Easy Meds.......again

A dry and sunny day with a light SE wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

A check from saltmarsh to Red Nab this morning on the rising tide.

Pink-Footed goose 57 south

Shelduck 83 feeding on the shore 

Wigeon 17 feeding on Red Nab.

The males' yellow forehead not yet developed 

These 14 were later joined by another 3. They are eating the gutweed growing on the rocks.

Mediterranean gull - just one adult located on Red Nab

Oystercatcher 300 - till c2,000 more arrived from the north side, presumably some disturbance at the Heliport roost.

Curlew 50

Turnstone 4

Redshank 25

Common Snipe 1 flushed from saltmarsh 

Lapwing 16

Kingfisher 1 on Red Nab

The tide was now reaching the middle of Red Nab, and that's where
the Kingfisher was fishing

Location shot, the Kingfisher is on the central rock

Linnet 70 on the saltmarsh, likely more along the marsh grass strip

Meadow Pipit 2 in off

In the Nature Park

Red Admiral 2

Small White 1

Comma 1

Common Darter 5

There is a fine crop of pine cones on the firs near the white barrier. These are
Goldfinch coming in to feed. I thought I heard a Siskin, but I couldn't see one.

North shore (Angela)

1 Swallow in off the sea at Heysham Head.

Sparrowhawk over the woods at Half Moon bay car park and Chiffchaff heard in same location.

Middleton Nature Reserve

Rosemary and Peter Silvester paid a visit. This from Peter:

On a chilly. windy but bright visit to Middleton Reserve today we saw a surprising number of Common Darters. 

Male Common Darter, happily perched on a swan's feather

One of the most surprising thing of our visit was the number of mating pairs of Darters we saw. At one time we had three pairs ovipositing virtually at our feet.

The gulls and other birds put on quite a display too.

Mainly Black-Headed gulls with Tufted Duck (more on this later)

I checked the main ponds early evening (Malcolm)

The water level on the "no swimming" pond is now back to normal. The Mute Swan pair and their cygnet were on this pond, the cygnet stood on their nest. 

No sign of the eggs that were in the nest before it was flooded.

Pink-Footed goose 45 south

Tufted Duck 5 (4 males)

Mallard 2

Coot 18

Moorhen 5 adult plus 2 well grown young

Common Snipe 1

Cetti's warbler 1 singing

Chiffchaff 2 calling

Grey Wagtail 1 south

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter just 3 by this time

No butterflies seen

Leafhopper. Thanks to Alison for this identification,
looking at the bright colour of it I think it's the Green Leafhopper - Cicadella viridis.

All the while I was there, there was a constant drift of gulls from east to west, reminiscent of the evenings when the gulls used to return after foraging at the landfill site. And, as Peter, I noticed more than usual freshening up at the main pond.

Not just Black-Headed gulls but at least 2 Meds

Adult Mediterranean gull centre

They bathed and drank a while then drifted off to the west, only to be replaced by more gulls from the east. Something was going on!

So I called in at Imperial road on my way home and sure enough the fields were full of gulls.

The farmer had clearly been treating the fields again. Not slurry this time,
there was no smell. It seemed to be decomposed vegetation 

The above shot is literally the small window I had to view them. This is looking through my car window and one of few gaps in the hedge. Even so in this small section of the gulls I located 12 Mediterranean gulls

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull (centre)

Three adult Meds in this shot.

I took this clip as I thought the Med that begins on the left had a white ring, but it turned out just to be a metal ring, you get a glimpse of the ring early in the clip. The discolouration in the shot above and this clip is due to out of focus foliage in the hedge between.

Unfortunately as soon as I left my car for a better look they all relocated! Although by walking slowly it was possible to approach them again. I didn't see more than 12 Meds at one time, but presumably there were others in the more distant fields. So absolute minimum would be 14 as the 2 seen earlier on Middleton Nature Reserve moved off west.

This clip is mainly Black-Headed gulls (just one adult Med). It shows the material that had been spread and the ease at which the gulls were finding plenty to eat amongst it.

A Common Buzzard was keeping an eye on proceedings 

Just out of the recording area:

Yellow-browed Warbler at Overton late am. Approx 250 m along the road to the Waste Water Treatment Works.

More Yellow-Brows

A light SE breeze, dry with plenty of sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Ringing was slow this morning and despite having the nets up at dawn, the first bird, a single Goldcrest,  only turned up at 0825. It wasn’t until 0930 that a small flock of Chiffchaffs appeared:  
Goldcrest 1
Chiffchaff 3
Reed Bunting 1
Great Tit 1
Blue Tit 1
Wren 1
Unfortunately I had to take the nets down at 1030 and as soon as I’d finished putting them away a Yellow-browed Warbler appeared. Typical! 

There was little vis up to 1030, mostly Pink-footed Geese. A total of 290 flew over, a flock of 40 north then four flocks south. Other visitors comprised 2 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Meadow Pipit, 10 Redwing and 2 Swallows 

Going nowhere were 3 Cetti’s Warblers, a couple of Water Rails, 2 Robins, 3 Pheasants, a Coot and what sounded like a Gadwall. A Snipe was heard but I wasn’t sure if it was arriving or going.

A couple of phone shots from Janet this morning (arm still in cast so no camerawork for a while).

Male Migrant Hawker

Male Common Darter

Shaun checked likely warbler habitats early this morning and was rewarded with the target species.

Yellow-Browed Warbler 1 seen and calling occasionally, from the wooded area on Smithy Lane opposite Moon-Bay Wharf.

Chiffchaff 2 same area

Heysham Head:

3 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap (2 tit flocks on here).

 Heysham Nature Reserve : 

2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrest (large tit flock with at least 10 LTTits in it near the quarry) 

1 Chiffchaff at the Fire Water Pool.

South shore

I just had a short walk from Nature Park to the Saltmarsh late morning (Malcolm)

In the Nature Park.

Red Admiral 4

Small White 4

Painted Lady 1 - there have been very few this year

Painted Lady

Silver Y 3

Common Darter 4

A feeding Flock of Long-Tailed Tits with at least 1 Coal Tit, but no warblers seen or heard.

Pink Footed Goose two small skeins south 11 and 16, then later, probably the same 16 north (additional to Jean's birds)

Greylag Goose 1 south

Shelduck 170 feeding on the mud

Wigeon 7 on Red Nab

Mediterranean gull 3 adults on the shore

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Wheatear

Linnet c80 - one large flock feeding on the saltmarsh, smaller feeding groups all along the marsh grass finger that runs along the east shore.

Merlin 1 female/immature flew south along the finger of marsh grass, presumably after the Linnet. Possibly it is what made yesterday's waders so skittish.

Lapwing 46 - before the Merlin zipped past I had counted 9 but the small raptor managed to lift everything off the saltmarsh allowing an accurate count.

Lapwing top and Linnet below, both coming back down to land

The Lapwing landed on the shore. The tide is rising quickly at this point, this clip gives a flavour of the activity here.

Redshank 50

Grey Plover 6

Feeding flock of 31 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plover

Swallow 3 in/off together then SE

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the sea wall this evening 

Kingfisher 1

Peregrine Falcon 1

Just out of the recording area

Yellow-browed Warbler Potts Corner 1130 (Stuart Piner)

Still plenty of Chiffchaff

A light NE breeze became fresher from the east in the afternoon. Dry with sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

This morning's ringing included 10 Chiffchaff 

North Shore

Wheatear 1 on Heliport, as was this Lapwing - Kevin Singleton

Red-Throated Diver 1 out distantly (in Cumbria) - Pete

South shore (Malcolm)

Two checks out from the saltmarsh, late morning on the rising tide and evening after the tide had ebbed.

Pink Footed goose 79 - 78 in a south bound skein at 12:00, plus 1 having a rest on the shore.

It wasn't injured, as later on I saw it fly off. It must have just flown as far as
it could and needed a rest. The wet mud looking blue, reflecting the sky.

Shelduck 94

Wigeon 30 - 5 small groups (7, 6, 8, 7 and 2) flew south from Red Nab as the tide covered it

Mediterranean gull 15 minimum - only 3 seen this morning but at least 15 this evening, including 2 x 2nd calendar year and 3 ringed birds. The 2 read have been seen here already this year.

Two of this morning's Meds with Dunlin

I didn't go to the waterline, but this morning there were at least:

Oystercatcher 400

Curlew 50

Knot 500

Bar-Tailed Godwit 15

Close to the shoreline 

Lapwing 6 on the saltmarsh 

Grey Plover 28 resting this morning, just one in the evening 

Grey Plover in the low evening light

Ringed Plover, none this morning but 35 feeding this evening 

Redshank 50

Dunlin c600 feeding this morning, but they were very flighty.

Dunlin coming in to feed, at the same spot they just took flight from!

Black-Tailed Godwit 6 - they came in/off and settled with the feeding birds.

Black-Tailed Godwit coming in to land 

But when the Dunlin took flight again they flew off to the north

Other movement, all in/off then either east or SE.

Meadow Pipit 22

Pied Wagtail 1

Swallow 3 together

Grounded

Wheatear 1

Linnet c80 - c40 each feeding on Ocean Edge grass and saltmarsh (both groups visible at the same time). These are some on the grass this evening 

In the Nature Park

Common Darter 3

Red Admiral 4

Comma 1

Speckled wood 1

This juvenile Sparrowhawk was on the tall anemometer this evening 

Barnacle bonus

A light NE wind. Some sunny spells.

Heysham Nature Reserve (Jean)

Raven 1

Robin 14

Chiffchaff 4

There were 3 Roe Deer as well.

The grass was being mowed on the Heliport in readiness for checking the roosting Knot for colour rings. Thanks to everyone involved.

At least 15, possibly 29 Common Snipe, depending whether they landed again 

South shore (Malcolm).

A late morning walk from Red Nab to saltmarsh and back.

Barnacle goose 17 (they are barely annual here) I spotted them flying low from the direction of the Lune estuary. 

They stayed low until they reached the shipping lane

Then gained height as they continued NW 

Barnacle goose

Shelduck 86

Wigeon 14 at Red Nab

Mediterranean gull 3 - 2 adult and a 2nd calendar year on Red Nab.

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull (top centre)

Kingfisher 2 at least. Two flew quickly (it's the only way they can fly!) south along the foreshore. A couple of minutes later one flew back. Then it, or another, flew south again just out from the foreshore.

Kingfisher 

Little Egret 6

Grey Heron 1

Heron arriving at Red Nab

There was generally little passage, but a flurry around 11:00 saw these come in off

Skylark 1

Meadow Pipit 12

Pied Wagtail 11 

On the ground

25 Pied Wagtail feeding on Ocean Edge grass.

Linnet 40+ on Saltmarsh 

Wheatear 2

Robin and a Dunnock - I suspect one is an interloper 

The sun came out as I went through the Nature Park

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter 5

Female Common Darter

Red Admiral 3

Small White 7

Female Small White

Not much better than yesterday, but at least it was dry.

A light north wind. Sunny spells and dry.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

I put up a couple of nets on the off chance a Yellow-browed Warbler might be around. Spoiler - it wasn't. But a small flock of young Goldfinches descended and 7 new ones were caught, as was an older male from 2022 that should have known better! 

Other than that two Great Tits were retrapped, a juv from April that has now revealed itself to be a female, and another young female that was a nestling in one of the Landscape Strip nest boxes in May. There were also two Dunnocks, both this year's birds. 

Apart from the birds attracted to the feeders I heard a Chiffchaff calling but didn't manage to catch it. 

South shore (Malcolm)

Red Nab then out from the saltmarsh.

Mediterranean gulls 7 at least. 3 adult and a 1st calendar year on Red Nab (probably others out of sight). 3 adults on the shore.

First calendar year Mediterranean gull (centre)

All the other gulls on the beach were stood, but the Meds chose to sit!
I eventually saw their legs and none were ringed

Wigeon 14 came in to Red Nab

Wigeon

Shelduck 185 - these tides completely cover the mud which brings the small molluscs back to the surface. The Shelduck were taking advantage, they were all over the shore.

Grey Plover 9 were resting on the mud close to the saltmarsh 

Grey Plover and Shelduck

Redshank 76 around the saltmarsh 

There were a few small groups of waders feeding high up the shore, but only Dunlin seen.

Dunlin feeding close to the shoreline 

There was a flock of c1,500 waders along the waterline, mainly Knot and Dunlin but also at least 20 Bar-Tailed Godwit and 30 Grey Plover

Oystercatcher 200

On the saltmarsh 

Linnet 40+ 

Meadow Pipit 2 

Wheatear 1 

Wheatear with its feathers fluffed out

Swallow 1 south

Heysham skear - low water 18:20 (Malcolm)

I checked about an hour before low water, there was very little on the sea.

Eider 6

Red-Breasted Merganser 3

Great Crested Grebe 1

Little,Egret 9

Oystercatcher c500

Knot c200

Curlew 60

Redshank 40

Turnstone 35

Ringed Plover 3

Ringed Plover

This Herring gull has a Whelk shell, it appears empty, but almost certainly 
contains a Hermit Crab. The gull wont be able to prise it out, so will have to
drop the shell from height to break it open My money is on the Hermit crab

There is still loads of gutweed and sea lettuce. Many areas of the skear are green.

All the green is either gutweed or sea lettuce. If it stays like this the
Brent geese will only feed close to the shore at high water this winter.

Well......not even the ducks were impressed!

It rained all day!  Light east wind till after lunch then it switched to north.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds.

The cygnet has rejoined the adults on the main pond.

No Mallard, no Gadwall and just 5 Tufted Duck

1 winter plumage Little Grebe

Coot 20

Moorhen 2

South shore (Malcolm)

A check from Red Nab to saltmarsh in the morning and a walk along the sea wall in the evening.

Shelduck 23

Wigeon 15 - on Red Nab this morning, resting on the mud between outfalls this evening.

Some of the Red Nab Wigeon

This evening's resting Wigeon

Rock Pipit 5. 3 together on the foreshore this morning, 2 along the sea wall this evening.

Wheatear 2

Wheatear in the rain

Linnet c60

Linnet shaking off the rain

Pied Wagtail 57 feeding on Ocean Edge grass this evening 

Chiffchaff 1 in the same small piece of scrub at the Red Nab end of the foreshore as the Sedge warbler was in the other week

The only waders feeding high up the shore were Redshank 175

Redshank having a rest on the foreshore 

Grey plover 2 with c 150 oystercatcher along the waterline

Snipe 2 - one this morning and one this evening flew high over the saltmarsh towards Middleton Nature Reserve 

Lapwing just 1 seen

Mediterranean gull 1 adult flew along the sea wall this evening. There were no gulls on the beach by the wooden jetty

Little Egret 4

Grey Heron 1

Kingfisher 1 this evening resting on the rocks at the side of No.2 outfall.

The Kingfisher is in the centre of this location shot

The Shelduck this evening were feeding where I photographed the tiny snails (see post 24/09/24). They will be feeding on them in this clip.

The weather is set to be fairer tomorrow