Significant increase in Eider

A dry sunny day with a fresh SE wind.

These shots by Janet in the Nature Park earlier this week.

Robin

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Janet advises that the previously resident female Mute Swan on Middleton Nature Reserve main pond, has been taken to the vets for treatment to leg injuries caused by defending her territory against the newly arrived pair

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:00 - 14:30

Pale-bellied Brent goose 13

These four were just 50m from the promenade as I walked out. There is clearly 
a rich vein of gutweed here

They were still there 90 minutes later, despite being next to a popular dog
exercising stretch of shore

These nine Brent geese flew north

Pink-Footed goose 34. A skein of 33 south and this lone bird.

Pink-Footed goose

Eider at least 93. 

Eider

Little Egret 1

Little Egret, Eider, Oystercatcher and Redshank

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 1

Redshank 150

Knot 750, not so many flagged birds today, but there was one from a different scheme.

One of a Humber scheme. Details awaited, but presumably quite old
as the red flag is a very faded.

Dunlin 3

Dunlin

Ringed Plover 5 

Ringed Plover

Many birds disappointed by the lack of shrimps

Another dry and mainly sunny day with a light SE wind

Howard checked at high water this morning 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 27 counted out from the play area, before they flew over to the skeer as the tide was dropping.

Still plenty of gutweed to feed on here

There were no Knot roosting at the heliport or any of the groynes, but c1000 were on Heysham Head rocks.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 12:00 - 14:00

Pale-bellied Brent goose 8 flew north

Brent geese heading north, below are some of 300+ Black-Headed gulls hoping to
feast on shrimps, but an onshore wind is best for shrimps here, and they quickly left

Pink Footed goose 62 SE

Some of the Pink-Footed geese. The bird second from the left has a trailing leg. It was like this in all the shots.

Better a broken leg than a broken wing

Eider 35

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 1 today!

Curlew

Redshank 130

Turnstone 40

Knot 1400, presumably the 1000 that roosted on Heysham Head rocks plus a few more. Most just rested

Some had a half hearted go at shrimping

By the time I left all the Knot had moved off to the north

The forecast is for offshore winds for the rest of the month. But it also forecast that this week would be wet! So hopefully we will get some more onshore winds.

Just out of the recording area - Teal Bay groyne - Howard

No Knot, but there was this leucistic Oystercatcher 

A Long-Tailed Tit-fest and a budgie!

A dry day with a cold south wind drifting to SE after lunch. Some sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Rosemary and Peter Silvester 

Mute Swans, Greylag Goose, Cormorant, Tufted Duck and Black-Headed gulls

Great Tit

Long-Tailed Tits

Imperial Rd - Rosemary and Peter Silvester 

We did see the stonechats, along with a couple of magpies, a robin and a kestrel 

But for us it's been a Long Tailed Tit day!

Heysham skear - Malcolm

I started at 11:00 as the skear was becoming exposed

Pale-bellied Brent goose 12 flew north

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Pink-Footed goose 14 flew west

Eider 8

The south wind was already slightly to the east, not typically ideal conditions to attract the Knot but 3000+ turned up!

Knot carpeting the skear

Still some with hints of summer plumage 

Unfortunately most of them just rested in difficult terrain to check for flags.

We are at the lowest of the neap tides at the moment and the tide was very slow going out. It had got to 12:30 and most of the Knot were still resting. I was supposed to be on my way to the chippy ("sorry, long queue!"), so I decided to leave them be and return at low water.

Wrong decision! When I returned at 14:00 the Knot were all but gone. Just four were resting on the skear, a small flock of 100 were flying around but wouldn't land. Presumably the Peregrines had been active!

Oystercatcher 2000

Icelandic scheme Oystercatcher - details awaited 
Interestingly, there should be a white as well as a black ring on the left leg.
It seems that the black ring has slipped over the white one. The "rings" are only
made of very thin plastic and the ends overlap to allow expansion and fitting. 

Redshank 150

Turnstone 40

This escaped budgie was opposite Broadgate garage on Middleton Rd at 4pm - Pete

Surprise sunshine!

As forecast it poured down all morning, but it eased after lunch and by mid afternoon it was clear blue skies! A light SW wind shifting to west.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

A check this morning saw the six cygnets along the northern edge of the pool. A single adult was at the feeding area, a look at its legs showing it to be ringless.

Unringed adult Mute Swan. The ringed female must have been
elsewhere with her new beau 

There was no sign of any Gadwall, but 8 Tufted were back.

A second check this evening and there were now a pair of adult Mute Swans, with the male moving on the four remaining cygnets. Presumably the other adult already move off.

Male Swan about to chase a cygnet off. The Cormorant was oblivious!

Still 8 Tufted plus 2 Gadwall

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:00 - 15:30

What a treat, I wasn't expecting to get out here today in full sunshine. That said, apart from a nice flock of obliging Knot there wasn't a lot to see.

Red-breasted Merganser 1 was the only thing I saw on the sea except for gulls.

Red-breasted Merganser

Knot - there was a flock of c500, later joined by smaller groups to c600 total. I managed to check them for some time and read flags from three different schemes. 

Knot along the NW edge of the skear

This UK scheme orange coded (11E) flag was just visible

A Dutch scheme uses a combination of a coloured flag and rings

This yellow coded (63J) flag is an Icelandic scheme

Eventually a couple of cavorting Peregrines lifted all the waders. Just one Curlew heard, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Turnstone as recent. Dunlin 1.

There are always lots of Oyster shells around the skear, but they don't grow here. Oyster shells are the underwater equivalent of frisbees, they travel miles on a light current. But this Oyster has clearly grown here. It is empty now, but obviously in situ.

Not the normal flat shelled Oyster that I am familiar with. I believe that
 this is a Pacific Oyster. I don't know if they are grown commercially in the
UK, but it seems that despite their name they are a global species.

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

I parked up for 10 minutes in the rain this morning and saw nothing. I stopped off on my way home this "evening ", and both Stonechats immediately turned up.

Male Stonechat

Both Stonechats

A wet day at the start of a wet week

Showers all day, some very heavy, particularly in the afternoon. The overnight SW wind moved to south in the morning.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:30 - 10:15

No Brent geese seen from the skear and none from Knowlys Rd later

Eider 36

Eider

They were feeding in the shallows, probably on small mussels. The female to the right eats something.

Oystercatcher 1500

No Curlews

Redshank 250

Turnstone 40

Knot 44 - conditions felt right for Knot this morning, but it is possible that this small group has been present throughout the recent quite period for Knot.

Knot and Oystercatcher

Imperial Rd - Malcolm 10:30

Buzzard 1 initially resting in the copse before flying east

Buzzard

Water Rail 1 squealing

Common Snipe 4 

Snipe heading off after being accidentally spooked

Redwing 4 south

Jackdaw 2 

Kestrel 1 male

Kestrel in a brief moment of sunshine 

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm 10:45

Still a little ice around the fringes of the main pond. 

Mute swan - two adults by the feeding area, possibly the original female with her new mate. Or possibly the two new arrivals, the original female has a blue ring. One to check for if the opportunity arises.

There were 6 cygnets along the north side, but no sign of the other adult.

Gadwall and Mallard still present.

I went to check the "no swimming" pond, but it was deserted.

The "no swimming" pond ice free and empty.
Another shower was starting so time to head home.

After that it was armchair bird watching,
fortunately, Jays regularly visit my garden - Malcolm