Three more to the tally!

A light east wind. Mainly overcast with some heavy showers 

South shore (Malcolm)

A heavy shower eased at 08:30, so I went to see if there was anything grounded along the foreshore.

Chiffchaff 3 in the Nature Park, the Yellow-Browed warbler not seen or heard 

Pink-Footed goose 57 north

Shelduck 47

Wheatear 1 

Wheatear, the Wren bottom right wasn't happy. There are at least three 
Wrens defending territory along the foreshore 

Rock Pit 2

Meadow Pipit 3 grounded plus 13 in/off

Meadow Pipit

Raven 1 in/off then east

Raven

Middleton Nature Reserve northern section (Malcolm)

I checked the east side till another heavy shower sent me home for lunch. I returned after lunch to check the west side.

Mute Swan - the pair with the cygnet were on the main pond, another young looking adult was again sitting on the nest used by the breeding pair.

Broody looking Swan plus a male Gadwall and a Coot

Tufted Duck 6 (4 males)

Gadwall 3 males

Water Rail 2

Cetti's warbler 5 singing

Chiffchaff 8 - 1 singing, 2 calling and the rest just seen

Yellow-Browed warbler 3

Not as professional as Shaun's map yesterday, but it will do. 1 and 2 seen before lunch, 3 after lunch.

The first two were calling nicely, but as always continually flitting. I tried to get a clip, but you can only see glimpses of the warbler in it, but it picked up its call well. The clip ends on a Migrant Hawker waiting for it to warm up a little. This is the first bird, between the main pond (right) and the "no swimming" pond.

The third bird was in the willow trees just beyond the gate to the ringing road. It called a few times, but nowhere near as often as the first two. All three were at locations not checked yesterday.

Sparrowhawk 1

There was only the one resting Migrant Hawker in the morning, but in the afternoon the sun tried to get out and things warmed a bit.

Migrant Hawker 3

Common Darter 4

Small White 1

Red Admiral 1

Yellow-Brow bonanza!

The light SE wind continues. Dry and sunny.

Yellow-Browed Warbler 7 probably 8

Shaun checked the areas where he hadn't seen one yesterday and managed to locate another four!

The point reference relates to the map below

1. (point A) Heysham Head - near the turret (Bracken Field). Then flew to Rectory wood with two Chiffchaffs.

2. (point E) Nature Park - near the small anemometer. This one was calling. At least 4 other birders managed to twitch this one.

3. (point F) Middleton Nature Reserve southern part - Along western track that runs alongside Middleton Industrial Estate. Seen and calling, with a Chiffchaff.

4. (point H) Showing well along the footpath from Carr Lane to Ocean Edge Caravan Park. 

Three more on Heysham Nature Reserve 

5. (point D) One called twice in the tank farm - Jean

6. (point B) One calling by the dipping pond - Kevin Eaves

7. (point C) At 14:30 Jean caught this one below the old Observation tower

A bird in the hand

8. One called from the fire pond at Heysham NR 17:45. The net had just been taken down! Probably different to the earlier one as that flew off due north from the office

Despite all the sightings they are terribly difficult to get a decent shot of, as they flit in the still quite densely foliaged bushes. This shot from Kevin of the small anemometer bird, is slightly out of focus, but much more typical of the glimpses that you get.

A bird in the bush - fortunately Yellow-Browed warblers are very distinctive

Shaun put together this map of all today's locations. And the link below to provide precise locations 

Map showing today's locations except Heysham Head.
The link below takes you to the complete map

https://gridreferencefinder.com/?gr=SD4099761505%7CPoint_s_A%7C1,SD4077259967%7CPoint_s_B%7C1,SD4050859886%7CPoint_s_C%7C1,SD4054959886%7CPoint_s_D%7C1,SD4071659171%7CPoint_s_E%7C1,SD4187558652%7CPoint_s_F%7C1,SD4140458494%7CPoint_s_H%7C1&v=r&labels=1

South shore

I had a walk along the sea wall at lunchtime (Malcolm)

The Yellow-Browed warbler near the small anemometer was still calling

Mediterranean gull 2 on Red Nab

Wigeon 19 on Red Nab

Kingfisher 1 flitting around Red Nab as the tide was approaching (no foliage to hide behind here!)

Robin in a cocky pose

Grey Heron on No.2 outfall railings 

Some of the 97 Redshank near No.1 outfall

Meadow Pipit 3 in off

There was just a single Wheatear on the foreshore. I walked as far as the waterfall and the only passerines near the lighthouse were a flock of 35 Linnet that flew east (don't know where they came from)

But when Kevin Eaves checked the same area later in the afternoon there was another Wheatear near the lighthouse. Plus three very active Chiffchaffs in the scrub near the waterfall and then they were joined by two more.

Three Yellow-Brows HNR! Plus more?

The forecast rain just managed to hold off, with just a few very light showers, particularly in the afternoon. A light SE wind

Heysham Nature Reserve

Shaun Coyle, later joined by Pete Crooks and Alan Physick did a thorough check this morning resulting in a very impressive.....

Yellow-Browed Warbler 3 - one along the tank farm fence line and two at the dipping pond.

Chiffchaff 6

Goldcrest 2

Feeding flock of Long-Tailed Tits.

Heysham Head (Shaun)

Chiffchaff 5

Blackcap 1

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Shaun checked this afternoon while there were some light showers

Swallow 2

Chiffchaff 3

So 14 Chiffchaff for the day and with the 3 Cetti's (below) 4 species of warblers totalling 21 birds - not bad for October!

I just did a quick check this morning (Malcolm).

Mute Swan 3 - the male on the main pond the female and cygnet on the "no swimming" pond.

No Tufted Duck 

Mallard 9

Gadwall 1 male 

Male Gadwall

Teal 1 female flew off

Water Rail 2 squealing

Grey Wagtail 2 together south

Cetti's warbler 3 singing

Chiffchaff 1 singing (possibly one of Shaun's)

A mixed Tit flock, mainly Long-Tailed, but also Great and Blue Tits.

A Brown Rat, choosing to swim rather than scurry around the banking

A walk from Nature Park to saltmarsh saw/heard nothing of note in the Nature Park, and little else along the foreshore.

Wigeon 10 

Shelduck 53

Wheatear 1

Rock Pipit 1

Footnote: a report by an as yet unknown source on Rare Bird Alert - 3 Yellow-Browed warbler on Middleton Nature Reserve late afternoon.

Easy Meds.......again

A dry and sunny day with a light SE wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

A check from saltmarsh to Red Nab this morning on the rising tide.

Pink-Footed goose 57 south

Shelduck 83 feeding on the shore 

Wigeon 17 feeding on Red Nab.

The males' yellow forehead not yet developed 

These 14 were later joined by another 3. They are eating the gutweed growing on the rocks.

Mediterranean gull - just one adult located on Red Nab

Oystercatcher 300 - till c2,000 more arrived from the north side, presumably some disturbance at the Heliport roost.

Curlew 50

Turnstone 4

Redshank 25

Common Snipe 1 flushed from saltmarsh 

Lapwing 16

Kingfisher 1 on Red Nab

The tide was now reaching the middle of Red Nab, and that's where
the Kingfisher was fishing

Location shot, the Kingfisher is on the central rock

Linnet 70 on the saltmarsh, likely more along the marsh grass strip

Meadow Pipit 2 in off

In the Nature Park

Red Admiral 2

Small White 1

Comma 1

Common Darter 5

There is a fine crop of pine cones on the firs near the white barrier. These are
Goldfinch coming in to feed. I thought I heard a Siskin, but I couldn't see one.

North shore (Angela)

1 Swallow in off the sea at Heysham Head.

Sparrowhawk over the woods at Half Moon bay car park and Chiffchaff heard in same location.

Middleton Nature Reserve

Rosemary and Peter Silvester paid a visit. This from Peter:

On a chilly. windy but bright visit to Middleton Reserve today we saw a surprising number of Common Darters. 

Male Common Darter, happily perched on a swan's feather

One of the most surprising thing of our visit was the number of mating pairs of Darters we saw. At one time we had three pairs ovipositing virtually at our feet.

The gulls and other birds put on quite a display too.

Mainly Black-Headed gulls with Tufted Duck (more on this later)

I checked the main ponds early evening (Malcolm)

The water level on the "no swimming" pond is now back to normal. The Mute Swan pair and their cygnet were on this pond, the cygnet stood on their nest. 

No sign of the eggs that were in the nest before it was flooded.

Pink-Footed goose 45 south

Tufted Duck 5 (4 males)

Mallard 2

Coot 18

Moorhen 5 adult plus 2 well grown young

Common Snipe 1

Cetti's warbler 1 singing

Chiffchaff 2 calling

Grey Wagtail 1 south

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter just 3 by this time

No butterflies seen

Leafhopper. Thanks to Alison for this identification,
looking at the bright colour of it I think it's the Green Leafhopper - Cicadella viridis.

All the while I was there, there was a constant drift of gulls from east to west, reminiscent of the evenings when the gulls used to return after foraging at the landfill site. And, as Peter, I noticed more than usual freshening up at the main pond.

Not just Black-Headed gulls but at least 2 Meds

Adult Mediterranean gull centre

They bathed and drank a while then drifted off to the west, only to be replaced by more gulls from the east. Something was going on!

So I called in at Imperial road on my way home and sure enough the fields were full of gulls.

The farmer had clearly been treating the fields again. Not slurry this time,
there was no smell. It seemed to be decomposed vegetation 

The above shot is literally the small window I had to view them. This is looking through my car window and one of few gaps in the hedge. Even so in this small section of the gulls I located 12 Mediterranean gulls

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull (centre)

Three adult Meds in this shot.

I took this clip as I thought the Med that begins on the left had a white ring, but it turned out just to be a metal ring, you get a glimpse of the ring early in the clip. The discolouration in the shot above and this clip is due to out of focus foliage in the hedge between.

Unfortunately as soon as I left my car for a better look they all relocated! Although by walking slowly it was possible to approach them again. I didn't see more than 12 Meds at one time, but presumably there were others in the more distant fields. So absolute minimum would be 14 as the 2 seen earlier on Middleton Nature Reserve moved off west.

This clip is mainly Black-Headed gulls (just one adult Med). It shows the material that had been spread and the ease at which the gulls were finding plenty to eat amongst it.

A Common Buzzard was keeping an eye on proceedings 

Just out of the recording area:

Yellow-browed Warbler at Overton late am. Approx 250 m along the road to the Waste Water Treatment Works.

More Yellow-Brows

A light SE breeze, dry with plenty of sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Ringing was slow this morning and despite having the nets up at dawn, the first bird, a single Goldcrest,  only turned up at 0825. It wasn’t until 0930 that a small flock of Chiffchaffs appeared:  
Goldcrest 1
Chiffchaff 3
Reed Bunting 1
Great Tit 1
Blue Tit 1
Wren 1
Unfortunately I had to take the nets down at 1030 and as soon as I’d finished putting them away a Yellow-browed Warbler appeared. Typical! 

There was little vis up to 1030, mostly Pink-footed Geese. A total of 290 flew over, a flock of 40 north then four flocks south. Other visitors comprised 2 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 10 Redwing and 2 Swallows 

Going nowhere were 3 Cetti’s Warblers, a couple of Water Rails, 2 Robins, 3 Pheasants, a Coot and what sounded like a Gadwall. A Snipe was heard but I wasn’t sure if it was arriving or going.

A couple of phone shots from Janet this morning (arm still in cast so no camerawork for a while).

Male Migrant Hawker

Male Common Darter

Shaun checked likely warbler habitats early this morning and was rewarded with the target species.

Yellow-Browed Warbler 1 seen and calling occasionally, from the wooded area on Smithy Lane opposite Moon-Bay Wharf.

Chiffchaff 2 same area

Heysham Head:

3 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap (2 tit flocks on here).

 Heysham Nature Reserve : 

2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrest (large tit flock with at least 10 LTTits in it near the quarry) 

1 Chiffchaff at the Fire Water Pool.

South shore

I just had a short walk from Nature Park to the Saltmarsh late morning (Malcolm)

In the Nature Park.

Red Admiral 4

Small White 4

Painted Lady 1 - there have been very few this year

Painted Lady

Silver Y 3

Common Darter 4

A feeding Flock of Long-Tailed Tits with at least 1 Coal Tit, but no warblers seen or heard.

Pink Footed Goose two small skeins south 11 and 16, then later, probably the same 16 north (additional to Jean's birds)

Greylag Goose 1 south

Shelduck 170 feeding on the mud

Wigeon 7 on Red Nab

Mediterranean gull 3 adults on the shore

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Wheatear

Linnet c80 - one large flock feeding on the saltmarsh, smaller feeding groups all along the marsh grass finger that runs along the east shore.

Merlin 1 female/immature flew south along the finger of marsh grass, presumably after the Linnet. Possibly it is what made yesterday's waders so skittish.

Lapwing 46 - before the Merlin zipped past I had counted 9 but the small raptor managed to lift everything off the saltmarsh allowing an accurate count.

Lapwing top and Linnet below, both coming back down to land

The Lapwing landed on the shore. The tide is rising quickly at this point, this clip gives a flavour of the activity here.

Redshank 50

Grey Plover 6

Feeding flock of 31 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plover

Swallow 3 in/off together then SE

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the sea wall this evening 

Kingfisher 1

Peregrine Falcon 1

Just out of the recording area

Yellow-browed Warbler Potts Corner 1130 (Stuart Piner)

Still plenty of Chiffchaff

A light NE breeze became fresher from the east in the afternoon. Dry with sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

This morning's ringing included 10 Chiffchaff 

North Shore

Wheatear 1 on Heliport, as was this Lapwing - Kevin Singleton

Red-Throated Diver 1 out distantly (in Cumbria) - Pete

South shore (Malcolm)

Two checks out from the saltmarsh, late morning on the rising tide and evening after the tide had ebbed.

Pink Footed goose 79 - 78 in a south bound skein at 12:00, plus 1 having a rest on the shore.

It wasn't injured, as later on I saw it fly off. It must have just flown as far as
it could and needed a rest. The wet mud looking blue, reflecting the sky.

Shelduck 94

Wigeon 30 - 5 small groups (7, 6, 8, 7 and 2) flew south from Red Nab as the tide covered it

Mediterranean gull 15 minimum - only 3 seen this morning but at least 15 this evening, including 2 x 2nd calendar year and 3 ringed birds. The 2 read have been seen here already this year.

Two of this morning's Meds with Dunlin

I didn't go to the waterline, but this morning there were at least:

Oystercatcher 400

Curlew 50

Knot 500

Bar-Tailed Godwit 15

Close to the shoreline 

Lapwing 6 on the saltmarsh 

Grey Plover 28 resting this morning, just one in the evening 

Grey Plover in the low evening light

Ringed Plover, none this morning but 35 feeding this evening 

Redshank 50

Dunlin c600 feeding this morning, but they were very flighty.

Dunlin coming in to feed, at the same spot they just took flight from!

Black-Tailed Godwit 6 - they came in/off and settled with the feeding birds.

Black-Tailed Godwit coming in to land 

But when the Dunlin took flight again they flew off to the north

Other movement, all in/off then either east or SE.

Meadow Pipit 22

Pied Wagtail 1

Swallow 3 together

Grounded

Wheatear 1

Linnet c80 - c40 each feeding on Ocean Edge grass and saltmarsh (both groups visible at the same time). These are some on the grass this evening 

In the Nature Park

Common Darter 3

Red Admiral 4

Comma 1

Speckled wood 1

This juvenile Sparrowhawk was on the tall anemometer this evening