Upper shore now pretty much sterile

A dry day with plenty of sunshine, but a cold north wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

A morning walk on the shore on the ebbing tide. The upper shore hasn't been covered by the tide for three days now, and despite yesterday's rain it is pretty dry. There is no sign of the small molluscs the inshore waders have been feeding on (they will be deeper in the mud out of reach). Understandably, there were no waders near the shoreline.

Shelduck 97 - but again the acres of tiny snails earlier this week, are now reduced to the areas where the tide has still reached. Most were along this drain.

Shelduck now restricted to the diminishing areas still covered by the these neap tides

There were some waders along the waterline, I don't normally go out on the ebbing tide as the waders are likely to move on. And most did.

c350 Knot and 20 Bar-Tailed Godwit flew off before I could get near the waterline. All that remained were

Grey Plover 29

Knot 4

Dunlin 4

A few of the Grey Plover and the SeaTruck displaying a nasty scrape!

The receding tide was exposing a sandbar. Black Combe on the background 

Meadow Pipit 2 in off

Swallow 1 in off

Mediterranean gulls 5 - 3 along the beach plus 2 on Red Nab.

Mediterranean gull on right. Resting Bar-Tailed Godwit on left

On the saltmarsh 

Lapwing 46

Redshank 23

Little Egret 4

Little Egret and Redshank

Linnet 52

Kevin checked this afternoon 

Wheatear 3 (2 along foreshore and 1 at the lighthouse).

I had a walk along the sea wall this evening (Malcolm)

Rock Pipit 2 together near the lighthouse 

Eider 1 female

There was a large gathering of feeding gulls way out in the bay.

The only explanation I can think of would be a huge shoal of small fish (Whitebait or Sandeels) being attacked by larger fish (Bass and/or Garfish).

In the Nature Park:

Common Darter 1

Red Admiral 1

Small White 1

This young Carrion Crow was getting an etiquette lesson

Trying hard not to spook the gulls

Calm and dry till just after 09:00, then rain for most of the day. The NE wind was quite strong by early evening.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Pete:

Absolutely dead in the calm weather window pre 0900 

just four chiffchaff which have been around for a bit I think.  

Surrounded by cloud and rain blocking overhead movement  

South shore (Malcolm)

Same morning walk as yesterday, but today in the pouring rain!

Along foreshore all grounded

Meadow Pipit 6

Rock Pipit 1

Pied Wagtail 2

Wheatear 2

It was raining too hard to get a Wheatear shot today, this is one from yesterday 

Shelduck 25

Just a handful of small waders feeding close to the shoreline 

Dunlin 34

Ringed Plover 17

Mediterranean gull 19 including 1 second calendar year and 1 third calendar year - at least most were stood for most of the time today. Three had darvic rings, unfortunately although they were all together, it wasn't a tight group and also included other gulls. Approaching close enough to check the rings, was invariably too close for the outer birds causing them and others to move a little further south. By the time I'd managed to read all three, they were well past the faux castle. And after all that stalking, all three birds have been seen here previously this year. Still, good practice.

This well traveled bird was ringed in the Netherlands in 2019
More details can be found in the Annual Report, see side bar.
Or the Lancashire Bird report - see bottom of today's post

Same Med, this time with a Black-Headed Gull and Common gull

This is the 3rd calendar year - ringed as a nestling in France in 2022
Now looking adult

An evening walk along the sea wall - still raining! And by now the NE wind was surprisingly strong.

Wheatear 3 

Rock Pipit 5 (1 Red Nab, 2 + 1 along the sea wall and 1 at the lighthouse)

It was sheltered from the wind and rain on the sloping wall.
This Rock Pipit wasn't for moving

Kingfisher 1 flew past No.1 outfall

Grey Seal 1 near No.1 outfall

Grey Seal, closer to shore than typical 

A comprehensive account of the birds of Lancashire in 2023 - essential reading for local birders with plenty of Heysham input, especially ringing recoveries.  Please visit Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society website to obtain a copy 

https://lacfs.org.uk/

Yellow-Browed warbler and other goodies!

Generally overcast with the odd sunny spell. One heavy shower 08:30, other than that the odd light shower.

Middleton Nature Reserve

John was ringing, just a summary for now.

Yellow-Browed warbler 1 ringed

Yellow-Browed warbler

Other catches included an impressive for this time of year 11 Chiffchaff. 

Also Blackcap, new Cetti’s warbler and a single Grey Wagtail

Great White Egret 1 south from the direction of the main pond

South shore (Malcolm)

A mid morning walk along the foreshore then along the shoreline beyond the saltmarsh.

Wheatear 6 grounded

Rock Pipit 2 grounded

Meadow Pipit 45 - in off then SE

Skylark 5 individuals also in off then SE

Pied Wagtail 8 grounded 6 south

Linnet 41 feeding on samphire seeds on the saltmarsh 

Linnet

Swallow 3 south (plus 1 this evening)

Jackdaw 4 south

Raven 3 (2 + 1) south

Raven 

Two Raven and a pretend raptor

A real raptor lifted everything off the saltmarsh, a Marsh Harrier most likely a juvenile. Unfortunately it was quite distant with the light behind it, so no decent shots.

Pink-Footed goose 147 south in 4 skeins

Shelduck 26

Little Egret 4

Lapwing 37 lifted by the harrier

A walk south to the southern boundary of the recording area (the buildings around the faux castle) saw no small waders feeding in close, till I got to the castle. Just one small group 12 Dunlin and 10 Ringed Plover. I was just about to walk back when a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper flew in and joined them.

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, slightly darker than yesterday's pale bird

I do like it when a bird walks towards me.

Mediterranean gull 25 at least, including 1 2nd calendar year. They were mostly sat on the mud in two main groups, plus others scattered around.

2nd calendar year Med on right

The Med bottom left has a white darvic ring

Robin perched on the "What to see on the Salt Marsh" notice

I returned this evening hoping the light rain at that time would mean any Meds would be standing rather than sitting, and indeed it was. Shame there was only one and not ringed!

There were a lot of waders on the waterline and these neap tides only come in slowly and was unlikely to move them on.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 30

Oystercatcher 15

Grey Plover 80

Knot 300

Dunlin 500

And that was just the group directly in front of me, many more, still within the recording area were a little further south.

Knot, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher 

Some of the Grey Plover still largely in summer plumage

Only a few of the Knot still had any red from summer plumage.
The second from bottom Knot here has an orange flag. Too far to read yet,
but the tide was pushing it towards me. I only had to stand still and wait.

Then a Grey Heron flew north above the waterline and lifted everything!

Knot and Dunlin heading off

Suddenly I was alone on a deserted beach! So I walked back to check any inshore feeding birds. Just one small group of Dunlin and Ringed Plover, possibly the same group seen this morning. No Curlew Sandpiper with them now, but second prize wasn't bad.

Sanderling 2 juveniles 

The speed they move makes this clip look like a Charlie Chaplin film!

Curlew Sandpipers

Mainly overcast with sunny spells, showers started mid afternoon and consolidated by evening. A very light east wind early on freshened as it swung to the west.

South shore (Malcolm)

I only had time for one short walk out from the saltmarsh this morning, but it turned out to be time well spent.

Chiffchaff 2 in Nature Park 

Kestrel 1 patrolling the foreshore 

Shelduck 63

These tiny snails are what the Shelduck are feeding on

You can see the footprints of the duck and the marks left by its
scything bill as it cleared a swathe through the snail population.

Wheatear 8 

Rock Pipit 1

There were small waders feeding on the mud, close inshore on the opposite side to the slipway.

Dunlin 200

Ringed Plover 28

Curlew Sandpiper 2 juvenile - at first there was only one about

A nice comparison shot of a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper (left) with a Dunnock 

Curlew Sandpiper in classic juvenile plumage 

Then it was joined by a much paler bird.

Also a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, after quite an early moult.
Thanks to Ian Hartley for confirming this

There were a number of Harlequin Ladybirds emerging along the fence to Ocean Edge.

Harlequin Ladybirds - even more variable than juvenile Curlew Sandpipers

Easy Meds

Heavy overnight rain didn't really stop till lunchtime, after that overcast. A light NE breeze.

South shore (Malcolm)

The rain didn't stop till lunchtime, but it eased for a while mid morning. So I checked what was grounded on the foreshore.

There were extra Robins in the Nature Park plus 2 along the foreshore 

Wet Robin

Rock Pipit 10 - one group of at least 6, a single bird, plus another group of 3. These are 5 of the 6.

Wheatear 4 together

Rock Pipit and a Wheatear

Linnet 5

Goldfinch 6

2 more Wheatear on Heliport

95 Cormorant on the wooden jetty - Pete

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

I just checked the main pond on my way home before lunch. At that time there were no Tufted Duck, but five Gadwall (four males).

I returned mid afternoon when the rain had stopped, this time there were no Gadwall but 

6 Tufted Duck.

12 Mallard

Mute pair plus 1 cygnet 

14 Coot

3 Moorhen 

1 Grey Heron

1 Water Rail squealing

1 Common Snipe 

The water level on the "no swimming" pond is still 2m above normal

The only warblers seen or heard were 3 Cetti's 

Jackdaw 31 milling around 

Migrant Hawker 2

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

What was going to be a quick check on the way home turned out to be an interesting, albeit smelly, session. The farmer had sprayed "slurry" on the field just to the east of the road and it had attracted hundreds of gulls, mainly Black-Headed, but at least

7 Mediterranean gulls - 5 adult (probably more they were very mobile), 1 x 2nd calendar year and 1 x 1st calendar year. Unfortunately viewing was a bit awkward as the hedge has grown high in many places and peeping over the top invariably spooked them - inevitable with so many eyes on lookout.

This is just a small proportion of the gulls, and many were initially in 
the "browner' strip just beyond the hedge.

Three adults and a 2nd calendar year (middle) Mediterranean gull.
The adult on the left has a red ring, 

It was impossible to see rings when they were stood in the grass

Mediterranean gull in first winter plumage

The farmer was still spreading slurry, this is another batch of gulls further east.

Jackdaw 130+ also feeding on the brown field just beyond the hedge, this is just a fraction on them.

Buzzard 1 flying around the copse on the west side.

Kestrel 1 female/immature 

Male Kingfisher today

A NE breeze. Overcast for most of the day with the odd light shower.

South shore (Malcolm).

A walk along the sea wall late morning as the tide was rising.

Shelduck 135 - they were feeding on the mud, then groups would fly to the freshwater runoff at Red Nab for a drink.

Shelduck taking a drink

Wheatear 1 

Rock Pipit 1 (at lighthouse)

Meadow Pipit 2 in off

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 - it was feeding on the beach next to the wooden jetty. It catches a worm towards the end of this clip.

Kingfisher 1 - it was behind No.1 outfall checking out the rock pools.

This is where it was feeding. It has probably already caught anything worth
catching from this pool, but the tide is about to reach it and restock 

No red on the bill, making this one a male.
So at least two Kingfishers feeding around this area

Just after lunch, I checked the shore out from the saltmarsh as it was being covered.

The recent easterlies have left a layer of soft mud in many areas, a lot of small waders were feeding on it, high up the beach.

Dunlin 450 

Ringed Plover 23 

The rippled mud in the foreground is normal here. The smooth mud where
the waders are feeding has been deposited in recent tides, and obviously suits
the waders better.

It isn't obvious what they are finding, probably small molluscs.

Fortunately, it did seem to be easy pickings for this handicapped Dunlin.

Grey Plover 8 resting on the mud.

Grey Plover

Redshank 37 closer to the saltmarsh 

Mediterranean gull 7

Three Meds and a Black-Headed gull (centre)

Cetti's warbler 1 singing just south of the caravan park

Linnet 33 on saltmarsh 

There was a flock of approximately 30 Goldfinch feeding in the fir tree by the fish pond on the dog walk path. Also a Coal Tit calling nearby - Angela Gillon