Chiffchaff doing the rounds

Heysham Obs
Good coverage by Malcolm today included a small tit flock accompanied by a collybita-type Chiffchaff near the entrance to Ocean Edge.  A good record, especially in this weather which produced more of the usual Kittiwake and Little Gull

Harbour area
Kittiwake - 3 x 2CY still by waterfall
Guillemot - 1
Little Gull - I adult

Outfalls
Little Gull - adult and 2CY

IOM ferry
Kittiwake - 15 x ad, 1 x 2CY
Little Gull - 1 x ad

Ocean Edge
Skylark - 1 saltmarsh
Snipe - 4 saltmarsh
Chiffchaff - 1 as described above

Little gulls

Heysham obs
An unfortunate incident today resulting in a broken leg as an on lead dog became entangled around a crutch leading to a nasty fall.  Thanks to other dog walkers for a prompt response and the power station police, security and ambulance service for rapid attendance - hope the person recovers as soon as possible.  

Minimal amount of birding comprised at least 7 adult little gull plus the third winter still on the outfalls.

6th February fish fest

Heysham Obs

3CY Little Gull on sea by outfalls

Moth:  Dotted Border in trap

Observations from Malcolm:
The tide was ebbing past the wooden jetty and the dredger was operating in the harbour mouth. This resulted in a surge of small fish in the gap between the wooden jetty and the roundhead. At one point there were 24 cormorant feeding in an area 30m x 10m. They were catching rockling and small whiting. The large gulls got in on the action too, swooping on every cormorant when it surfaced.The main activity only lasted about 5 minutes, then the cormorant started flying off. I don't know if the fish had gone or the birds were full, probably a bit of both.  There would not be a sufficient number of fish in the harbour mouth to just have been displaced by the dredger, a concentration like that would attract cormorants without the dredger. The fish (judging by were the cormorants were feeding) were about 30m down tide of dredger. This is an ideal location for dislodged titbits to be separated from the denser silt, and also provide shelter for the fish (particularly for the rockling) in the jetty rocks and wrack. The ebbing tide would normally provide a small fish procession past the harbour

Decent little trawl round

Heysham Obs
A very short trawl round, including the IOM ferry

Red Nab and area
Dark-bellied Brent Goose - 4, then headed towards wooden jetty
Little Gull - 3CY stage 2 outfall

Harbour
Kittiwake - 2 x 2CY (at least)
Guillemot - 1
Med Gull - adult

Ferry
Kittiwake - adult peeled off and flew out quite early
Little Gull - adult followed ferry into harbour mouth

The Brents reappear

Heysham Obs

Harbour PS Intake Corner 3pm.
1 Guillemot
3 Kittiwake (all 2CY)

Red Nab
4 Brent Geese flying toward Wooden Jetty.
1 Little Egret

Between Outfall 1 and Wooden Jetty
c.50 Wigeon

North wall
Med Gull x 1

A rude awakening

Heysham Obs
Some floor replacement in the office porch unearthed an indignant hibernating Peacock butterfly

The only other report of any note (as opposed to a single Red Nab Little Egret - how times change) was a large winter plumaged adult Med Gull on the seaward end of Heysham 2 outfall - undoubtedly one of the two seen yesterday there.

However, there were at least 7 Greenfinch on the office feeder.................more than a lot of other places and on-going from record numbers, yes record numbers, ringed in January (c55)!!  

Ferry on form

Heysham Obs
Nice stiff westerly and clear conditions are usually good for ferry followers and this was the case today

Little Gull - at least 12 behind ferry (one 2CY), some remaining on seaward end of outfalls, 3 out earlier
Kittiwake - at least 25 behind ferry, flock of 11 adults soon flew out rest milled about (4 x 2CY)
Med Gull - 2 x adult behind ferry, then seaward end Heysham outfalls
Eider - c70 offshore
Great crested Grebe in harbour
No sign Guillemot

White winged gull eludes identification

Heysham Obs
Probably Iceland 2CY heading down shipping lane 10ish this am - couldn't clinch it on rear end views and therefore a small Glaucous not ruled out

North Harbour Wall
Linnet x 27
Goldfinch x 14
Twite x 1
Med Gull x 1

Harbour
Guillemot x 1

Offshore
Little Gull - ad

Middleton
Tufted Duck - 11 model boat pond
Cetti's Warbler - 1 in willows for short time south end of western marsh reedbed (also seen or heard 20/21/28 Jan (Richard Miller, Steve Ryder)

Finches, Med and Guillemot

Heysham Obs
North Harbour Wall
Linnet c25
Goldfinch c15
Twite 1
Med Gull (Czech ringed)

Harbour
Guillemot 1

Aukfest

Heysham Obs
Single 2CY Razorbill close inshore off the NHW at lunchtime and the reappearance of Guillemot in the harbour (from the undergrounds reservoir?) were the highlights this morning along with two distant adult Little Gull

North wall and area incoming tide
Razorbill - see above
Little Gull -two adult together far offshore low tide -lifted off water and re-landed
Guillemot - see above
Kittiwake - 2CY out, ad in, ad behind ferry but peeled off early and headed out
Red-breasted Merganser - male harbour mouth
Finches - 13 Goldfinch, 10 Linnet, 8-10 unspec others
Med Gull - adult Knowsley road field