20 & 21 Dec 2018

21 Dec
Merlin - one Heysham Head
Shag - 2cy harbour for 15 mins
Common Scoter - three females main channel, another female close inshore


20 Dec

Common Scoter - 1M, 3 F inshore seen from Knowlys Road

Small tortoiseshell!!

One by half moon bay cafe - nearly caught by Pied Wagtail!

Common Scoter - 3 fem
Great crested Grebe - 5 offshore

Whiting influx

The only report today was of lots of small Whiting being eaten by Cormorants and gulls in the harbour

Seaduck

No sign of female Scaup
Common Scoter - flock of 5 female in Eider line & single male and female close inshore
Cormorant - 108 roosting on wooden jetty and beach at low tide!

Scaup

Scaup - A rather restless female Scaup was close inshore off Knowlys play area this am.  It flew short distances twice, the second time looking like it was going to go into the bay but it circled and re-landed
Common Scoter - one inshore, 8-9 offshore in gang.  All female types
Med Gull - Ad on beach with usual Knowlys play-area gang - known wintering bird
Rock Pipit - one below Heysham Head cliffs

Dead cold snap

The only action today was the discovery and photography of a freshly dead 1cy Shag on Heysham south wall.  It didn’t have a Puffin Island bracelet, unlike many others found in Lancashire

Getting a bit repetitive - we need a new bird or two!

Seaduck check
A quick one:
Common Scoter - all together comprising 10 female types
Eider - only 135 counted
Great crested grebe - 4

Middleton
Coot - 1
Teal - 20
Gadwall - 34
Woodcock - 1
Meadow pipit - 3
Mute Swan - 9
Cetti’s warbler - one singing western marsh

Lowish tide sea check off the Head

Common Scoter - 3 inshore, tight flock of 6 in Eider line
Eider - no more than 150
Red-throated Diver - 1
Great crested Grebe - 3
Wigeon - 4 with Eider

No sign 1cy Shag
Skylark OE saltmarsh

Monday

Sorry about wrong day order.....
Mottled Umber in trap

Middleton Nature Reserve
Main pond
Mute 2 adult plus 3x 1cy
Gadwall 6
Mallard 4
Teal 2
Moorhen 1

No swimming pond
Mute 2
Coot 1
Moorhen 1
Shoveler 2 (m & f)
Gadwall 14
Teal 10
Moorhen 1

Tim Butler pond
Mute 1
Teal 19

Jack snipe 1
Common snipe 13

Green woodpecker (at least) 1
Raven 2 over to SW
Cetti's 1 - singing from willow stand closest to the new small ponds. 

Tuesday

245 Wigeon
232 Shelduck
Ad Med

Wate Rail hey Nr