First Wheatear, first moth and more Chiffs

Sunshine in the morning but becoming increasingly overcast in the afternoon then light rain in the evening. A light variable breeze

Two Chiffchaffs were along Kingsway - Janet

This one has matted feathers on its forehead, the result of feeding on
nectar (pollen horn)

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

At least two more Chiffchaffs on the southern section 

Buzzard 1 being mobbed by Carrion Crows

Common Buzzard

The butterflies were enjoying the morning sun

Comma

Peacock

Also seen, Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell 

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Janet

The saltmarsh Wigeon took flight.....

.......but didn't go far

Wheatear 1 foraging along the foreshore rocks as it quickly moved through. First of the spring 

Rock Pipit 1

Rock Pipit

Pale-bellied Brent geese getting ready to leave Red Nab.
Kevin Eaves counted 30

Heysham skear - Malcolm 08:30 - 10:00

Pale-bellied Brent goose 6, likely included in those at Red Nab later

Eider 40+

Red-breast Merganser 9

Great Crested grebe 5

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher 800

Curlew 10

Redshank 200

Knot 250

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 20

Common Snipe 1

Pied Wagtail 1 in/off

Heliport

These shots by Kevin Singleton yesterday 

Little Egret

Common Snipe

Yesterday, the Knot were showing well and there were a number of
flagged birds. Kevin managed to read two. It was a different story today.....

Once again c3000 Knot roosted on the heliport, but it was so calm today that they remained on the sloping wall above the flat sea.

Knot on the sloping sea wall.

I checked these (Malcolm) and couldn't see any flagged birds, although most were covered by others. When Howard checked later the Knot had moved amongst the Oystercatcher making checking for flags impossible, although he did manage one that was briefly on top of the wall.

I returned when the tide was leaving the sea wall. 500 Knot moved to the waterline to feed and freshen up. These are some of them freshening up, there is rainwater runoff cascading down the wall in the corner, and it drains out to here. The wind was nowhere near as strong as it sounds.

Some were probing the soft mud for molluscs, but others were supplementing their diet with gutweed.

Of the 500 only two were flagged.

This one ringed at Dyfi Estuary Wales in 2021

Unfortunately, I don't know if these would have been joined by the others still resting on the rocks at the base of the wall. As everything was lifted by a dog running the length of the wall and back. All the waders headed north.

This from Kevin Eaves.

I had my first moth of the year in my trap last night. It's a Common Quaker so one of the usual early Spring arrivals, but very welcome. 

Knot....a lot going on!

 Another dry and mainly sunny day with a light SE breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve - Peter and Rosemary Silvester

Cetti's warbler singing near the main pond

Several Hoverflies seen

Common Drone Fly

Drone Fly sp possibly Tapered

One of four Toads seen

Robin and Dunnock

The Mute pair always show up when someone arrives at the feeding area.

Heliport - Malcolm 11:10 - 11:35

I was supposed to be at the chippy for 11:30, I just called in to see if there were any Knot about. There certainly were! I'm not good at estimating numbers in large flocks but there were definitely more than yesterday's 3000.

They were spilling over onto the Heliport 

In the short time I was there I read several flags including five new ones
for this winter. But they were very flighty 

They returned this time and settled more towards the middle of the wall

This Oystercatcher ended up having to swim back after a number were spooked.

My plan had been to check them as the tide ebbed when they sometimes move onto the beach. So I returned at 13:40, but they were all gone!

Janet took this shot of a large flock of Knot heading south out from Ocean
Edge at 13:30. Almost certainly the ex heliport birds

I checked the skear later and just 400 Knot turned up, after checking them for almost an hour I failed to see any flagged birds. Shame I didn't have more time earlier!

South shore - Janet

Siskin 2 in the Nature Park 

Female Siskin

Female Kestrel, also in the Nature Park

Rock Pipit having a stretch on Red Nab

Pete advises that a Wheatear was seen at Fleetwood today.

Nice weather, good coverage, first Chiffchaff!

A warm sunny day with a light variable breeze

Shaun Cole managed a thorough check this morning:

South side 07:30-11:00:

Red-throated Diver 1 drifting in.

Greylag Goose 3 in.

Pink-footed Goose 64 + 32 in & c240 out.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 58 Red Nab on the way back at high tide.

Whooper Swan 1 in.

Wigeon 226 (no 2 outfall).

Eider just 7 drifting in.

Common Scoter 4 across the bay from Barrow to outfalls, then an arc past Fleetwood and Rossall Point. 

Cormorant 47 roosting on the wooden pier.

Shag adult on to the wooden pier at 08:45.

Grey Plover 56. (waders feeding on shore between OE surface water drainage pipe and No 2 outfall).

Bar-tailed Godwit 90.

Knot c2000.

Dunlin c500.

Sanderling 2.

Turnstone 11 (no 1 outfall).

Meadow Pipit 14 in.

Rock Pipit pair Roundhead. 

A really close porpoise off the harbour mouth heading in.

Chiffchaff feeding at the anemometer - first this spring 

In addition David Talbot and Mark had 5 Stonechats at OE saltmarsh. Also a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly near the heliport

I just had a short walk from Red Nab to the saltmarsh (Malcolm). Nothing seen that isn't covered above so just a few shots:

Brent geese and Wigeon on Red Nab

Reed Bunting 

Stonechat 

There was clearly something happening here, I suspected that it was a Merganser, but I was wrong.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Gooseaander 1 male on the "no swimming" pond

Gooseander

Still 2 males and at least 1 female Shoveler on the main pond

North shore 

Howard checked the high water Heliport roost

c3000 Knot, several flags eventually read

Later all 3000 moved to the skear, but they were soon disturbed by a dog walker and they moved further north.

Still surrounded by White-Fronts

A SE wind in the morning switching to SW in the afternoon. It rained whilst the wind was shifting.

Just my stuff so far, and I didn't manage to get out till mid afternoon - Malcolm

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Mute Swan pair plus two immature birds confined to the peninsula 

Tufted Duck 8

Gadwall 2 pair

Shoveler 2 males but only 1 female seen

Mallard not counted 

Coot 6

Moorhen 1

Little Grebe 1 

Shovelers shovelling 

Female Gadwall

Male Gadwall

Quite a lot going on in this clip, including the Little Grebe early on.

Imperial Rd (checked in passing this morning)

No Stonechats seen 

Roe Deer 3

All three deer in this shot and the following clip. The third is difficult 
to see, but it is bottom right

Long legs are ideal for a bit of head scratching.

Both of the relatively new Rookeries were busy. There were at least 25 Rooks in the trees near the roundabout east of Imperial Rd, which is just out of the recording area. At Least 22 Rooks in the one on Middleton Rd which is in the recording area. Exact numbers here was complicated by the presence of Carrion Crows as well. There was a lot of noise!

Just outside the recording area - the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. This is directly opposite the Rookery on Middleton Rd.

Redwing two. 

Slightly further outside the recording area Heaton Moss. All the following shots are from the road to the Golden Ball (Lancaster Rd) where it meets the road to the bypass (Moss Rd).

Whooper Swan 12

Whooper Swans with Pink-Footed geese behind

The Whoopers and most of the geese were on the far side of the River Lune. But there were 40 geese on the Heaton side, including 12 Russian White-Fronted Geese. Yesterday, Pete advised: there were over 300 Russian whitefronts with pinks on Aldcliffe - got to be some over heysham soon! 

But we are getting very few Pink-Footed geese passing over Heysham at the moment so I checked Heaton marsh. 

White-Fronted Geese with Pink-Footed Geese behind

This is just a location shot, most of the White-Fronts are to the right of centre.

Same shot but zoomed out further to show the edge of the road. But they
are by no means guaranteed to be here. I have checked several times since
 they have been around the area, and today was my first sighting.

Any sightings of White-Fronted geese within the Heysham recording area would be very much appreciated.