Warning to photographers please

Just a reminder:  STRICTLY NO PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH THE POWER STATION FENCES

All photography around the harbour, which is continuously monitored on camera by either the harbour or power station security cameras (I was watched for over an hour today by both harbour and power station cameras plus the mobile patrol as I was seeing what the Iceland Gull was doing!) must involve cameras being pointed away from the EDF Power Station land e.g. quite ok pointing down at the harbour waterfall for anything feeding there or pretty pics of incoming ferries!

No good for scanning the Eider run looking for the Velvet Scoter today - 'orange cloud' silhouetted everything in what was already poor light

Attempts to read ring/flag numbers on Knot were just about to be successful when a 'large fat dog' ran/waddled down on to the near naze and plonked itself there sending all the Knot to Middleton.  Ring reading can be very frustrating eg garish lycra-clad cyclists along the Sunderland point road just as you are trying to clinch the details:-)

Iceland Gull - 3rd winter on the waterfall/harbour wall/platforms trying to chase every other gull off for most of the morning.  Some pics from Janice Sutton this am - thanks Janice:

Chough - eg first field north of half moon bay 1015
Pale bellied Brent Goose - the usual spring tide routine - Red Nab then Ocean Edge saltmarsh area
None of the rest of the 'shopping list' stuff was looked for ie Stonechats, Meds and Shag

Middleton fare (thanks Malcolm)
Mute Swan - 6
Coot - 1
Moorhen - 6
Tufted Duck - 3
Pochard - 2 separate males
Gadwall - 15
Mallard - 5
Teal - 33 seen others heard
Grey Heron - 1
Goldcrest - 1

Unexpected return of the 3rd winter Iceland Gull

The white-winged gulls are playing hard to get.  Where on earth has this thing been during the best winter coverage we had for years since it was last seen (eg other "unobtrusives" like the Shag multiply- observed daily).  No obvious rubbish tip or similar to visit nearby

Iceland Gull - 3rd winter again on the waterfall on the incoming tide, then disappeared despite careful check of visible rooftops.  Update:  that's better: consistency!  Returned on the drop tide and was seen below the waterfall at 1630hrs 

Thanks Malcolm

Chough - eg surrounded by people on second field north of half moon bay café early pm
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - two Red Nab on incoming tide, then OE saltmarsh
Stonechat - female OE saltmarsh NE corner.  Whoops - supplying false info to snappers:  the Half Moon bay female was also present and photographed today.  Apologies for the alternative facts and thanks to Pete for letting me know
Shag - juv harbour mouth then wooden jetty
Cormorant - 136 roosting wooden jetty (possibly another one or two not visible on south side of 'lighthouse')
Pink-footed Goose - very high migrant flock of 475 south over Midd NR
Coot - one no swimming pond (also yesterday) (first of year)
Gadwall - 17 ns pond
Pochard - one male ns pond
Snipe - 10 western marsh
Little Egret - one model boat pond

[Peacock butterfly flying about on nearby Heysham Moss this pm]

Duck grip-off

The Heysham Obs 2017 report is now (also) available at Leighton Moss.  Ask at the counter.  Ironic that I missed the Heysham Shoveler whilst delivering reports to the main site for Shoveler in this area! 

The female Pintail on the model boat pond we can live with missing (autumnal seawatch pull-back?) but lets hope today's late afternoon Shoveler sticks around - very difficult to see here!

Thanks Justine

Glaucous Gull - elusive juv seen mid-morning only - lost flying into the low sun towards Red Nab at/near HT.  Is it based on an inshore platform?
Chough - seen once from the Near Naze on the Barrows
Med Gull - adults Red Nab, Knowlys field and a well marked "relict gull" 3CY on Red Nab, later on outfalls
Kittiwake - 2CY outfalls briefly, two adults trailing behind IOM ferry but quite a way behind it
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - two red nab on incoming tide
Shag - harbour mouth briefly mid pm
Oystercatcher - largest roost I've ever seen on heliport surface; possibly as many as 12,000 but very hard to estimate
Shoveler - female model boat pond (but no sign of any Pochard)
Gadwall - 19 the last two days
Ringed Plover - 47 roosting on Knowlys field at HT
Meadow Pipit - three by puddles on Knowlys field HT

Freight ferry Glauc

Inverse correlation day today - the more Kittiwakes behind the IOM ferry, the less the passengers are enjoying the journey.  Unfortunately the Ben my Chree fare did not include any white-winged gulls but a juv Glaucous Gull, presumably the same as two days ago, was observed distantly behind the 1450 freight ferry in the harbour mouth, before disappearing out of the area again as many boat-followers do.

A Knot leg flag read today:

NLN/7503122

Ringed   Brenna, Porsanger NORWAY  70 30N 25 43E      26/5/13

Seen:  Near Naze, Heysham    31/1/18

No other interim sightings which is a shame.  Thanks to Richard and Jim for a quick sort out 

    

Kittiwake - 5 in as seen from Knowlys road, 4 in as the ferry came into port and presumably the same single adult followed both the IOM ferry and the freight ferry into port
Shag - juv on wooden jetty with a massive 135 Cormorant at HT
Glaucous Gull - see above
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - Two on OE saltmarsh on the dropping but not at HT - presumably up at Potts Corner at HT
Chough - e.g. mid pm on second field
Stonechat - female NE corner OE saltmarsh
Jack Snipe - three OE saltmarsh HT
Med Gull - Czech ad north wall, ad Knowlys horse field HT
Pintail - female Middleton no swimming pond
Pochard - 2 drakes Middleton no swimming pond 

Back to earth with a bump - a typically birdless high spring tide and calmish weather

No sign of any white-wingers.  The Iceland Gull report on Red Nab late yesterday afternoon was very unexpected, given the observer effort looking for a bird which seemingly soared up and disappeared after all the gulls were spooked in the harbour late morning.............and it wasn't there this morning.  No ferry repeat with the Glaucous in calmer weather

Still plenty left by normal standards for here!
Chough - seen early am in half moon bay fields
Shag - Juv on wooden jetty 1030 at least
Stonechat - female OE saltmarsh corner
Jack Snipe - OE saltmarsh
Snipe - 23 OE saltmarsh
Kittiwake - 2CY briefly in harbour
Knot - four with flags and colour rings by heliport but none fully read - please have a go mid afternoon tomorrow if you are around
NNEW Brents
Med Gull - two ads seen

Iceland and Glaucous on the same day

We have got our act together a bit earlier than usual and, as can be seen in the sidebar, the 2017 report is available at £3.  This is basically a cost-covering exercise of a limited production, printed by a commercial printer (Pagefast).  There will be no reprint as it is cost-prohibitive to do a small print run so we advise you purchase early.    

Today seems rather good, but try telling that to the mid afternoon observers as all the harbour area offerings went awol.

Iceland Gull - 3rd W Red Nab early on, waterfall area late morning, disappeared, back on Red Nab 1600hrs at least

Glaucous Gull - Juvenile following the IOM ferry into the harbour mouth 1215ish then apparently flying out again (as per observer near the lighthouse) as many ferry followers do.  Looked a darker bird than the previous record seen in exactly the same light/circumstances from the back of the harbour.  It was reported on the pager again at 1250hrs when one of the freight ferries was coming in but it certainly was not in viewing range from the back of the harbour at that time.
Shag - Juv around the harbour mouth/inner end wooden jetty on and off, more on in the morning and off in the afternoon

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - two off the horse paddock on skeer afternoon at least
Chough - seen in the first two fields north of |Half Moon Bay cafe on the two occasions it was known to be looked for - pre-lunch and mid afternoon - initially located by scoping from the north harbour wall
Med Gull - adult on shore off horse paddocks again
Stonechat - female NE corner OE saltmarsh
Water Rail - 2+ Middleton
Gadwall - 5 model boat pond

NB  The Black-throated Diver is taking the micky.  It is obviously a higher life form than Fylde and Heysham Obs year listers and is toying with us.   Today it decided not to leave Blea Tarn Reservoir until it was almost dark at 1715hrs and took a line which would, in normal daylight, have sent it overhead easily visible from eg Knowlys Road!  The departure from Blea Tarn was about 1.5hours later than yesterday (see thread LDBWS site)

Iceland Gull added to the impressive January list

A 3rd W Iceland Gull was located independently at about 1100hrs from either side of the harbour by Craig Bell on the north side and Malcolm & Tom on the other side.  This remained in the area until at least 1530 when it was on the mudflats next to Red Nab.  Thanks to Craig, Jean, Nick and Malcolm for pics and video

Pics from Craig Bell

Life at the harbour waterfall, including the Iceland Gull (Jean)

Thanks to Nick (top) and Malcolm for these pics at the waterfall

Shag - 2CY around harbour mouth on and off  latterly on the wooden jetty

Chough - seen in the sheep field about 1245hrs as scoped from the Near Naze

Green Sandpiper - again on the eastern fringe of the area by the new transformer on pools alongside bypass just beyond the recycling centre roundabout

NNEW on Brents - no known visit by locals

Black-throat no show

The commuting Black-throated Diver decided that heading for Glasson (from Blea Tarn) was a better option this evening and we obviously failed to add it to the "seen from flypast list"

Big contrasts with the weather at the moment

Flesh-fly landing on the car in yesterdays sun at Middleton (Pete)

soft focus Shag by the harbour in driving rain this morning (Malcolm)

...................but a decent sunset this evening (Malcolm)

Todays birds
Shag - juv in the harbour mouth briefly in the rain at 0940
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the two off horse paddocks on skeer late afternoon (flew in from north)
Chough - on Heysham Barrows at lunchtime
Med Gull - ad on shore by horse paddocks with the small gang of BHG (seemingly very regular here) 

"Seen from" possibilities!

Today was the last of the "isn't it a lovely day" greetings for about a week or so and we finished off the winter bird survey for SD45.  After yesterdays comment, what a surprise that TWO male Pochard were present today!  Malcolm also located a very mobile Chiffchaff on Middleton along with at least two Goldcrest but still no Cetti's.

Chough - seen at least twice
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - on the shore off the childrens play area, viewable from Knowlys road vantage point
Chiffchaff - one Middleton NR
Pochard - TWO drakes model boat pond
Med Gull - one ad harbour mouth
Red-throated Diver - one in second channel offshore
Eider - 520 - pretty accurate
GCGrebe - 2 

Also:
Chris Batty watched the Black-throated Diver leave Blea Tarn reservoir for FIVE MINUTES on the following trajectory at 1639hrs. It did not waver from the straight line flight during this period and, assuming it does not change direction when reaching the sea, suggests it is pitching in somewhere around the old Sandylands sewer outfall south of the Stone Jetty. There is a fairly wide channel here, even at low spring tide. Various vantage points suggest themselves for monitoring this flight eg watching the halfway stage from the raised south end of the golden ball tidal road and more coastally: end of Royds Avenue or even scoping north from Knowlys Road which would give good evening light as well as a 'seen from'!

Good coverage, missing birds but the Pochard back!

A sign of current status was a decision not to stay at home today but 'twitch' the Pochard in case it was the last ever day this species would grace the Heysham Obs list!

Glaucous Gull - no sign in extensive coastal and rooftop search and regular waterfall checks
Shag - no report
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the two on the shore off the northern end of the horse paddocks - scan from Knowlys Road
Chough - seen at the half moon bay fields and, first report for a bit, from the horse paddock
Med Gull - ads on the shore from the horse paddock, fishers roof and possibly the same behind departing ferry = presumably Czech bird
Stonechat - no sign of OE saltmarsh bird, no reports of half moon bay bird
Eider - 420 off the north harbour wall
Pochard - drake model boat pond

Tufted Duck - 2 model boat pond
Gadwall - 3 model boat pond