Wandering geese

Overnight frost, very light east breeze plus some sunshine made it feel much warmer during the day.

Saltmarsh 

Watched until completely covered by the incoming tide - report from David T - thanks

Common Snipe c50

Jack Snipe - 8 confirmed and seen flying off, another 7 probable of which 4 could have been the birds flushed from the banking while leaving. The consensus was definitely double figures.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

A full circuit of the ponds

There were 100+ gulls stood on the main pond ice,
mainly Black-Headed gulls, unfortunately none ringed.

Mute 2 adult 4 juvenile

Coot 6

Moorhen 10

Mallard 8

Gadwall 7

Shoveler 2

Little Grebe 2

Both Little grebes, top left, with 2 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall and a Coot.

I mentioned yesterday that I haven't been recording the regular Pinkfoot movements between the Fylde Roost and feeding areas. Today they were far from regular. High skeins were seen heading north, south, and east, mid morning. The overnight frost wasn't severe enough to freeze the ground solid, at least locally, so not sure why (MD).

A flock of 20 Greylag Geese flew quite low to the east

Some of the 20 Greylag, I think this is the most I've seen together in the recording area

Detail of a few of the Greylag

Plenty of individual/pairs Blue, Great and Long-Tailed tits, but no sight or sound of any Goldcrest or warblers.

Bullfinch - there are always plenty around the reserve, but there seems more than most years at the moment. At least 8 birds seen/heard today

A bit of Knot News

Slight overnight frost. The NE wind was not as strong as yesterday but felt even colder.

This Knot was read today so has been a midwinter move from the Sefton coast

281

SR77181

9H

P

Ringed

22/09/2017

2017

4u

4u

Altcar

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

29/10/2017

2017

10

29

Crosby

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

19/11/2017

2017

11

19

Formby

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

03/08/2018

2018

8

3

Seaforth

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

11/08/2018

2018

8

11

Seaforth

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

24/04/2019

2019

4

24

Southport

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

13/08/2019

2019

8

13

Formby

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

14/10/2019

2019

10

14

Southport

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

29/11/2019

2019

11

29

Southport

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

15/01/2020

2020

1

15

Southport

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

23/07/2020

2020

7

23

Ainsdale Beach

281

SR77181

9H

P

Sighted

22/09/2017

2017

4u

01/12/2020

2020

12

1

Ainsdale Beach

Mediterranean gull - 1 adult on lamppost near Oxcliffe Rd lights

Red-breasted Merganser 3 around Red Nab

Two of the Merganser - picture by Kevin

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the "no swimming" pond on the way past.

Gadwall 1 male (unusual)

Shoveler 2 (male and female)

Teal 6 (3 of each)

Coot 4

Heysham skeer - low water 07:30

The tide was already making fast when I got there at 08:15

Eider c60 drifting north

Red-breasted Merganser 3

No sign of any Brent, but they weren't expected.

This is a nice shot of a skein of Pink-Footed geese heading east across the bay

A few Eider bottom right plus Oystercatchers flying by

I've not been recording Pinkfoot morning and evening movements to and from the feeding grounds, but they are still frequent and numerous. I'm not sure if these, apparently coming from the west side, originally started from the Fylde roost or not (MD)

This is the shell of a Razor Shell, I think it is Ensis siliqua, but possibly E. ensis. If anyone knows for sure, please advise. They are not rare, but I only know of a couple of areas this side of the bay where they are common. I'll not say where, as the same soft mud that makes it suitable for them can make it dangerous for walking (plus they are very easy to entice out of the mud, with the correct equipment, which could have a significant effect on these long lived molluscs - I'm not suggesting that any of you would remove them, but they are taken, both for food and fishing bait).

This one is about 16cm long, E. Siliqua can grow to 20cm
Their name reflects their similarity to the old "cut throat" razors

Like all molluscs, they have growth rings, but I don't know enough to separate 
annual from seasonal, but they typically live for 20 years
and do not reach maturity until at least 4 years

This is looking top to bottom, obviously empty now. 
The foot extends out of the bottom of the shell while the siphon at the top filters food.
Sometimes as you walk along the low water tide line, you can see them protruding out of the mud.
But as they sense you approaching they disappear like a periscope going down,
often accompanied by a jet of water ejected from the siphon, impressively high,
well over a metre, not to be confused with the small squirts sometimes produced by cockles.

It's getting cold again

A very cold NE wind with no sunshine made it feel colder than it was today.

First of all, I missed some of Janet's Cormorant pictures yesterday. I particularly like this one, so decided to post it today

Cormorant with a bass on the south sea wall.
Bass are really a warm water species, and only stay here over winter in the vicinity of the Power Station cooling waters. Even so they get sluggish if they move too far from the warmer water.

The only other stuff I have so far is my check of the saltmarsh in the morning (MD)

I was too early to watch the snipe being flushed by the rising tide, but there were:

Common Snipe 11

Lapwing 190

Ringed Plover 23

Grey Plover 2

Knot 3 (1+2 - this does seem to be the area for loners - I should know!)

Dunlin 36

Redshank 15

This Herring gull was paddling for earthworms on the caravan park grass. Quite a common feeding method, but you don't often get to see it at eye level.

The Norwegian ringed Oystercatcher has not been seen/reported since the ground froze on the Cricket field a week or so ago. Still no sign today

Landslip, mayhem and carnage

Very heavy overnight rain eased to light rain by daylight and stopped by lunch. Winds started from the west and ended up NNE

South shore

Common Snipe 34

Jack Snipe 1

Both the above flushed from saltmarsh by the rising tide

Grey Plover 1

Reed Bunting 1

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Wigeon 256 were counted flying/drifting from Red Nab as the tide covered it, many more had left earlier.

Today's title sounds like a firm of solicitors, but this is part of the carnage.

Cormorant - lots feeding, Janet took these nice shots of one with a bass. Best opening these images to see the detail.

The problem a Cormorant has with a fish this size, is avoiding the other cormorants and the gulls long enough to get it in the right position for swallowing. I wonder how long a meal like this will last it before it needs to go hunting again.

A typical selection of waders on Red Nad at high water.
 Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew.
Also by Janet

This is the landslip of the title.

This brick structure used to sit under the top of this cliff. It has slipped down overnight, purely by being undermined by rain water. It was definitely overnight as the loose soil disturbed by it had not been smoothed by the rain.

This is at the southern boundary of Ocean Edge, but these structures would have belonged to the industrial operations that once occupied Middleton Nature Reserve. The bricks to the right have been down a while, and I always thought they were an old pump house.

You can see the flattened clay where this portion slid down the slope. The remaining structure appears to be a brick lined culvert with a small pipe.

All four sides of the portion that slipped sown are solid brick, with just the small pipe at the bottom of the front and top of the back. Originally it would have been subterranean with a capped access hole at the top, presumably housing a valve. It is subterranean no more!

The very important lesson to be learned from this is how dangerous cliffs can be after heavy rain.

Heysham skeer

This is where mayhem and further carnage comes into it.

Spring tides, around here, tend to peak with high water around lunchtime and midnight. This means low water is early morning and evening. The tides are rising quickly, therefore the skeer wasn't really exposed till late afternoon. The Knot, c2,000, didn't turn up till 15:45. Within two minutes a Peregrine attacked and took one. Then Five minutes later another Peregrine turned up and a Merlin also joined in, taking advantage of the ensuing mayhem. This is what panicked Knot look like:

A decent slip fielder could have caught one!

After a few minutes they all settled again, so at least the Peregrine will have been successful. Feeding time out here on these tides isn't long with the short days, I didn't have the heart to risk spooking them again, so I turned back and left them to feed.

Knot c2000

Turnstone c25

Ringed Plover 5

Eider 158 - nice and close in so easy to count accurately 

Great Crested Grebe 3

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Peregrine at least 1 probably 2

Merlin 1

Spring tides return

Another mild night and day, with light breeze, mainly from south. Light rain pretty much all day.

Saltmarsh area

Today's high water at 8.9m was the first tide to reach the marsh for 12 day's, although it far from covers it, these first of a set of spring tides tend to produce the maximum numbers of Common Snipe:

Common Snipe 42

Jack Snipe 2 possibly 3

Not all the snipe were flushed by today's tide.
You can just make out two Common in the centre of this shot.
I expect there were more, and almost certainly more Jacks.

Reed Bunting 1 male calling 

The Grey Seal was feeding near the outflows again

Picture by Kevin

Heysham skeer

Just a quick, distant check on the ebbing tide as the corner was just becoming exposed. No sign of any Brent geese.

Goldeneye 1 male

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3

I suspected yesterday that today's rain would restrict my camera use today, so I saved a few video clips for today.

They all fall under the category of - Diving displays:

First up - singles - the nose dive......

Goldeneye out from Heysham Head, viewed from the skeer

Not bad, but a slight ripple

Grey seal in No.2 outflow on the south sea wall

Not a sign of a ripple.

Second up - synchronised diving

Eider feeding in the first channel - Heysham skeer

Mmm... a tad more practice required

Cormorants feeding by the wooden jetty on the south sea wall

Almost nailed it, but there is always one that gets the timing wrong!

The above was just a bit of fun, and took advantage of yesterday's dry, still conditions. But the point is that there is plenty to see locally, perhaps not rare, but it can be interesting, and you never know when a rarity is going to present itself.

Looking back over 2020 - the Heysham Bird Report

 Jean has provided this link to 2020 report.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H9AffILnhAVBRys6gyYdqA7OIM85dB4v/view?usp=sharing

(If this link doesn't work, click on image on side bar)

Normally the report is only distributed by purchasing a hard copy, but obviously, that's impractical this year. A lot of effort has gone into its compilation, full credits are inside, in a very difficult year. It would be a shame for it not to be read by as many interested people as possible. A link for future reference will remain attached to the top of the sidebar.

It was a strange day weather wise, a mild night followed by a very misty day, but once or twice the sun broke through and it was very pleasant. Very light winds starting in SW but ending E, almost breathless at times.

South sea wall

Rock pipit 2 one on Red Nab and this one getting territorial near the nest site by the lighthouse 

Grey seal 1 No.2 outflow.

Nothing on the outflow structure again. "Throbshire" sent a comment yesterday suggesting the rails may be covered in anti climb paint, which remains sticky (see link in the comment at the bottom of yesterday's post). This is certainly a possibility, although the paint does look normal from the wall. However, there was a period several years ago, when they were struggling to keep anglers off the structure, perhaps it was done then. Anyone know? Either way I'll have a good look next time - Thanks.

Heysham skeer 

I really enjoyed this walk, not so much for what I saw, but the lighting was amazing and visibility alternating from nothing in one direction to good in the other. (MD)

This may give you a flavour.
That is not a cloud starting to obscure the sun, but a mist bank coming in.

Red-breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested Grebe 1

Eider 80+

Goldeneye 1 male

Male Goldeneye feeding on the south side of the skeer
More or less straight out fro Heysham Head

Dunlin c30

I like this shot of a Dunlin, it has a tiny morsel in its bill

Knot c1,500 - again harried by a juvenile Peregrine for a while. Later another Peregrine attacked, but this was much more clinical, and effective. I couldn't tell if it was an adult or if the juvenile is getting better.

Peregrine and some of the Knot flock

Pale-bellied Brent 15 - at 14:30 there were just 3 in the corner of the emerging skeer, they made their way to the central pool on the skeer. At 14:40, 4 birds flew from the south but flew straight past further north. At 15:40, 8 more arrived and started feeding in the corner. These included a bird with two white rings, almost certainly the same one read the other day. Then at 15:45, 4 (returned?) from the north and joined the others.

Finally, when I walk on the skeer, I feel as if I own it, it's mine! But I'm not the only arrogant so and so out there, this Carrion Crow obviously feels the same way and always confronts me. It will sit on the nearest promontory (this one less than 5m away) and give me a good cawing, till I move on. I suppose, because I always do move on it believes that it has seen me off, and will continue - I hope it does.

A dismal day - back to puzzles

Lightish SE wind all day, rain for most of the day and no sign of the sun. At least it was a bit warmer.

Heysham Head

Just a quick walk round mid morning.

Rock Pipit 2 - one on Half Moon Bay beach, one below high cliffs

Red-breasted Merganser 2 - pair feeding just out from the Head

Oystercatcher and Knot roost

There were over 1,000 Knot and a few hundred Oystercatcher roosting on the rocks, they often start their roost here, but are usually driven off by the rising tide/waves or by the high numbers of people taking exercise on the Head. Today's weather and tides meant that these were not factors.

No ringed birds were seen

Brent Geese - A check from Heysham Head an hour after high water could not find any out from the play area. A quick look in the skeer corner at low water could only locate two groups: 4, which quickly flew off north plus 9. They all looked to be pale-bellied.

Kevin took this picture of the Black-Headed gulls on Sunday. All lined up along the rail on one of the upstands inside the harbour 

As Kevin said, it does make the question of why they never rest on No.2 outflow structure all the more puzzling (see the post 31/12/20). This year, the three regular walkers along the wall, myself, Janet and Kevin are specifically checking for any birds resting on the outflow structure, so far, not a sign. There must be some conditions that a gull would benefit from resting there. If no records are forthcoming, I may resort to bread and see what happens.

Another colour ringed Brent

Overnight frost, rain in the morning, then dry for the rest of the day with long sunny spells. Cool NW later west wind.

Mediterranean gull 1 adult on Red Nab, then later one behind the lunchtime ferry.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

The two adult and two juvenile mute have moved to the small patch of open water on the "no swimming" pond. The solo juvenile was on the main pond, but no sign of the third juvenile. All the ducks were on the main pond, presumably avoiding the swan feeders.

Gadwall 24

Shoveler 2

Mallard 6

Water Rail 1 calling.

Pale-bellied Brent goose - a check in passing from Knowlys Road at 10:00 saw 12 on the water just out from the play area.

A check in the corner at 16:00 found 42, including this adult with two white rings which is a new bird for the recording area.

Details awaited - and, yes, I was stood in the sea, the shore birds tend to ignore you when you are beyond the water line, within reason.

There haven't been many juvenile birds this year, but this one, behind the ringed bird, appeared to be accompanying it.

The two regular Red/Blue Canadian birds were also present

The unusual lighting is the from the sun setting behind me.

And still they come....

Another overnight frost with a sprinkling of snow on top. Cool north breeze and only occasional sunshine, the temperature barely got above 3C all day.

Heysham Village Bay - Pete Crooks 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 58 - a new high count here for this winter

Dark-bellied Brent goose 1

Saltmarsh area mid morning (MD)

On these neap tides, the water doesn't reach the mud out from the saltmarsh, although there is still running water out of the creek. When it's cold, as now, the mud freezes and when really cold the saltmarsh does as well. In these conditions, Jack Snipe take to feeding in the creek, allowing clear views (they've never done it since I've been carrying a camera!). Today was no exception, probably because the saltmarsh wasn't completely frozen, plus the disturbance by the amorous foxes (see below) wouldn't have helped.

Still as I was walking around the edge I did flush:

Jack Snipe 1 - feeding where surface water was seeping onto the saltmarsh 

I walked back over the mud just beyond the creek, it was rock hard with frost. But, surprisingly, Common Snipe were still in the pockets of sea grass, they could have only have been roosting, not feeding. Unfortunately I flushed:

Common Snipe 13

7 of the Common Snipe

Lapwing 210

Rock Pipit 1

Reed Bunting 1

January is the time of year that a fox's mind turns to "starting a family". This clip, shows a dog fox following a vixen across the saltmarsh (the sharp eyed amongst you should be able to spot a Common Snipe, Oystercatcher and Curlew). This is the same dog fox that I videoed the other day, and I thought then that it was carrying a limp, although it made a mighty fine effort.....

.....but the vixen was only at a canter and easily outpaced him, although she didn't really want to escape. She ended up waiting for him at the top of the hill.

At which point, I made my excuses and left.

But it isn't just the foxes on the edges of our community, they are more common than you might imagine throughout the area. I know that my Heysham garden is regularly visited by at least one fox. These two were in a garden on School Lane at 09:00 one morning earlier this week. This is the first fox sighting in this garden, I suspect it won't be the last.

Thanks to Janet Aldren for the picture 
and Janet Packham for forwarding it to me

First Dark-bellied Brent of the winter

An overnight frost followed by a light covering of snow, a mixture of heavy snow showers and sunshine during the day. Very light early southerly breeze veered to the west and increased slightly

South wall ferry check (KE)

Treecreeper 1 on Moneyclose Lane, near the tall anemometer - not common in the recording area

A distant white winged gull was behind the ferry. The sun and its orientation not allowing clear views of the head, but most likely a Mediterranean gull 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a very quick check to see if there were any Black-Headed gulls roosting on the ice, unfortunately the ponds were only partially covered and the gulls had opted to remain on the water.

Mute 2 adult 4 juvenile 

Coot 4

Moorhen 4

Little Grebe 2

Gadwall 28 (water level back to normal)

Mallard 7

Teal 7

Shoveler 2

Water Rail 1 calling 

Woodcock 1 accidentally flushed

I think this Reed Bunting was just wishing that it was spring, rather than thinking it actually was.

Heysham Skeer

Just a check in the SE corner at low water

Pale-bellied Brent goose 51 (highest count so far this winter)

Dark-bellied Brent goose 1 (first record this winter)

This shot shows the dark-bellied bird with two pale-bellied

Most of the birds are on this clip, unfortunately I can't see the dark-bellied one. Towards the end of the clip, you can hear the birds, about to leave the water, honking. To me it always seems a warm friendly sounding honk, unlike most geese!

Eider c50

Great Crested Grebe 1

The South Lakes hills provided a splendid backdrop.

This is something that I'm sure you have all seen, Whelk eggs masses (Seawash Balls). But the ones you normally find with the high water line flotsam are usually later in the year and are empty. This one, the egg cases are intact, the mass must have been dislodged from its anchorage, below the low water line, by Thursday's storm.

Perhaps what you may not know is that several Whelks, possibly both Common and Red, have produced this mass over several days. Each case is laid individually and glued to the others, plus any anchor point available. Every case contains hundreds of tiny eggs, but most are not fertilised and provide a first meal for the few that are, before the developing Whelks leave the empty case.