Last minute Whoopers

Another sunny day with very light variable breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Male Small White - first this year

Comma

North shore 

I went down on the rising tide this morning (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent geese 10 (I saw 2, later David Kaye saw 8, not an overlap as this evening I saw both 2 and 8)

Eider 30

There were 2,000 Knot on the outer skear, they moved closer on to the mid skear when the tide moved them on. But before they were close enough to check for flags a Peregrine lifted everything and the Knot disappeared south. The Peregrine wasn't really bothered about hunting, it had probably already eaten. It was just cruising around and spooking the waders.

Peregrine Falcon and Oystercatcher 

Oystercatcher 2,500 - most ending up along the shore waterline

Curlew 10

Grey Plover 1

Grey Plover, also along the waterline

Turnstone 80

Redshank 70

I returned this evening as the skear was uncovering again.

Red-breasted Merganser 9 - there was some arguing and posing going on.

Great Crested Grebe 3

Great Crested Grebe in the pink light just before sunset

Knot, there were about 250 resting on the Skear amongst the rocks. Another 1,000 arrived, but were very skittish, largely as the RNLI hovercraft was on manoeuvres. Unfortunately making a racket and spooking the Knot.

RNLI hovercraft

Eventually, manoeuvres over, the Knot settled. A few flagged Knot were seen but the setting sun made for a very limited field of view.

Not much good for checking the birds, but really nice to see!

It was nearly dark by the time I got back to my car on Rydal Rd. The street lights were already on. Distant honking alerted me to get my camera out again, just in time to see 34 Whooper Swans arrive from the SE and continue NW across the bay

A bit of movement

A dry sunny day with a fresh east wind.

Heysham Head (David Kaye)

Wheatear 1

Saltmarsh to Red Nab (Malcolm)

A check while the tide was out this morning 

Shelduck 27

Shelduck filtering tiny molluscs from the mud

There was nothing on the foreshore and nothing passing over until I was almost at the Red Nab end of the foreshore. Then Meadow Pipits were coming in/off quickly 36 in10 minutes beginning 09:45. It then petered off, with only 2 more in the next 5 minutes.

Chiffchaff 1 singing and another calling in the Nature Park.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked first

One of several singing Chiffchaff 

This Cetti's warbler had been singing near the main pond.

Reed Bunting below the feeders in the lower main pond car park

I did a quick count of the wildfowl after lunch (Malcolm)

Mute Swan pair - female sitting

Gadwall 25 (an unpaired male on the "no swimming" pond)

Tufted Duck 2 pairs

Coot 9

Moorhen 3

Little grebe 1 trilling on the main pond

Cetti's warbler a second bird was singing by the "no swimming" pond

Chiffchaff still one or two singing. This clip is the Tufted Ducks, but it is really about the Chiffchaff singing in the background.

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

I checked from the promenade this morning as the tide was covering the skear. There was no sign of any Brent geese or Knot. By this evening the east wind was quite fresh and the water was coloured slightly in places. 1,500 Knot arrived almost as soon as the skear was exposed. Later they were joined by another 500. The rough terrain and many feeding in the water, makes spotting and reading flags awkward. This clip ends with an orange flagged bird in the centre of the frame.

These tides still ebb quickly and they were soon feeding beyond where I could see them without looking into the setting sun. Still several flags were read with a high proportion of them new ones for this winter, plus others not seen since November.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 2

Rookery active again

A dry mainly cloudy day with a light east wind.

North shore (Malcolm)

Just a quick scan from the promenade as the tide covered the skear. No Brent geese or Knot could be seen.

South shore

I had a walk along the foreshore and sea wall on the rising tide (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 11 arrived at Red Nab quite early in the tide. Later Kevin Eaves counted 16.

The early Brent arrivals at Red Nab

Shelduck 22

Eider 3 north

Wigeon were gathering in readiness for moving to Red Nab 102 were counted and others arrived later.

Little Egret 2 on Red Nab

Turnstone 24

Turnstone resting on No.1 outfall. The nearest bird has a metal ring,
some of the characters can be seen, but not enough to identify it.

Redshank 82 feeding close in along the waterline.

Redshank

Redshank and Turnstone on No.1 outfall. Wigeon below

A scan along the more distant waterline could only see Curlew and a few Oystercatchers.

Peregrine Falcon, the one with a dislocated talon, was also on the lookout for small waders and ended up moving inland.

Peregrine Falcon

Rock Pipit 2 - 1 on Red Nab plus 1 displaying at No.1 outfall. No sigh of the lighthouse bird.

Rock Pipit by No.1 outfall

Spotted today my first Gorse Weevil of the year on the Gorse round
Heysham head. This one is a female - Alison Hayward

The Rookery at the very southern edge on the recording area was active today (Malcolm). 

These are the trees on the opposite side of Middleton road to the horse
paddock behind Middleton Parish hall. So far there are six nests, three
visible in this shot. At least seven Rooks were seen

Rook

These two were mating - the twigs and branches protecting their modesty 

The male had something to say about it afterwards.

A Green Sandpiper was in the field next to the horse paddock. Technically beyond the recording area, but easily seen from the rookery side of the road. Although this shot is from the gate onto Middleton Rd.

Much the same

A dry day, with a very light NE breeze

Heysham skear - low water 07:00 (Malcolm)

It was very quiet on the skear this morning.

Pale-bellied Brent goose - just 10 arrived

Pale-bellied Brent goose

Eider 46

Eider

Teal pair drifted in with the tide

Teal

Red-breasted Merganser 12

Red-breasted Merganser 

Great Crested Grebe 3

Great Crested Grebe (right) with mergansers 

Little Egret 3

Little Egret fishing in a pool

Carrion Crow, 5 flew from the north over the skear and continued south. 6 were feeding on the skear.

Oystercatcher 1,000 (many more along the waterline further south)

Curlew 25

Redshank 250

Not a single Knot seen, even in the distance 

Dunlin 4 high up the shore

Turnstone 80

Turnstone 

Janet checked from the shore a little later

I took this from the Barrows, there is a white ringed Oystercatcher in the
centre near the water line but obviously too far off to be able to read.

The Brent geese were still around

Buff-tailed Bumblebee 

Heliport

A check at high water saw 1,600 Knot on the sloping wall. Unfortunately surrounded by Oystercatcher.

A variety of bits!

A dry day with sunny spells. A light NE wind freshened after lunch and swung round to the west.

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

Two visits again, first this morning as the tide covered the skear and again this afternoon when it uncovered.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 19 this morning, none this afternoon 

Pink-Footed goose 12 to NW

Pink-Footed geese this morning 

Eider 25

Shoveler 3 males drifted in with the tide this morning.

Shoveler

Red-breasted Merganser 11

Great Crested Grebe 6

Many of the grebes now in summer plumage

Oystercatcher 1,500

Curlew 30

Redshank 250

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 6

Ringed Plover 4

Two Ringed Plover here

Knot 2,500 - this morning there were 2,000 resting on the outer skear before being moved on by the tide, some stopped briefly on the shore and I managed to read a few flags. This evening was a bonus, the unexpectedly (unexpected by me at least) fresh west wind stirred up the shallows and brought the shrimps in. 2,500 Knot arrived as soon as the skear was exposed.

Some of this afternoon's Knot with a nice view of the Lake District 

Feeding was frantic and the tide was ebbing quickly, making for difficult viewing. Still some more flags were read.

Even when you manage a clear view, you can't always read the flag
this one has acquired a blob of something on both sides of its flag

All the more rewarding when you do get a clear reading.
This is another Merseyside flagged bird. It was seen here in December 
hopefully it has also been recorded somewhere else in between 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The female Mute Swan has almost finished nest building 

South shore

Janet checked early in the tide there was little happening.
Little Egret out from the foreshore 

I checked just before high water (Malcolm)

The tide had almost covered Red Nab but still plenty of wildfowl.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 22 - probably including this morning's 19

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Wigeon 220

Shelduck 4

This female Great Spotted Woodpecker had just come in/off the sea.
She rested in the trees behind Red Nab a while before continuing north

A bit of variety

A dry day with sunny spells. The light north wind alternating between NW and NE. 

South shore (Malcolm)

Two checks again, once as the tide covered the skear this morning and again as it being exposed this afternoon.

Pale-bellied Brent goose just 12 seen this morning but 26 arrived this afternoon 

Eider 16

Goldeneye pair drifted in with the making tide this morning, this is the first and could be the only sighting this year, as they are increasing scarce in the recording area.

Goldeneye pair

The female didn't take kindly to a passing male Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser 11 minimum seen on both visits.

Female Merganser with three males in hot pursuit 

This male and female seem to have bonded

Oystercatcher 1,500

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4 high to the north

Curlew just 10 seen

Redshank 350

Knot - none left the skear this morning, but there were 600 flying south of Heysham Head. None returned this afternoon to feed. We need an onshore wind to bring the shrimps close enough in for the waders to easily catch them, and at this time of year shrimps are the main attraction for Knot to the skear. Unfortunately it looks like easterlies now for the rest of the month!

Turnstone 60

Dunlin 2 high up the shore

Ringed Plover 4

The lack of shrimps was probably not the only reason for a lack of 
Knot this morning. This immature Peregrine was resting on the rocks.
You can just see that it has a pink ring on its right leg

The waders seem to tolerate a Peregrine when they are resting, there were over 150 Redshank feeding close in front of it. If I know there is a Peregrine there, you can guarantee that the Redshank know too. Their lives depend on it! Presumably they are confident of out manoeuvring it from a standing start. They didn't even take flight when the Peregrine flew to another rock.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds.

Main Pond

Mute Swan pair

Mallard 4

Gadwall 28 all seemed to be paired up

Teal pair

Teal pair

Coot 8

Moorhen 2

Little grebe 1

Chiffchaff 1 singing

"No swimming" pond

Gadwall 3 males

Tufted Duck 3 - 2 male and a female

Female Tufted Duck

Coot 1

Cetti's warbler 1 singing