Brent numbers increasing

Freezing overnight (-2.4°C) followed by a sunny day till showers began in the afternoon. Almost calm till mid morning, then a light SE breeze.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 10:00 - 10:30

It didn't take long to find the two Stonechats this morning, they were where I left them yesterday. Today both the male and female were scrutinising the crevices on the pylon.

Male Stonechat

Both birds in this shot, the female on the right

This is the area they were in yesterday and today. The bypass is just beyond 
the trees in the background. The pylon they were on to the left of the picture,
they were also foraging around the bush and brambles mid frame

They both escorted me back to my car, hoping I would flush something.
But the ground was covered in frost and ice, nothing was moving.

No Buzzards today, but a female Kestrel was also using the pylon as a lookout post.

Kestrel, would be very happy to have a Stonechat on the menu.

Stock Dove 1

Stock Dove

Water Rail at least one squealing

Common Snipe 1

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond (Malcolm) 10:40

The main pond was frozen and there were 120 Black-Headed gulls stood on the ice. Unfortunately, none with colour rings.

Black-Headed gulls on ice

The Mallard also chose to stand on the ice, while the 12 Gadwall remained 
in the pool of water preserved by the reunited Swan family. Also 4 Tufted Duck

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 14:00 - 15:00

Very frustrating, it had been sunny all day, but the clouds were now gathering quickly, it was already quite dark, then rain started just as 1,500 Knot began feeding. I only managed to read two previously seen flagged birds, before having to stash my camera.

Little Egret 3

Little Egret

Shag at least two juveniles 

Juvenile Shag

Great Crested Grebe 2

Great Crested Grebes

Eider 13

Pale-bellied Brent goose 31

25 Pale-bellied Brent geese arrived from the west and settled on the sea out
from the play area. This is 14:30, look how bright the light in the harbour is!

They then flew to the rocks just out from the play area to feed on the gutweed 

Five minutes later, another 6 arrived from the north.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

14:35 and it looks like sunset! Well it was the last of the sun for the day

Cold weather affecting behaviour

A colder night resulting in ice on ground water, but the ponds remained ice free. Another sunny day bit it barely got above 5°C with the cool NW breeze

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 09:00 - 09:45

Buzzards here have been notable for their absence since spring, but today there were two constantly calling and flying around.

One coming in to land besides a calling bird

These are the trees along the edge of the bypass 

Common Buzzard

Water Rail at least 2 squealing and making contact calls

Cetti's warbler 1 

Cetti's warbler 

Wren

I was here longer than usual this morning as I couldn't relocate the Stonechats. I had almost given up when I located both of them close to the bypass

The male was feeding low down amongst the bushes and brambles 

The female was checking out all the crevices in the pylon.
It is difficult for insect eaters to find enough to eat in cold conditions 

Middleton Nature Reserve

Green Woodpecker- Kevin Eaves 

Green Woodpecker 

I checked the two main ponds at 10:00 (Malcolm)

The female Mute Swan was on the "no swimming" pond with 2 of her cygnets. The other 4 were on the main pond. 

No other wildfowl on the "no swimming" pond.

Main Pond

Tufted Duck 6

Gadwall 10

Mallard c30

Coot 14

Moorhen 4

Black-Headed gulls 110

Some of the Black-Headed gulls on the main pond. The current cold spell
ends tomorrow, but this pond is always worth checking if it ever freezes over,
the gull numbers seem to increase here and they stand on the ice, revealing if
any have coded rings.

Redwing 1 glimpsed

This Robin was eating Hawthorn berries. It is difficult for insect eaters,
in cold weather!

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 13:00 - 14:45

I didn't have much time this afternoon so I went very early as the tide was ebbing. It was interesting watching the waders arriving.

Redshank 170

134 Redshank on this groyne were joined by others that arrived as mainly
single birds from the south

Oystercatcher 800+ were constantly arriving in groups of around 30 from the south

Knot 3,000 - several small flocks arrived totalling 500, then later than usual in the tide, a large flock of 2,500 also arrived from the south

Curlew not seen 

Turnstone 30 arrived from the north and south

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 10 out from the play area

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Eider 28

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Shag 3 juveniles 

Shag and Eider

All three Shag in this shot

Little Egret 4

Little Egret with muddy feet

There were an awful lot of Black-Headed gulls drifting out with the tide.

Nature Park (Janet)

One large Roe deer just ran out in front of me and my dog, it was followed by a Cocker Spaniel which ran in the opposite direction!!! 

The early bird catches........the icy blast!

The actual temperature wasn't too bad, it stayed around 4°C all night and throughout the day, but the NE wind this morning was bitter, slightly better this afternoon when it was more from the NW. sunshine pretty much all day.

Heysham Skear (Malcolm)

I checked twice today 07:30 - 08:15 and 12:30 - 14:30.

I was hoping the Knot would be feeding along the shore this morning as the tide pushed them off the skear, but there were two Peregrine Falcons after the 800 Knot that remained.

They eventually settled but in difficult terrain and I failed to locate 
any flagged birds

This afternoon c2,500 were spread across the skear but most hunkered down against the, still biting, wind. I did eventually manage a couple of new flagged birds.

Curlew 40+

Redshank 150

Redshank 

Other waders as recent

Pale-bellied Brent goose 15 out from the play area.

Some of the Brent geese in the background 

The sun was just rising and lighting the snow covered peaks of the Lakeland Hills

Eider none this morning 35 this afternoon 

Red-breasted Merganser 2 this afternoon 

Shag at least 2 juveniles both sessions.

Juvenile Shag, giving me a dirty look!

Little Egret 3

Heliport (Howard)

I visited the heliport this morning on the tide, c2500 knot on the outerwall when I arrived but were displaced by corvids soon after, they had a long fly round before finally landing over on the near naze where they stayed for over an hour without moving, so I only managed two sightings.

This one was also seen on the skear later, confirming local movement 

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I checked on my way back from the skear this morning and again on my way to the skear this afternoon.

Morning:

Roe deer 4, a female with two youngsters and a separate buck

Roebuck 

Pheasant 1 female type

Water Rail 1 squealing

Stonechat 2 a male and (presumably a) female clearly together.

Stonechats

There were also at least two this afternoon, there seemed to be four. But I think the same two were just following me around. They didn't see me as a threat and I no doubt disturbed a number of insects as I trampled around. They did all look the same and also the same as this morning's birds, although the lighting was different this afternoon.

Two in this shot, they were in this area this morning (just beyond the opening
 50m from the roundabout). They were here again when I set off this afternoon
and also when I returned this afternoon.

Buzzard 1 

There was no escaping the rain today!

The forecast had been for light showers, but they were heavy and occasionally of hail. Kevin's weather station recorded 18mm of rain during today's daylight hours. A variable and gusty wind mainly from the west.

Here are the ringing totals for this year

Some Comments:

1) Equal highest ever Chiffchaff numbers and by far the highest in October

2) Blackcap boosted by good October passage

3) Coal Tit and Long tailed tit autumnal movement giving above average totals 

4) Very poor late autumn Greenfinch passage

5) Non-existent autumn Bullfinch passage

6) Very poor Wren passage, especially October 

7) No decent Redwing falls

8) Despite MP3 playing the significant redpoll passage in autumn to the east of here was not replicated over here

9) Midsummer/early autumn ringing below par but not as bad as last year

10) Grey Wagtail ringing disrupted by seabird weather at the peak time! 

11) Dreadful autumn passage for Meadow Pipit

12) Cetti’s continue to increase, especially autumn migrants 

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I called in three times this morning, before I eventually managed a gap in the rain. But there was little to see at first.

Little Egret 2

Cetti's warbler 1 glimpsed

No Water Rails calling today

Stonechat 1 female type located just before the rain returned.

Female/first winter Stonechat, you can see the first streaks of rain

South shore (Malcolm) 12:30 - 14:00

It poured down as I was walking out along the sea wall.

Wigeon c80 still around the edges of Red Nab, but beginning to disperse 

I took shelter under No.2 outfall superstructure for a while. Plenty of feeding gulls but all Black-Headed. This clip gives an impression of the conditions.

Wigeon in a sea of raindrops 

There was little along the rest of the sea wall except for a handful of Black-Headed gulls on No.1 outfall and a few Cormorants still on the wooden jetty roost.

The rain stopped for a while on the way back

Curlew 6

Turnstone 5

Redshank 35

Redshank

Grey Heron on Red Nab

One of three Little Egrets

Shelduck in a moment of sunshine! There were 15 altogether 

The only passerines seen were three Wrens. One on Red Nab and two at the saltmarsh 

Red Nab Wren

The weather is set fair for tomorrow