A bit of winter colour

A fine sunny day with a light west breeze.

South shore (Malcolm)

I checked the waterline to the south of Ocean Edge this morning on the rising tide. There were almost no waders and a scan further south couldn't see any either.

Grey Plover 1 briefly on waterline, then south

Knot 65 south in three small flocks

Dunlin 1 south

Curlew 13 south in ones and twos

Curlew

Oystercatcher 15 feeding along the waterline plus several small groups north to Red Nab.

Pink-Footed goose 55 in a very high flock flying south.

Closer to the saltmarsh 

Lapwing 17

Redshank 23

Linnet 18 feeding on Samphire seeds.

Reed Bunting 1

Reed Bunting 

Dunnock also on the saltmarsh fringe

Red Nab

Pale-bellied Brent goose 27 before flying off to the south.

Some of the Brent geese getting ready to leave

Shelduck 10

Shelduck

Wigeon 165

Curlew and Oystercatcher 

The light for most of January made the world look monochrome. Today the bright sun made the colourful birds even more striking.

Female Kingfisher on her favoured rock by the freshwater culvert on Red Nab
Unfortunately, her short legs making it impossible to tell if this is the one ringed
earlier this winter on Middleton Nature Reserve

In the Nature Park 

Female Bullfinch.

Male Chaffinch

Goldfinch 

Jean managed a few checks today:

Some sightings from Middleton NR this afternoon:

Main pond

Mute Swan - the usual pair plus the immature

Gadwall 15 pairs 

Mallard 5 pairs plus a spare drake

Tufted Duck 1 male

Coot 1

Moorhen 2

Black-headed Gull 77

Herring Gull 3

Long-tailed Tit 3 on the feeder

The Mute Swans did a good job of seeing off some off-lead dogs that had raced
to the pond after being released from a car. The dogs came to a screeching halt
as they got to the three swans with their wings fluffed out and did an abrupt
about turn back to their owner!

Ringing area

Gadwall 1 pair on the fence pond

Mallard 1 male on the fence pond

Teal 5 (M&F on the fence pond, 3 in the dyke)

Snipe 3 in the central marsh

Moorhen 1 on the west

No Cetti's heard

Blackbird 2

Greenfinch 1

Magpie 1

Robin 1

Wren 1

Heysham NR

A Mistle Thrush was singing in the sunshine (I thought they heralded rain but not this one).

Some garden news

There were 16 Wood Pigeon in the conifers behind Janet's house on Meldon Rd
She doesn't normally see Wood Pigeons here, she has been away for
2 weeks, they may have arrived anytime in that period.

This is my garden (Malcolm). I've known for some while that there was
fox activity in my garden after dark. But this is 11:45!

A bit more going on

Early showers then a mainly dry day with some sunny spells. A north wind shifted to the west in the afternoon.

Red Nab (Malcolm)

Just a quick look at high water.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 18

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 150

Waders included: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone.

One each, Brent goose, Shelduck and Oystercatcher, plus two Wigeon

Wigeon and Oystercatcher 

Cormorant and Oystercatcher 

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 11 (almost certainly some of this morning's birds)

Brent geese flying north along the western edge of the skear
in the fading evening light

Eider 125

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male

Great Crested Grebe 3

Great Crested Grebes

Oystercatcher 2,000

The Oystercatcher with the leucitic head was around today.
It's probably always around, but I don't always see it.

Curlew 25

Bar-Tailed Godwit 5

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Redshank 200

Dunlin 35

Turnstone 25

Ringed Plover 8

Knot 1,250 - there were a few small feeding groups inshore and more around the skear edges. I estimated 350 total then flocks of 400 and 500 appeared and settled along the western edge of the skear.

A fresh west wind like this evening's muddies the shallow margins, allowing small shrimps to feed close in, and in turn many of the Knot were feeding on the shrimps.

Although the shrimps are still small, they are getting larger. This Knot has one.

The bulk of the Knot were along the western edge and the light was fading quickly, a few coded birds were seen, but probably no new ones for this winter.

An interesting Eider ring recovery

A cold fresh SE wind. Showers in the morning, less frequent in the afternoon with the odd sunny (short) spell.

North shore this afternoon on the ebbing tide (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 3 

Three Brent geese flying to the north

20 minutes later, presumably the same 3 flew back

Eider 37 including several 2nd calendar year males.

Four of the Eider coming in

Adult and 2nd calendar year Eider - only obvious for the males

A metal detectorist (Matthew Smith) located an unburied metal ring high up the shore at Heysham yesterday. This has been identified as belonging to a male Eider. Already at least 2 years old when it was ringed at Foulney Island, Cumbria, 20-Jul-2019. 

It was ringed by Ian Hartley and it was Ian who provided this detail - Many thanks to both Ian and Matthew.

Red-breasted Merganser 7

Oystercatcher 2,500 (A higher estimate today, but probably no more birds than usual and there were probably more. I only estimate what I can see at any one time, today more were concentrated in the small area of shore exposed).

Curlew 30

Redshank 100

Knot 100

Turnstone 25

Ringed Plover 8

Oystercatcher, Knot and a Ringed Plover

The Knot were mainly hunkered down, but two were seen to be flagged, both have been seen previously on the skear this winter.

Part of a UK scheme. Ringed on Ainsdale beach Merseyside 08/05/24

Dodging the showers was the plan, but the showers had other ideas!

A fresh SE wind increasing till late afternoon then easing again. Overcast but with only one significant shower!

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds

Main Pond

Mute Swan pair + 1 immature 

Gadwall 33

Mallard 5

Tufted Duck 1 - feeding amongst the Black-Headed gulls

Coot 2

Moorhen 4

"No swimming" pond

Teal 1 male flew off to the north

Mallard 6

Coot 1

Moorhen 1

Little Grebe 1

Little Grebe in winter plumage 

Grey Heron 1

Heron coming in to land

Between the ponds

Goldfinch 14 feeding in the Alders

Goodfinch

Bullfinch pair stripping the buds from the Blackthorn bushes.

Pink-Footed goose 14 south

North shore (Malcolm)

I went down early in the ebbing tide, before the rain started, unfortunately the rain hadn't read the forecast and started early!

Pale-bellied Brent goose 26 arrived from the north in one flock and landed amongst the rocks to the north of the play area.

Brent flock arriving......

.......and landing to the north of the play area

Eider 21

Red-breasted Merganser 7 at least

Teal 1 male (surly too much of a coincidence to be the one that flew from the "no swimming" pond earlier)

Teal

All the regular waders present, but only 11 Knot.

The rain had stopped by the time I reached home, and contrary to the original forecasts it didn't rain agin!

A calm between the storms

Yesterday's gales had eased by evening. The wind was still quite a fresh SW today till it eased further and switched to SE by evening. Dry with plenty of sunshine.

Several observers checked the sea on the south and north sides, but there was no sign of yesterday's Little gull.

Male Bullfinch in the Nature Park

Pale-bellied Brent geese 10 - off play area north of Heysham Head (David Kaye)

North shore (Malcolm)

I checked the inner skear at low water this afternoon. The inner skear was the only area exposed by the tide, but we are moving back to higher tides now.

Eider 7

No mergansers or grebes seen.

When little of the skear is exposed the waders are more concentrated. In this clip, Dunlin, Knot, Oystercatcher and Redshank. I was going to say feeding frantically, but some of the Knot at the end of the clip are resting.

Oystercatcher 1,200

Curlew 30

Redshank 200

Knot 400

Dunlin 20

Turnstone 25

Ringed Plover 6

Lapwing 42 - Lapwings are unusual on this side, presumably some displaced by yesterday's storm where returning to wherever they came from.

Lapwings heading south over the skear

There were very few coded birds amongst the Knot, just two read.

This Knot is part of a Dutch scheme, details awaited

Strong winds from the SE with heavy rain forecast for tomorrow afternoon, doesn't sound very promising!

Gale force winds brings at least one Little gull close in

SW gale force winds began easing by late afternoon. A dry and often sunny day after overnight rain.

South sea wall (Malcolm)

I battled out against the wind just after lunch when the wind was at its strongest. This coincided with low water, but it wasn't too far out as low water was only 3.5m and the SW wind was blowing it up the shore.

Little Gull - three sightings but likely all of the same adult.

There was one flying over the low water to the south of No.1 outfall 

This is No.1 outfall, you can just make out the Little gull in bottom left corner
The sea in the foreground would normally be mud at this point in the tide,
but the strong winds have driven it high up the shore

Adult Little gull. 

You could barely stand at the roundhead, I had to shelter behind the lighthouse. From there I managed a couple of glimpses of a distant Little gull, before this one drifted into the harbour mouth.

I assumed it was going to drift in and rest in the relatively calm harbour water, but it decided to take off and see if there was anything around to eat......

.....before flying off, surprisingly quickly, to the SW directly into the teeth of the gale!

Little gull

Great Black-Backed gull

Herring gull

Cormorant 

This Cormorant, near No.1 outfall caught a Bass.

Immediately it was surrounded by gulls. I don't really know why, as Cormorants always swallow their fish whole. Possibly they just look for any broken gill filaments. By the time I managed a clip the Cormorant was taking its catch under again. It turned out an awful clip quality wise, but probably better conveys what today's conditions were like.

Redshank, trying and ultimately failing to rest on No.1 outfall

Wigeon resting in the lee of the wind on No.2 outfall.
It wasn't a day for counting!

The wind blew me back, but it was even harder staying upright. By the time I was back to my car I was shattered! And all the while, I hadn't seen another soul - Can't think why!