Interesting Siskin recovery

Mainly overcast with a few showers, the initial SE switched to SW and began to freshen by evening. Very strong winds expected tonight.

Unusual Siskin recovery, ringed on 3rd March as young male at Heysham NR and caught again at Fernilee, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire on 28th March.  This was 101 km to the SE, not the usual northbound spring movement

North shore - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:15

I went to check any Knot as the tide covered the skear, unfortunately that timing coincided with a prolonged shower.

Ringed Plover 5 

There has been a Ringed Plover presence high up the skear all winter, but either the birds have changed or new feeding opportunities have arisen. They normally feed among the stones and shells picking food items from the surface. But today they were probing the mud with their tiny bills and finding what look to be small worms. Can't think what exactly. Watch the leading bird catch one quite early in the clip. Also note they are using their feet to help detect or entice the worms.

There were c1500 Knot feeding along the waterline, I checked well over 500 of them but only managed a glimpse of one flagged bird.

Helliport - Malcolm 13:30 high water

Knot c1500 again, most on the sloping wall, but 200 along the top, unfortunately no flagged birds, even after a Carrion Crow caused them to take flight and settle again, with presumably some different birds on top of the wall

Some of the Knot on top of the wall and others hunkered down behind it

Oystercatchers not counted/estimated

Curlew 5

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Oystercatcher, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Curlew resting. But always with one eye open

Godwit displaying its plumage

Red-Throated Diver 1 in none breeding plumage had drifted in with the tide. It then took off, non too graciously, and flew west.

Red-Throated Diver just out from the Heliport wall

South shore - Malcolm 14:00 - 15:30

Pale-bellied Brent goose - none on Red Nab when I set off along the sea wall, but at least 17 when I returned 

Shelduck 2 on the saltmarsh 

Shelduck pair

Wigeon 2 males and a female on the saltmarsh 

Wigeon

Swan sp 2 - too distant and awkward an angle for a positive identification, but not Mute, most likely Whoopers 

Wheatear 3 males

Rock Pipits 3 

Kittiwake 9 - 8 adult and a 2nd calendar year mainly feeding on No.2 outfall, but also patrolling along the sea wall. This is the 2cy, just before it flew right over my head.

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Janet

Three male Mallard, a female and male Teal
with a partially obscured Moorhen between them

This shot shows just how tiny female Teal are

At the time of posting, the forecast storm was really kicking in, with strong SW winds and heavy showers. Hopefully some wind blown seabirds in the morning.

More easy viewing Kitts

Overnight rain eased in the morning then lunchtime heavy showers. A fresh SW wind.

A few shots by Janet around Middleton Nature Reserve main pond feeding area yesterday.

Long-Tailed Tits

Bullfinch

Reed Bunting 

Goldfinch

Chaffinch - all the above would have been present today too

South shore

Pete checked from Ocean Edge at 11:24

2 ad and one 2cy kittiwake heysham two outfall

27 pale bellied Brent red nab 

I walked along the sea wall 14:15 - 15:30 Malcolm

The tide was just leaving the Red Nab rocks, but 27 Brent were already back, or they remained on the water. Red Nab would have been completely covered at 13:00 high water.

There are no Wigeon now, and the gutweed is thriving in the longer, warmer days.

Shelduck 4 (2 + 2)

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Little Egret 2

This is one of Janet's from yesterday. The Egret looking like a guard for the Redshank

Rock Pipit 1 along the sea wall and 1 between lighthouse and waterfall in the harbour 

Wheatear 4 males (3 along foreshore 1 on Red Nab)

Wheatear

Linnet 6 on saltmarsh and Ocean Edge grass

Linnet

Slightly unusual, there were only two species of gulls on the outfalls.

Common Gulls 7 minimum 

A nice shot of a 2nd calendar year Common Gull by Janet yesterday 

Kittiwake 4 adult and a 2nd calendar year all on No.2 outfall

All four adult Kittiwakes in this shot

Adult Kittiwakes 

2nd calendar year Kittiwake

This is one of the adults. It doesn't need a single wing flap in this clip.

This Cormorant in the harbour caught what looks like an eel, but it is a bit
early for eels. It also swallowed it very quickly, eels tend to make a nuisance 
of themselves. I suspect that this may be (or rather, was) a Lamprey.

Shaun checked later in the afternoon and things had changed:

16:30-17:30

Kittiwake 10 - 5 adult + the 2CY on Outfall 2. 4 adult on Outfall 1 after following in the ferries. They hung around the seaward end for a while before heading back into the Bay. The 5 + 1 on No.2 were still there when I walked back.

Wheatear 8 - 5m + a female on the beach at Red Nab. Plus 2m Ocean Edge.

Rock Pipit 3 Ocean Edge. One chasing another. Territorial dispute. 

First Sandwich Terns

A dry day with sunny spells. A light variable wind.

Pete checked from the back of the harbour

Heysham sea totals on and off 0700-0900: 

whooper swan 177 inbound either flying or floating with flock max 78. All but four were in Cumbria

Kittiwake flocks of 9,7,8 inbound

7 Canada geese

Red throated Diver 1,1,1 

2 Sandwich Tern in then out  (first this year)

12 Sand Martin in 

Dan Haywood checked from the Stone jetty

Movements 0900-1100, incoming tide;

Eider 220 flew or floated ‘in’ (ie NE)

Sanderling 41 SW
Bar-tailed Godwit 35 NE
Red-breasted Merganser 23 ‘in’ (floating or flying)
Kittiwake 18 flew ‘in’
Common Gull 9 ‘in’
Whooper Swan 7 floated ‘in’
Great Crested Grebe 7 floated ‘in’
Red-throated Diver 5 floated ‘in’ (all in non-breeding plumage)
Sandwich Tern 4 flew ‘in’ then ‘out’ ie SW

Common Scoter 2 (injured fem floated in, male flew ‘in’ then ‘out’)

Goosander 3 ‘in’

Little Gull 1 ‘in’

This report from Dan posted on LDBWS web page, follow this link for his full report and a nice shot of a Red-throated Diver

https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/topic/stone-jetty-21/

Heysham Nature Reserve

Jean was underwhelmed with her ringing session

Ringed two Goldcrest and caught a retrapped Dunnock and a retrapped Goldfinch. 

As soon as I took the net down I heard two Redpoll - they had been sitting in a nearby tree watching me take down. One Linnet flew over.

South shore - Janet

Pale-bellied Brent goose 17 on Red Nab

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Redshank 

Little Egret - look how lush the gutweed has grown 

Cormorant and Little Egret

White Wagtail

Wheatear. Both the Wheatear and the White Wagtail quickly moved on

This Cormorant has caught a Common Blenny. This is just about as big as
Blennies get. This one certainly won't get any bigger!

2nd calendar year (2cy) Kittiwake on No.2 outfall

Later when Kevin Eaves checked the outfall the 2cy had been joined by two adults.

Kittiwake

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm 

Main pond

Mute Swan pair, both on the water, plus an immature 

Mallard 4 males

No Shoveler seen

Little Grebe at least 3

Coot taking nesting material to the reedbed. Little Grebe behind

Then the grebe sees a rival and shoots off to see it off.

This is the rival being seen off, a third grebe in the background. They all duck under the water when the gulls pass low over the pond.

These are the courting pair. You can hear them trilling in this clip.

"no swimming" pond

Mute pair both on the water

Mallard 2 males

Tufted Duck 7 (2 female)

Gadwall pair

Cetti's warbler 1 and Chiffchaff 1 singing

Peacock Butterfly 2 flying together

Fence pond and central marshes

Mallard 2 male

Cetti's warbler 3 and Chiffchaff 2 singing

Common Buzzard 1 over to the north

Peacock butterfly 3

Kittiwake lingers

An overcast day with just a few light showers. A light SW wind.

Janet made an early start

Middleton Nature Reserve 

just after sun rise, but I didn't see any sun, It was too dark for any decent photos!!

A fine Roebuck

Female Pheasant 

Wren singing its little heart out!

Mute Swan pair

Along the south sea wall

This Little Egret has caught a Common Goby by Red Nab....

.......it didn't last long!

2nd calendar year Kittiwake on No.2 outfall. Likely the one that arrived yesterday 

Wheatear by the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit near the lighthouse 

It certainly doesn't look undernourished!

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:00 16:00

Something lifted everything as I was walking out. I couldn't see any specific cause and suspected that a Peregrine attack on the Knot was most likely. These don't normally lift the Oystercatchers but they are probably skittish after at least one Osprey passed over yesterday.

Brent, Oystercatcher and gulls, the Knot were already distant

Pale-bellied Brent goose 25 the most seen at one time

Eider 85 close in, more further out

Red-breasted Merganser - it was difficult keeping track of them 13 minimum but suspect more

c1000 Knot returned for a while before 750 flew north again. Only four flagged birds seen from three different schemes, but all previously recorded.

Bar-Tailed Godwit a solitary bird with the Knot

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Knot

Out of area news:

Osprey headed out to sea over Knott end towards Walney 1100ish 

Bonapartes gull 1st w Myerscough quarry. It may end up in our area (watch the outfalls or low tide channels). If you want to see images check out Paul Slade's Facebook page

Paul Slade - 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull, Myerscough... | Facebook