and when(ish) it was ringed. Thanks to all concerned for their efforts and perseverance.

Juvenile Shag ringed during May 2023

as a nestling at Bardsey island, Gwynedd, Wales

More Siskins

A dry and largely sunny day with a light west wind.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 33  including the two colour ringed birds off Knowsly Road play area, before being flushed and flying north - Barrie Cooper

The following from Janet:

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Cetti's Warbler singing at the main pond.

South Shore

A morning check - these Eider actually yesterday's birds, none seen today

Male Eider in Harbour mouth

Female Eider in Harbour mouth

Little Egret 

Rock Pipit on Red Nab

Nature Park

Siskin 6 at least feeding on the Alder near the white barrier

  Siskin

Robin singing its heart out

One of several toads in the pond

I didn't manage to get out till late afternoon today (Malcolm). No sign of the Siskin at that time.

Wigeon 380

Shag 1 on the wooden jetty 

Shag (middle) with Cormorants 

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

The Glossy Ibis was feeding happily at 16:50. 

The rain almost held off long enough!

A freshening SSE wind. The threatened heavy rain held off till 15:00.

Just my stuff today so far (Malcolm)

South shore 

I had been expecting rain this morning but I managed a walk along the sea wall and back without a spot of rain. The tide was out but still some things to see.

Wigeon c200

Eider 3 (pair in harbour mouth and one immature feeding at the seaward end of No.1 outflow.

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male near the wooden jetty.

Male Red-breasted Merganser

Bar-Tailed Godwit 9 feeding along the waterline between No.1 outflow and the wooden jetty. These are 5 of them coming in.

There is a small area of Honeycomb worm beds just out from the roundhead that always attracts waders. Here, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Turnstone.

Rock Pipit 5 (one each, Red Nab, sea wall and waterfall, 2 near lighthouse)

The rain was still holding off at 14:30 so I went out on the shore out from the saltmarsh to check out the waders. Unfortunately, just as I was approaching the waterline the heavens opened. Fortunately, I had got to the south of them so the wind and rain was to my back. Even so it wasn't really conducive to counting so I just estimated:

Curlew 100

Bar-Tailed Godwit 300

Oystercatcher 200

Knot 500

Dunlin 150

Nevertheless, I took a few clips, if only to show that in today's conditions the mud appears to be mud coloured (see post on 10th February)

This is the Manxman leaving the harbour just before 15:00, and before the rain began.
Even so it was already dark enough for its lights to be clearly visible 

Shelduck 9

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 21 - I counted 15 on the Red Nab rocks from some distance, there were almost certainly more, as David Kaye saw 21 on the north side earlier.

Not a lot to be seen, and not a lot of light to see it in!

The cloud was very low all day, the very fine rain in the morning was really just the clouds reaching the ground. A light SW wind.

Heysham skear - low water 10:20 (MD)

It was strange on the skear this morning, not just the lack of visibility, but also the lack of birds to be seen. The only birds seen on the water other than gulls and cormorants were

Eider 30+

A lot of waders were missing too. Plenty of Oystercatcher (2,000+) but only

Curlew 4

Knot 5 individual birds

Turnstone 12

Redshank 23

The mist like rain wasn't unpleasant to walk in but it immediately covered anything with a lens in a a film of water. There isn't much to see in this clip, mainly Oystercatcher, but it does give a flavour of how bleak it was on the skear this morning. The grey blobs on the horizon when I pan out are buildings on the promenade.

Occasionally the clouds lifted high enough to reveal the bottom of the Power Stations 

But most of the time they were obscured 

South shore

Kevin had a walk along the sea wall at low water. The only birds of note were:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 9 feeding on the beach next to the wooden jetty.

I had a look from Red Nab to the saltmarsh in the afternoon, towards high water. At least it was a bit "brighter" (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 32  - there were at least 3 already feeding on Red Nab when these 29 came in low from the north side.

Wigeon c200

Rock Pipit 2 together on saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 2 on saltmarsh 

Male Reed Bunting 

Imperial Rd (MD)

Buzzard 1 pale bird

Greylag goose 26 on the east side of the road.

Greylag Geese

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Both the Glossy Ibis and a Green Sandpiper were feeding in the field next to the paddock at 15:30.

This is the Green Sandpiper 

Fickle weather!

Yesterday the forecast was for light rain and it chucked it down! Today was forecast for heavy rain, but after a morning shower it was pretty much just very low cloud. A fresh SSW wind and very mild.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP, MD)

Janet saw this female Roe Deer on the southern section of the reserve

I checked the two main ponds (Malcolm)

Wildfowl as yesterday 

Cetti's warbler 2 singing from the western and eastern edges of the "no swimming" pond. I couldn't see them, this clip of Gadwall while one sings was the best I could do.

South shore (MD)

I managed the full walk with just a few spots of rain.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 14 - 2 arrived high from the north very early in the tide and had a drink, then rested on the mud waiting for the tide to come in.

It was 40 minutes later, as I was almost back when another 12 arrived low from the north side.

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 276 - many had taken to feeding on the very short gutweed high on the sloping sea wall. Whether it is down to the shortage of gutweed on Red Nab or if the morning rain had made it more appetising, isn't obvious.

Curlew 126 flew south in small groups, no more than normal, I just decided to count them today.

Shag 1 sub adult in the harbour

Shag, swimming across the inner harbour 

Rock Pipit 7 - one each on foreshore, Red Nab and sloping sea wall. Two each at the lighthouse and waterfall. This is one of the lighthouse birds, you can hear the second bird calling.

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

I called in this morning just as the shower was ending (Malcolm). The forecast suggested rain for much of the day so I thought I would get some clips while the going was good. As it turned out that was the last of the day's rain.

Glossy Ibis, still catching worms and still losing feathers.

A Little Egret was feeding in the pool. But not the stealthy technique used for catching fish. It was after frogs, probably expecting to find males awaiting the females, but in this clip at least it just finds something small, possibly an early (and now late!) newt.