Peregrines wreaking havoc again

The rain finally stopped overnight, leaving a dry sunny day. A light SE breeze

Just my stuff so far (Malcolm)

Middleton Nature Reserve - main pond

It was still quiet, but 3 Tufted Duck and 2 Gadwall had returned 

Imperial Rd

Little Egret 1 

Grey Heron 1

It was calling as it flew off, immediately triggering a response 
from at least two Water Rail and a Cetti's warbler 

Stonechat, both the male and female were showing well again, near the blocked off entrance 50m from the bypass roundabout.

Female Stonechat 

This clip begins slightly out of focus as the focus was set to where the male had been. Fortunately he quickly returned to the same spot. They were using the fences as lookout posts then flying off when they spotted an insect.

Heysham skear 11:15 - 12:30

Pale-bellied Brent goose - at least 18. 4 and 2 flew north and at least 12 on the rocks out from the play area.

Brent geese heading north

Eider 35

Red-breasted Merganser 4

Great Crested Grebe 1

Shag 1 juvenile flew south, so close I could barely fit it in frame.

Juveniles Shag

I had gone down early in the ebbing tide to check the Knot. Initially there were two resting groups of 300, then as they moved to the newly exposing feeding areas they were joined by another 900. But no sooner had they landed when 2 Peregrines attacked and completely, well almost completely, cleared the skear of Knot.

Neither Peregrine was successful this time

This small group of Knot decided to stand their ground during the attack.
This behaviour was also seen last winter period. A reasonable tactic as long
some birds do take to the air, and the grounded ones hold their nerve!

Too wet for the ducks!

If there was ever a day ideal for watching rain, today was that day! It rained constantly all day. Kevin's weather station recorded 27cm of rain during today's daylight hours! A light SE breeze.

I don't normally mind walking in the rain (Malcolm). But the tide was out for much of the day and the wind insignificant. I couldn't think of anywhere for a productive walk. So I just did two quick tours in my car, this morning and again this afternoon.

Imperial Rd

Common Buzzard 1

Grey Heron 1

Knowsley Rd

No Brent geese could be seen on either visit.

Heysham Cricket Club

There were no Mistle thrushes on the adjacent football pitch today, but Black-Headed Gulls and five Jackdaws had joined the Oystercatchers

Black-Headed Gulls, Oystercatcher and Jackdaws

This Stock Dove was on the cricket field

Middleton Nature Reserve - main pond

This morning the wildfowl seemed to be as usual 

Mute Swan 1 female plus 6 cygnets 

Mallard c30

Tufted Duck 8

Gadwall 6

Coot 10

Moorhen 4

Tufted Duck and Coot

Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Coot, Black-Headed gull and a cygnet's bottom

Cormorant 

There were also 30 plus gulls, Herring and Black-Headed

When I returned this afternoon the pond looked deserted. There were still Mallard around the fringes, but there were noTufted and no Gadwall, and the gulls had moved on too.

Hopefully things will be a bit brighter tomorrow.

Plenty of Brent, but a bit erratic

A mainly sunny day with just a very light west breeze.

North shore

Pete Crooks checked from Knowlys Rd

70 Pale-bellied Brent Geese – distantly off the children’s play area.
1 male Common Scoter – offshore
1 Grey Plover – among the large numbers of Oystercatcher and Knot on the tidal skears

And from the Battery car park
c.400 Eider drifting south on the ebbing tide
1 Guillemot
10 Red-breasted Merganser (6 males, 4 females)

I checked the skear as it became uncovered (Malcolm) 09:30 - 11:00

Two lots of Pale-Bellied Brent goose flew north 6 and 71, the latter would have been Pete's birds, presumably disturbed, but no idea where they were heading.

Brent geese heading north

Eider 114

I managed a marginally better shot of the Common Scoter today

Great-Crested Grebe 4

Great Crested grebe

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher 700

Curlew 10

Redshank 150

Turnstone 40

Dunlin 1

Knot 1500 - they were resting on the edge of the skear and didn't move for 30 minutes until a Peregrine Falcon attacked them.

You can see the Peregrine in each of these shots. This attack was unsuccessful 
but all these Knot continued south.

Later 400 Knot arrived to feed, possibly additional, or possibly some returning. I managed to read two new flagged birds for this winter.

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

I just got out of my car and both Stonechats flew over to "greet" me. I suspect that on one visit I must have flushed a tasty morsel for them, and they were hoping for an encore.

The male rested on this post only 3m away

The female was close too, but I zoomed out to show the location. That's my
car parked just by the blocked entrance 50m from the roundabout.

I was only there two minutes!

Stonechats still around

Mainly overcast with the odd light shower. A very light variable breeze.

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 09:30 - 10:30

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 4 out from the play area.

Eider 80

Eider

Common Scoter 1 male

Male Common Scoter out to the west of the skear

It had been diving, but refused to perform when I took a clip.

Great Crested grebe 4

Great Crested grebes

No Shag or Mergansers seen

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher 800

No Curlew seen

Redshank 250. They appear to be feeding on tiny shrimps. It seems early for shrimp fry, but I seem to say that, perhaps slightly earlier, every year.

Knot 150

Turnstone 40

Turnstone

Dunlin 60 in one flock that arrived from the south

Some of the arriving Dunlin

Imperial Rd (Malcolm) 10:45

Teal 1 

Kestrel 1 male

There were lots of winter midges in flight, presumably just part of a greater insect presence. Both Stonechats were close to the boulders c50m from the bypass roundabout.

Male and female Stonechats

Football pitch next to Heysham Cricket Club (Malcolm)

A number of Oystercatchers have taken to feeding there, yesterday and today  they were joined by two Mistle Thrushes

Mistle Thrush

An hour's sunshine at each end of the day

A sunny start and end to the day, but showers in between, some very heavy and including hail. A strong SW wind

Knowsley Road - Pete - a very quick visit pre heavy rain 

Shag 2

No Brent geese seen

South shore - Malcolm

I checked in both the sunny periods, nothing different feeding on the outfalls in either visit.

Morning:

Pale-bellied Brent goose 2 flying around. A little unusual at this stage of the tide

Brent geese catching the low morning sunshine 

Shelduck 43 most on the mud out from the foreshore 

This one has a metal ring

They filter small invertebrates out of the mud, it is a little easier in the plentiful areas of shallow water provided by the earlier rain.

Wigeon 150 most sheltering from the wind along the edge of No.2 outfall.

Some of the sheltering Wigeon

Rock Pipit 1 flew from Red Nab into the Power Station grounds

Kingfisher 1 flew across Red Nab

Afternoon/evening:

Pale-bellied Brent goose at least 42 on Red Nab

Shelduck and Wigeon similar to this morning, but now also on Red Nab

Wildfowl on Red Nab

I managed to spot the Kingfisher, before she spotted me

I set off in strong, albeit low sunshine at 15:25. But by 15:30 I was already losing the light!

This is the reason we are currently experiencing neap tides.
First Quarter Moon

Good numbers of Brent again

Showers in the morning but dry this afternoon. The SW wind freshening all day and was strong by evening.

Just my stuff so far today (Malcolm)

Heysham skear 10:30 - 11:30

We are on very low neap tides at the moment, not much of the skear was exposed and not much was happening.

Shag 2 juveniles 

Juvenile Shag

At first the only waders were Oystercatcher, Redshank and Turnstone. Then a flock of c1,000 Knot stopped off briefly before continuing south.

Imperial Rd

Also not much happening 

Common Buzzard 1 flew east

Grey Heron 1

Water Rails at least 2

South shore 13:45 - 14:30

Once again the waterline was devoid of waders

The Peregrines were chasing the gulls. 

I don't know if they do this for practice, "fun" or if they are genuinely
trying to catch one. Either way this gull was screaming.

We've seen this Peregrine with a broken talon in previous years.

Pale-bellied Brent geese 81. They arrived in two groups, 68 and 23. This is the largest group arriving.

This s the second lot arriving a few minutes later

Brent Geese, Shelduck and Wigeon feeding on Red Nab

Shelduck 66

Wigeon 140

Shag at least 1 on the wooden jetty

The smaller bird in front of the old lighthouse door is a Shag

Long-Tailed Tits passing through my garden, none were ringed.