Lots of Knot

A warm largely sunny day with a light SE breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

The ringing today wasn’t as exciting as yesterday. A Chiffchaff and a Blackcap were the only warblers. An irruptive flock of 11 Long-tailed Tits were all new birds. A couple of Blackbirds were also new.

Overhead vis of southbound birds consisted of:

Brambling 1

Chaffinch 25

Redwing 16

Skylark 16

Starling 60

Woodpigeon 296 (includes 200 seen at Middleton)

Blackbird 19 took off from bushes and headed south.

296 Pink-footed Geese were seen, with 170 early ones that were probably ex-roost heading north and birds later in the morning heading south.

A female Brimstone butterfly next to office and two butterflies heading rapidly south, a red admiral and what was probably a glimpse of another

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Early morning ringing included:

A Blackcap, Treecreeper and three unringed Cetti’s Warbler 

Heysham Skear (Malcolm)

Two checks today, one as the skear was being covered 07:30 - 09:00. And again as it was uncovered 14:45 - 16:15

Pink-Footed goose 28 (20+8) NE

Pink-Footed geese catching the morning sun

Eider 80 

Some of this afternoon's Eider, there is another raft in the background 

Red-Breasted Merganser 2

Male Merganser

Great Crested grebe 1

Great Crested Grebe just swallowing a fish

Little Egret 2 this morning but 8 on the ebbing tide this afternoon.

Little Egret, also with a fish

Shag at least one juvenile each visit

Skylark 1 east this morning 

Common Snipe 7 individuals flew east this morning 

The reason for today's visits was to check the Knot. There ended up being an impressive 5,000 this morning, all eventually leaving to the south. There were 2,000 waiting for the skear to become exposed this afternoon, but no more arrived.

The inner skear was still in the shadow of the shore as I walked out this 
morning, but the sun was catching these incoming Knot and the
honeycomb worm reefs behind

More soon arrived and there were lots more to come 

They were very compact and the rapidly rising tide and at least one 
Peregrine Falcon kept moving them on. Still there was a reasonable 
number of flagged birds amongst them this morning, but again not
so many amongst the 2,000 this afternoon 

These are some of this morning's Knot blotting out the Power Stations

Dunlin 15 with the Knot

Curlew 40+ this afternoon. Other waders similar to recent 

Curlew and Oystercatcher 

Great Firecrest and YBW double!

A dry day with plenty of sunshine in the morning. A light SE breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Ringing:

Only 9 new birds caught today. A case of quality rather than quantity:

Firecrest 1

Yellow-browed Warbler 1

Chaffinch 3

Goldfinch 2

Blackbird 1

Blue Tit 1

Male Firecrest

Yellow Browed Warbler

There was actually some vis this morning:

22 Fieldfare

30 chaffinch

55 Starling

Woodpigeon 674 - most in the first 45 minutes of daylight 

Chaffinch 90

Goldfinch 30 (one flock)

Carrion Crow 44

Skylark 4+

Siskin 1+

All south apart from 200 Pink-footed Geese which flew north and were probably ex roost from Cockerham Marsh.

Woodcock one calling from near the gate to the top path

Male brimstone butterfly flying about next to car park late am

South shore

I checked from Red Nab to the saltmarsh (Malcolm) 09:30 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 6

Brent geese and Shelduck

Pink-Footed goose 40 south, later 8 north

Shelduck 9

Wigeon 130 ended up on the saltmarsh 

Little Egret 3

Rock Pipit 1

Reed Bunting 6 at the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting

No Shag seen at Red Nab, but later Kevin saw one near No.1 outfall

Juvenile Shag......looking shaggy!

Heliport wall

There were c2000 Knot roosting on the wall. Howard checked them but
could see no flagged birds - more on this later

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 14:00 - 15:30

Eider 62

It was all very serine this afternoon 

Great Crested Grebe 3

Shag only one juvenile seen.

Shag and a Great Crested grebe

Knot 2250 - a flock of 2000 arrived on the skear just as it was being exposed. They fed in the same area for an hour, and I checked them from all sides but I could only find five flagged birds. It puts yesterday's four flagged birds from a flock of fifty into prospective! The other 250 arrived later and headed to the seaward end of the skear, there was little point in following them as the light was already closing in.

This is slightly odd behaviour, the Black-Headed gulls normally feed like this when there is an abundance of shrimps. But it is a bit early for the tiny shrimps and the flat sea doesn't tempt the larger ones in. It is obviously related to the speed that these very high tides ebb, all kinds of small fish and invertebrates will be caught out. Although the gulls seem to be doing more arguing than feeding!

Same again.....but with flags on

Overnight rain again and the odd morning shower. A fresh SE wind.

South shore (Malcolm) 09:00- 10:00

I started at Red Nab slightly earlier in the tide than yesterday, but the juvenile Shag was already snorkelling just below the sea wall. It was still raining so I was using my old camera, but the Shag was so close it didn't matter. You can see it probing with its bill to flush out whatever there is. I suspect that it is after Common Blennies, but I have yet to see it catch one. It does take the odd shrimp too when the opportunity arises, but not in this clip.

As the tide rose, it flew to the rocks to roost

It was still there (far left) later as I returned from the saltmarsh

It ended up on the grass just below the sea wall, then eventually flew
off towards the wooden jetty.

If it is feeding primarily on Common Blennies, then it will be depleting a finite resource. Blennies are territorial, never moving far from their chosen rock/crevice. Even when the tide is out they remain damp enough to survive under their rock. Any taken by the Shag will eventually be replaced, but not immediately.

There was a Cormorant also foraging.

Little Egret 2

Got it before it took flight today

Kingfisher 1 flew east from Red Nab (Janet also saw it later on the ebb tide)

Rock Pipit 2 - one each Red Nab and foreshore 

Rock Pipit on one of the rocks that gives Red Nab its name

Saltmarsh 

Linnet c70

Reed Bunting 6

Common Snipe 4

Wigeon 140

Kevin Eaves checked along the wall later

Grey Seal 1 at No.2 outfall

One of three Ruby Tiger caterpillars along the wall, maybe waiting to pupate/hibernate. 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds saw wildfowl unchanged. Surprisingly, there was just a single Tufted Duck on the "no swimming" pond.

Little Grebe and Gadwall

Heysham Skear (Malcolm) 13:30 - 14:30

Again I went early as the skear was becoming exposed. These tides go out so quickly that very soon a large expanse of skear is exposed.

Eider just 3 females

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Little Egret 2

Shag 5 juveniles minimum. 5 was the most seen at one time. Once with 2 resting and 3 feeding, another with 2+3 resting. It is safe to assume there were likely more.

These look to be the same rock, but they are different ones. The reason why
most of the rocks out here are a similar shape, is because they have all eroded
in the same way. The rushing tide undermines them forming an inverted cone,
they then topple over and the process starts again. There will only be the largest 
rocks and the granite ones in a few hundred years. Can't wait!

Waders as recent except for Knot. Initially there were just 50, but remarkably they included four flagged birds! Yesterday, I couldn't find any flagged birds out of 150. By the time I left today there were 800, but I only saw another 3 flagged ones.

It isn't easy checking for flagged birds when they feed on the areas stripped 
of mussels. This is an Icelandic ringed bird

Shags showing well again.

Very heavy overnight rain eased at first light. After that it just about remained dry. The south wind drifting to SE by evening.

South shore

I didn't have much time this morning (Malcolm), so just a quick check at Red Nab at 08:30, 90 minutes before high water.

Shag 1 juvenile snorkelling just below the sea wall

It was clearly planning to roost on Red Nab, but today's 9.4m tide will
have moved it on, it would be interesting to see where to, perhaps tomorrow.

Little Gull 1 - I didn't walk down the wall, but it was clearly visible on No.2 outfall from Red Nab

Distant, but unmistakable Little Gull.
When Kevin Checked in the afternoon there was no sign of it.

Most of the Wigeon had already moved on, but a few lingered

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

A very quick passing check of the main pond saw wildfowl pretty much as yesterday afternoon, no sign of the Pochard 

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 13:00 - 14:00

The skear was just becoming exposed when I started.

Eider 34 - 24 on the sea plus 6 and 4 north

Eider

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Great Crested Grebe 1

Little Egret 1

Shag at least 3 juveniles, almost certainly 4, possibly more. They were alternating between feeding and resting on rocks, I think all the larger rocks supported at least one Shag at some point. Three was the most seen resting at any one time.

Shag, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Knot

A Great Crested grebe drifts past in this clip

Oystercatcher 300

Curlew 15

Redshank 80

Knot 150 - initially in several small flocks but ended up as one. No flagged birds were seen.

Turnstone 40

A south side story

A fresh SW wind. Showers on and off all day.

South shore 

I checked along the sea wall 09:00 (high water) to 10:30 (Malcolm)

Shag 2 juveniles 

Juvenile Shag, roosting on what little was left of Red Nab at high water

When I returned much more of Red Nab was exposed and the Shag was snorkelling in the pool in the middle of the rocks.

Presumably this is the same bird that was feeding near No.2 outfall a couple of days ago. We rarely see Shag to the south of the harbour, but this one looks as though it intends to stay.

The second Shag was feeding along the south inner harbour wall

Cormorants on the wooden jetty, there were no more Shag seen here

Shelduck 3 and Wigeon 80 around Red Nab

Little Gull 1 - probable 2nd calendar year. Initially around No.2 outfall 

It then it took to patrolling the full length of the wall from Red Nab to the wooden jetty. It is between the wooded jetty and No.1 outfall in this clip.

It landed briefly to eat a morsel that it found

It was still feeding this afternoon when Kevin Eaves checked

The only news from the north side was:

Lonesome Sanderling arrived from north, fed briefly on tideline before heading towards Heysham - on shore between Battery and Stone Jetty late am dropping tide - Pete

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond (Malcolm)

I called in on my way home this morning, unfortunately it was tipping it down!

An influx of Tufted Ducks (24 total) was accompanied by a female Pochard. It looked more like the first bird we had rather than the younger second. It and the Tufted were feeding and were under the water for most of the time and I couldn't manage a shot (partly due to the feeding activity and rain, but mainly because I couldn't remember how to adjust the settings in my old, more expendable, pocket camera!).

The rain eased after lunch so I returned, but some of the Tufted and the Pochard had moved on. Possibly just to the "no swimming" pond which wasn't checked.

Tufted Duck 14 remained

Gadwall 12

Little Grebe 3

Gadwall and Tufted Duck

Little Grebes