Brent surprise and the small Hawker lingers

Plenty of sunshine after early showers. A light west wind.

Heysham Skear

Two checks today (Malcolm)

First as the tide covered the outer skear on the morning rising tide.

Eider, Mergansers and GC Grebes all present in similar numbers to of late.

No waders other than Oystercatcher seen till the tide covered the outer skear, then a flock of c2,000 Knot lifted and instead of moving inshore to rest or continue feeding they flew off to the NW.

A little later a single Sanderling landed on the middle skear to feed and a flock 9 flew past.

Solitary feeding Sanderling

Turnstone 1 also flew by at this point

A second "quick" check in the evening as the inner skear rocks were becoming exposed (turned out not to be as quick as planned)

Curlew 1

Oystercatcher 300

Knot 400 feeding.

Dunlin 8

Dunlin trust their camouflage, and for good reason, when they freeze they are very difficult to spot. I almost trod on this pair.

I managed to skirt around them without them moving

A little later they were surrounded by Knot. You can just make one out in this clip.

I was just starting to head back, when the unmistakable honk of Brent geese was behind me. Turned out that they were:

Dark-bellied Brent geese a flock of 32 (Pete advises that this is the largest flock ever recorded in Lancashire)

They landed on the sea, everything they need is here, freshwater running off to drink and bathe plus abundant gutweed. Whether their instincts guide them or one or more has been here before is impossible to know. The dominant goose at the end of this clip seems to be in charge.

Gutweed is now easy pickings here, although they didn't feed for long,
they seemed to have plenty of fat reserves already

So it was time for a rest and preen

Little Egret and Dark-bellied Brent geese

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet and Malcolm)

These shots from Janet

First Bee Orchid of the year

Burnet Companion

First Small Heath of the year

Janet spotted a "small hawker" halfway up the hill on the west side. I'd been on the reserve for 90 minutes looking for the hawker without success so I made my way there (Malcolm). 30m west of the bridge to the road the ringers use a small stubby hawker flew past me to the west. So, again decent but extremely brief and mobile views combined with long range impressions suggest the identity as Hairy Dragonfly, but some photo evidence is really needed.  This is a potentially significant record, and the required rigour to verify it must be maintained, shame the weather isn't looking good!

This is the area along the central path that I had my "Brief Encounter" (Malcolm)

I did manage some dragonflies

Two of 10+ Broad-bodied Chasers

One of three Black-Tailed Skimmers

Four-Spotted Chaser 10+

Another Osprey.......and another likely Hairy Hawker

A light SE wind till mid afternoon, when it switched to the west. Mainly overcast with the odd shower.

Heysham Head - Josh Hedley

Osprey - 1 east at 09:55

Canada Goose- 4 north at 09:15

Rock Pipit- 1 display flight

Linnet- 9 (one juvenile bird)

Heysham skear - low water 08:30 (Malcolm)

Canada geese 7 came in off the sea from the west at 10:00 and continued north close inshore (additional to Josh's 4)

Eider 72

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Great Crested Grebe 3

Little Egret 5 minimum (5 on both south and north side, but they could have moved across when the tide started making)

Slightly ruffled Little Egret

Oystercatcher 400

Whimbrel 1

Knot 450 - just 2 on the middle skear, but 250 flushed from outer skear by tide and another flock of 200 came in and immediately began feeding.

In contrast, the group that had been feeding on the outer skear just
rested. These are just a few of them

Sanderling 12 - they were feeding together along the water's edge. I positioned myself further inshore and the rising tide brought them right up to me. They were clearly searching for Shrimps, not catching many but they must have been finding enough to make it worthwhile.

They are perfectly camouflaged in this terrain - they disappear when they freeze.

Sanderling

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Kevin and Alison had good close views of a small Hawker patrolling along the central path. It clearly had a green thorax and a mainly dark abdomen with some green. Again, the only logical species is a Hairy Hawker, but a different one to yesterday which had a blue and black abdomen. 

Interesting early Hawker

A warmer day with a freshening SE breeze. Sunny spells all day.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

I escorted a lunchtime field trip (Malcolm). 14:15 - On the return along the dog walk path c100m from the main reserve a Hawker dragonfly was also making its way north, green thorax with blue and black markings along the abdomen. Its small size suggested a Migrant Hawker, but far too early for them. Indeed early for any of the regular hawkers here. Pete advised that the only realistic possibility is a Hairy Hawker which would be only the fourth Lancashire record.

I eventually lost it in the scrub near the road, the nearest pond would be the dipping pond. A return with the help of Jean scoured the likely areas but failed to relocate.

It was the only dragonfly seen today, but there were lots of Damselflies. These are Azure Blue and Large Red ovipositoring (the Chiffchaff wasn't exactly sat on my shoulder, but it wasn't far away).

Large Red Damselfly

Common Blue Butterfly

Other butterflies:

Orange Tip

Small White

Large White

Green-veined White

Speckled Wood

Burnet companion moth 

Not really any birds of note, but an obliging Peregrine Falcon circling the Power Stations provided entertainment and good binocular practice.

North shore (Malcolm)

Just a quick check as the ebbing tide began exposing the inner skear.

Little Egret 13 - this one using an unusual stalking method for this terrain, but it appeared to work (note the quick check behind, to ensure there was no competition, before grabbing its target).

Eider 5

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Female Red-breasted Mergansers with a Herring gull

Oystercatcher 400

Knot 400

Sanderling 4

Things were different today. The waders were finding small invertebrates (almost certainly tiny shrimps) in the shallow water and wet mud. This is the feeding technique I expect here at this time of year, but haven't been seeing up to now. This clip begins on the four Sanderling then pans across some of the Knot.

As the tide exposed more of the skear, the Knot moved further out. But the Sanderling were happy to stay and feed, again, something that they haven't been doing of late.

There is no obvious metrological or tidal reasons for tiny shrimps to suddenly become available. Perhaps they have just been late developing this year. Hopefully, if they are here to stay, we might see higher numbers of Sanderlings feeding here.

Quite a productive short seawatch

Early morning showers were over by 08:00, after that dry but mainly overcast. A light west wind.

Seawatch report - Pete

Sea Heysham 1010-1110:  all heading out, perhaps entered bay during earlier murk: 

1 light morph Arctic Skua

1 adult kittiwake

1 subadult Gannet

2 Manx Shearwater

3 Common Scoter

4 Razorbill/guillemot 

flock of c35 Sanderling plus c20 Dunlin

South shore (Malcolm)

30 Knot out 10:00

Still lots of Lesser Black-backed, Herring, Common and Black-Headed gulls around the outflows, but fewer feeding today.

Gulls along No.2 outflow railing

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

I just went to see if the Mute's nest was still above water. I had nothing to fear, despite the heavy rain the water level remained the same, presumably most of the rain soaked into the soil.

High, dry and virtually impregnable 

Gadwall 1

Mallard 6

Coot 2

Little grebe 1

Swallow 2

Reed Bunting 2

Singing warblers: 

Cetti's warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler, Common Whitethroat, Sedge warbler, Reed warbler.

There are two Reed warblers in this reed bed along the western bank of the main pond. Meanwhile, a Sedge warbler is singing from the scrub behind it and a Chiffchaff behind me.

This Goldfinch was having a nice duet with a Blackbird.

North shore (Malcolm)

The exposing rocks of the inner skear, were almost deserted when I arrived this evening, just 150 Oystercatcher and 4 Knot. Eventually Oystercatcher numbers reached 450, but 4 Knot was all there were.

This Knot was having a drink and a bath, the water here will be quite brackish with all the groundwater draining out.

Sanderling 2 - interestingly, as the Sanderling approached, the four Knot flew up and joined them. They circled a couple of times before landing to the south. For the only time today the sun had come out and made seeing awkward.

Sanderling (left and right), four Knot and Oystercatchers

The Sanderling quickly moved on, but the Knot remained.

Little Egret 10

Eider 14

These Eider are not today's, but the pair that regularly feed out from the heliport
at high water - taken by Kevin Singleton yesterday 

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested Grebe 1

Better variety

A fresh NW wind. It did really well not to rain today, it threatened to all day. Surprisingly cold, the warmest point in the day was 12.5°C, and that was at midnight! 

South shore (Malcolm)

Just a walk along the sea wall mid morning on the rising tide.

There were lots of, mainly large, gulls feeding on both outflows. Clearly plenty of food was coming through, hopefully they will attract something different. This is No.1 outflow.

Osprey 1 - all the Power Station gulls lifted and looking up it was high above me. There was no obvious white showing as it was in silhouette and it wasn't immediately obvious that it was an Osprey.

Gull mobbing a very dark looking Osprey (the gull also looking dark)

Its white features becoming more obvious as it moved away

It was in no rush to move on and did a couple of circuits around the Power Stations before continuing north.

Linnet 3 between lighthouse and waterfall 

Rock Pipit 1 displaying between the outflows.

North shore (Malcolm)

Once again I checked the inner skear rocks as the ebbing tide was exposing them.

Sanderling 55 minimum. It was quite frantic today, the birds were very mobile and it wasn't easy avoiding duplication, 55 was the most I could account for any one time. And right from the start small groups were heading off into the NW wind. Within 30 minutes they had all moved on and most of the skear still to be exposed.

These are some coming in with a single Knot.

31 in this clip, and a Dunlin at the end.

One of the small groups regularly heading off to NW

Oystercatcher 500

Knot 1

Dunlin 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 21 heading NW

Some of the Bar-Tailed Godwit passing through 

Eider 45

Eider framed by the South Lakes

Little Egret 2

Shearwater-logged!

It rained all day, becoming heavier in the afternoon as the NW wind freshened.

Fortunately Pete managed a 30 minute check towards high water.

Manx Shearwater flock of 3 out

No Knot roosting on the heliport.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Just a quick evening check of the two main ponds, in what was probably the heaviest rain of the day!

Mute 2 nesting on the "no swimming" pond. Hopefully today's and the forecast rain to come will not raise the water level and swamp the nest again!

Nothing else on the "no swimming" pond.

Main pond

Coot 1 

Mallard 6 (1 female)

Gadwall 1 male

Gadwall (and rain)

Shelduck pair over to east

Reed Bunting 1 seen

The only birds singing were

Cetti's warbler 1

Blackbirds 2

This female Large White was along the foreshore yesterday 

This shot from Janet - also from yesterday. One of many Burnet
moth cocoons towards the eastern boundary of the recording area.

These shots are outside the area, but too nice not to share (I've been saving them for a rainy day - Malcolm)

I escorted a field trip to the stone jetty last Tuesday. This male Holly Blue came in off and landed on the finger of one of the group - pictures by Amber Woods.

Kittiwakes still coming through today, but probably the last we'll be seeing

A dry but largely overcast day. A light east breeze to begin with ended up,from north.

Seawatch report - Pete

Sea off Heysham a quiet mill pond this am but still a flock of 70 kittiwake in. Unprecedented passage of presumably high Arctic Kittiwake population has been the highlight this week, some 1.5 months after the usual peak passage of Kittiwake

2 Red-Throated Diver

c25 common scoter

300 plus 700 Knot heading north

Grey Seal 1

Last day of lengthy seabird monitoring.  

South shore (Malcolm)

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

Pink-Footed goose 3 initially on the mud out from the saltmarsh 

Pink-footed Geese with Lesser Black-Backed gulls and the only waders on the south side - Oystercatchers.

The tide caught the geese up and they drifted in with it.

Shelduck 2

Shelduck on the saltmarsh 

Eider 15 north

Most of a flock of 15 Eider

Carrion Crow 8 - making a living beachcombing on an otherwise deserted shore.

Common Whitethroat 4 singing males between the old Pontins and the copse behind Red Nab 

The previously vocal Cetti's warbler not heard today.

Wheatear 1 on the saltmarsh 

Peregrine Falcon 1 flew over the deserted Red Nab

North Shore (Malcolm)

Just a quick check on the ebbing tide as the inner skear became exposed.

Eider 13

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested Grebe 1

Little Egret 2

Knot c700

Knot

Turnstone 2. These are clips of them feeding and hinting at why more small waders have not lingered to feed (e.g. Sanderling). Some years at this time there are lots of brown shrimps at just the right size for small waders to feast on. But these two are working hard for meagre return.

This is a summer plumage bird.

This one still largely in winter plumage.

Pouring down and no car tomorrow!

A bit quieter today

A mainly SE wind, moving to NW for a while in the afternoon. Dry with sunny spells in the morning.

Seawatch reort - Pete

Quiet on the sea from north wall with c55 Common Scoter in 6 flocks and two sandwich tern.  A quick check from Ocean edge however saw 21 plus 14 Kittiwake floating in with the first group taking flight and climbing high.

Another c60 small gulls on sea very distant from Ocean edge with a few lifting up and dropping definitely kittiwake (Distant Kittiwake flocks on the sea: past history suggests not to assume they are all Kitts - they have a habit of temporarily reining in eg wandering 2cy Common gulls of which there are plenty in the Heysham area)

South shore (Janet and Malcolm)

Very little along the sea wall, but just for a bit of continuity, this clip of a 2nd calendar year Common Gull feeding on the outflows.

Little Egret 3on Red Nab

The only waders on Red Nab were 60 Oystercatcher 

Lighthouse Rock Pipit still standing guard

Nice shots of a partially blue variant of a female Common Blue butterfly. 
In the Nature Park.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

These shots from Janet are from yesterday.

Worn Peacock butterfly 

Four-spotted Chasers enjoying.......the sunshine 

I checked early evening today (Malcolm). It was cloudy but still quite warm, but no dragonflies seen. Lots of Damselflies.

Warblers heard/seen

Cetti's warblers 7 at least singing, including 2 from the south side of the road.

Also: Sedge, Reed, Willow, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat.

Just a short clip of a Reed Warbler.

Swallow 3 and House Martin 2 stopped off briefly at the main pond for a drink before continuing north.

Flag Iris are looking splendid 

The Alder Leaf beetles are feasting on the Alder again.
This female is heavily swollen (gravid) with eggs.

Alder Leaf beetles

The sea still providing

A hot sunny day, the breeze again light from SE till mid morning then freshened slightly as it shifted to NW.

Summary of today's seawatching by various observers from Stone jetty and Heysham - Pete

Arctic skua - dark morph in SJ at 0629, dm and lm dropped from height then landed on sea drifting in off Heysham at 0645.  Typical behaviour before heading up and overland so not surprised not seen at SJ

Kittiwake - 121 in at SJ just one flock of 37 flying out at Heysham - SJ birds clearly on sea to north of Heysham before watch started 

Arctic Tern - latish flock of 14 past SJ - not seen Heysham - presumably through before watch started 

Red throated Diver - 3 in, one floating in Heysham

Gannet - about 12 in total

Sandwich Tern - just two seen at both locations 

Guillemot - three floating in, one in, one out

Common Scoter - c70 in three gangs off Heysham - none reached SJ

Goosander - male in Heysham

South shore (Malcolm).

Just a walk along the sea wall and foreshore 

Shelduck 4 - two were resting on the sea near the saltmarsh till the male of another pair saw them off.

The dominant Sheldrake left and duck right 

Little Egret 1

Little Egret flying east (to nest?) with a decent sized fish

Four wader species on Red Nab

Oystercatcher 7

Turnstone 11

Dunlin 1

Ringed Plover 1

Solitary Ringed Plover

Three Linnet, and slightly unusual, at this time of year, a Reed Bunting on saltmarsh.

Reed Bunting, unfortunately with the light behind it.

Heysham skear - low water 16:30 (Malcolm)

Just a quick circuit a couple of hour before low water.

Eider 83

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Great Crested Grebe 1

Oystercatcher 400

Curlew 1

Knot 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3

So seven wader species today, but four of them with only a single representative.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Willow Warbler

Male Blackcap

Chiffchaff 

Four-spotted Chaser