Routine fare

Heysham Obs
Two quick looks at the outfalls/Red Nab on the incoming tide and one 5 minute look from he locked gate on the north harbour wall.

Wooden jetty
One juv Shag as viewed from the gate

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Outfalls
Little Gull - usual three
Sandwich Tern - 3
Med Gull - 2 adult

Vis from the office
Very little; 3 Grey Wagtail, 3 Collared Dove and a pair of Raven inland. There have been no semi-resident Raven so far this late summer/autumn and both recent sightings have been purposefully 'through'.

Ringing next to the office
Just the one shower dodging net for a short time produced one Chiffchaff!

Insects
2 Silver Y and Frosted Orange of note (latter scarce here)

Elsewhere
Black-necked Grebe JUV still present Conder Pool

Good inshore selection, nothing offshore

Heysham Obs
Two visits to the outfalls/Red Nab on the incoming tide and one visit to the NHW/wooden jetty view

Outfalls/Red Nab
Black Tern - juv on the first visit but didnt remain on the outfalls for 2nd visit
Sandwich Tern - one
Kittiwake - one 2nd W
Med Gull - 3 x ad, one juv-> 1st W with what appeared to be metal ring above tarsus on left leg
Little Gull - 2 x 2nd W, 1 x Ad
Common Gull - 2 juvs

North wall
No Meds!
Shag - 2 juv on wooden jetty, one of which arrived via close inshore along the north harbour wall

Vis mig
3 Grey Wagtail over first thing

Offshore
Just 2 adult Kittwake out in 20-25mins

Elsewhere
Black-necked Grebe Conder Pool (no further details as yet e.g. age)

Sprinkling of migrants

Heysham Obs
Ringing was undertaken at Middleton & by the office at HNR

Middleton IE
Too far inland to receive any of the landfalling migrants by the time we had to finish (1000hrs) but a few visible migrants
Tree Pipit - one ringed
Grey Wagtail - 7 colour-ringed out of about 14 heading S/SE
Swallow - c20 SE
Meadow Pipit - 5 SE
House Martin - 35 SE
alba Wagtail - c15 SE
Goldfinch - a few whizzing about, some of which could be on passage

Heysham nature reserve
Willow Warbler - 2 ringed
Chiffchaff - 4 ringed
Redstart - 2 ringed (quite scarce in autumn here)
Grey Wagtail - 5 colour-ringed (12 in total today from the two sites) & at least one other over

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 3 adults
Sandwich Tern - 1
....but no Little Gulls in the calmer weather - should be back inshore tomorrow?
Wheatear - at least one

North harbour wall
Med Gull - Ad & 2 x 2nd W & 1 x 3d W

Moth trap
Continuing the conifer fest, Pine Carpet was a new species (I think) for Heysham NR. 15 Silver Y were disappointingly not accompanied by any other migrants. The only other unusual records were Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (not annual) and a second brood Bright-line Brown Eye
Elsewhere
60 Crossbill Foulshaw and 3+ Osprey still there. [Ortolan Walney Island]

Another terrestrial & aerial day

Heysham Obs
A bit of vis this morning, notably Swallow

Middleton IE vis mig passage
Tree Pipit - 1 SW
Meadow Pipit - 5 SE
Linnet - 1 SE
Raven - one high to the NE (first record for a bit)
Swallow - c150 SE
House Martin - 15 SE
alba Wagtail (first evidence of movement as opposed to loafing around) - 18 SE
Grey Wagtail - 8 SE (4 colour ringed)
a lot of blogging Goldfinch may have included some movement

Grounded migrants
Wheatear - 13 coastal birds
Willow Warbler - c10 reserve/dog walk track & 4 ringed Middleton
Whitethroat - just the one ringed at Middleton - the only one seen!

Middleton IE
Tufted Duck - 5
Pochard - 1
Shoveler - late news for yesterday - 4 flying over Middleton

Moths
The first Spruce Carpet for here - surely the last of the easy moths missing from the Heysham list. Also 6 Silver Y and a Rusty Dot Pearl on the migrant front [Gem at nearby Sunderland]. More notable residents included Red Underwing and Pinion-streaked Snout in the hut trap and Oblique Carpet in a wetland actinic trap.

Elsewhere
Found out that the metal ringed Ad Med Gull at Broadway is indeed 36W minus the darvic - the metal ring was read on 17/8 - this bird was present today at Broadway along with a 2nd W.

Mainly terrestrial coverage

Heysham Obs
No coverage of Ocean Edge/outfalls that I know of today - anyone able to contribute?

North wall brief visit
Med Gull - 2 adults coming to bread

Heysham Nature Reserve CES etc.
Goldcrest - first two of the autumn (ringed)
Willow Warbler & Chiffchaff - small numbers
Whitethroat - 2 ringed
Grey Wagtail - one colour-ringed and at least one other over

Middleton IE
Grey Wagtail - c11 south east with 4 of these colour-ringed.
Lesser Whitethroat - adult ringed
Garden Warbler - one ringed
Swallow - c20 south/south-east

Moths
Red-green Carpet was a surprise - early & scarce here. 36 Double-striped Pug might be some kind of record!

Elsewhere
Juv Little Tern & Shag still at Morecambe Stone Jetty but the former very elusive when not flying/feeding. 8 Sandwich Tern offshore

They're back

Heysham Obs
Please see yesterday's note about observing ringing this autumn

North harbour wall
Med Gull - the Czech-ringed adult and 3rd winter were patrolling the wall again after an absence of 1+ weeks
Shag - juv wooden jetty (another at SJ - see below)
Ringed Plover - 43 heliport

Outfalls
Very poor with just one adult Little Gull of note at high tide. However, Ocean Edge saltmarsh area not checked.

Moths
Frosted Orange new for the year. Also present were local species Toadflax Pug (2) and Agriphila latistria (2).

Toadflax Pug - photo John Girdley

Elsewhere
Dark-morph Arctic Skua 'in' 0838 (no systematic early morning seawatching at Heysham) at Morecambe Stone Jetty, juv Shag by Bubbles groyne early am and the juv Little Tern fishing of the SJ on the dropping tide at lunchtime.

Decent wader numbers on accreting saltmarsh

Heysham Obs
I have just been perusing the latest Birdwatching magazine and it encourages people to go out and attend ringing sessions at observatories etc. now the autumn migration is under way. Unfortunately it does not make clear that in order for the welfare of the bird to be absolutely paramount, it is very difficult for a lone ringer to be suddenly faced with people hoping for a lengthy instruction/demonstration. Obviously, at a public site like Heysham NR, we have many people stopping to have a look at one/two birds being ringed before moving on, and this is not a problem. Unexpected lengthy stays, however, can lead to perhaps small delays in mist nets rounds etc. etc. as people are shown the fine detail of a majority of the birds caught and questions are being asked & answered. We have many single-ringer-operation sessions at Heysham. So PLEASE let us know if you are likely to be visiting and wanting to observe ringing for the duration of the session. This is so we can try and arrange for a second (or third) person to "do the explaining" and allow the timing of the mist net rounds etc. to remain "a tight ship" as regards the bird's welfare. Thanks. See contacts on the right of this page.

One hour of coverage improved with time as a 'watching paint dry' seawatch was followed by a reasonable collection on the outfalls/Red Nab and then a nice mixed bunch of small waders on the embryonic saltmarsh beginning to form on the 'seaward' side of the main OE saltmarsh channel. It is still largely in the 'wet mud'/enteromorpha stage, with a scattering of glasswort and spartina, which small waders seem to like.

North harbour wall 0910-0940
Gannet - one distant
Fulmar - 2 out fairly close
a procession of juv LBB Gull out
Shag - one juv on wooden jetty
again a complete lack of Med Gulls

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
Common Tern - ad & 2 juvs
Arctic Tern - juv
Kittiwake - 1st summer->2nd winter
Little Gull - the usual three
Med Gull - same adult as yeterday
Ringed Plover - 113 in the area described above
Dunlin - 44 as above
Turnstone - 4 as above
Little Egret - one flushed from OE saltmarsh by dog - flew south
Wheatear - 6

Insects
The first Red Underwing of the year in the moth trap and a high count of 5 Holly Blue in the mist netting area by the office

Elsewhere
Juvenile Little Tern by the Morecambe Stone jetty lunchtime at least (to at least 1245hrs), also 5 Med Gulls north Morecambe foreshore/playing field. Freckleton (Ribble) "responded" to the '48 Little Egret at Leighton' LDBWS site posting with a total of 81!

Dribble of seabirds & a Prescott moment

Heysham Obs
Highlighted by TWO juvenile Shag on the wooden jetty late afternoon - unusual in August

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls - 3 visits
Little Gull - 2 ad/2nd W at long range
Common Tern - juv
Arctic Tern - juv
Med Gull - adult Red Nab
Wheatear - 2

North harbour wall - 3 visits
Arctic Skua - dark morph out
Fulmar - 2 out
Manx Shearwater - one out
Kittiwake - one out, 12 behind a late afternoon freight ferry and one blogging around the harbour
Eider - 2 females
Shelduck - 8 (flock) high into the Bay - this species seems to flag itself up during rubbishy autumnal seawatches (often with Pintail)

Heysham head
Gannet - adult summer early evening, then sat on rocks

There has been no sign of any patrolling Med Gulls for a week or so - presumably they are in the wet fields somewhere, but there has been a secondhand report of a 'seagull' being killed after swallowing a hook. Any info on this anyone, please?

Moths
Agriphila latistria at this long-term regular site but nothing else of interest.

Elsewhere
48 Little Egret seen to leave the island mere roost as viewed from the Leighton Moss lower hide this morning. This is a north Lancs record but currently being exceeded by 60(+?) at Freckleton. Not sure of the situation at Ashton Hall but this roost has not seen any dramatic increases above the low teens after being the original egret roost in this area. 2nd W Med Gull Warton floods

Storm Petrel an unexpected highlight

Heysham Obs
Probably should have been here a bit earlier in the morning - most of the stuff in the first half hour of seawatching. A very narrow window in the afternoon before the first band of rain sent the wind critically just south of south-west and any seabirds dried up/were too far out to sea

North harbour wall 0715-0915 minus 0815-0835
Shag - juv on wooden jetty for short period
Kittiwake - 1st summer patrolling the north wall
Gannet - 17 out - all before 0745hrs
Manx Shearwater - 16 out in one straggling group 0730hrs
Arctic Skua - dark morph out 0810hrs
Sandwich Tern - 2 in
Eider - 2 females in harbour then along NHW
Whimbrel - one disturbed from the seawall whilst unlocking gate
Wheatear - one

Ocean Edge/outfalls 0820-0830
Little Gull - the usual 3
Med. Gull - one adult & also one juvenile on quick check at 1030hrs (& 2 juv Common Gull around)
Common Tern - one juv
Mute Swan - two have been on Red Nab the last three days
Wheatear - 3

North harbour wall 1400-1630
Storm Petrel - one into the Bay about 1430ish just after a ferry and the tide starting to move
Arctic Skua - light and dark morph adults out together 1415hrs
Manx Shearwater - 3 out together 1410hrs
Gannet - 1 in c1620
Sandwich Tern - 2 out

Elsewhere
2 Greenshank Sunderland tidal road.

Routine sightings in poor visibility

Heysham Obs
The collection of gulls on Red Nab on the late afternoon tide were really difficult to go through due to heat haze, state of moult, sleeping position and unfavourable sunlight - there could have been more than 2 Meds, for example

Cumulative total from Ocean Edge foreshore/outfalls and Red Nab
Little Gull - 2 x 2nd W, 1 x Ad W
Med Gull - 2 apparent adults - one the regular small bird
Common Tern - juv
Sandwich Tern - one
Arctic Tern - adult - rather surprising record

HNReserve dipping pond
Kingfisher mid-afternoon

Middleton IE
Now two Tufted Duck but no sign of yesterdays Aythya, perhaps a hybrid involoving Pochard

Butterflies/dragonflies
Yet again too windy for the census at Middleton but this did include a single Wall Brown and a late 4-spotted Chaser. 3 male Emperor and an ovipositing Migrant Hawker were also observed. A walk round the reserve by Colin mid afternoon saw: 27 Meadow Brown, 2 Gatekeeper, 5 Common Blue, 2 Small Copper, 4 Peacock, 1 Brimstone, 3 Large White, 1 Small White, 9 Speckled Wood, 3 Red Admiral, just one Migrant Hawker, 2 Brown Hawker, female Common Hawker and c100 Common Darter (but no Ruddy or Black seen)

Moths
A poor catch included Agriphila latistria and a probable Acleris variegana but no migrants

Elsewhere
Med Gull - four from Glasson seawall - 3 Ad-types and a 2nd W. 3CY Yellow-legged Gull but no sign of adult. Tree Pipit south over High Tatham at 0935 - this record assisted by yesterdays departure of the extremely noisy nest-bound juvenile House Martins!