A busy morning!

A cold start gradually warming in the sunshine. A light variable breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean

Visible migration

The light north-easterly airflow meant that quite a few different species of birds were visibly migrating over the Heysham area, some drifting a bit further east than they meant to and then having to turn back when they saw the sea and reorientate - this was the case with Redwing at least.  Here is what we managed to see in between net rounds so these are very much minimum numbers:

Pink-footed Goose  - 1945 south

Redwing - 636, probably many more

Mistle Thrush - 1 SE

Sparrowhawk - 1 south (often accompanies Redwings ie food)

Jackdaw - 160 south

Raven - 2 SW

Jay 3 - SW

Chaffinch - 10+ south

Siskin - 1+ south

BRAMBLING - 2 south

Bullfinch - 2 south

Goldfinch - flock of 20 south plus another 20 ringed

Greenfinch - flock of 15 SE plus 22 ringed

REDPOLL  - 1 south and 1 ringed so probably going south (today's target species for ringing)

Pied Wagtail - 1 south and 1 grounded

Skylark - 1+ south

House Sparrow - 1 arrived with a Greenfinch flock and chirped noisily from a bush near the office before heading south and into a net!  This species only turns up once a year on the nature reserve and always during migration time. 

Even lower (in height) migration included:

Wren - 4 unringed birds together in one net so must be on the move, plus one other.

Cetti's Warbler - 2 (1 ringed, 1 singing by the track up to the car park). 

Chiffchaff - 5 ringed

Ringing

The nets intercepted 65 birds from 0800-1215:

Greenfinch 23 (1 retrap)

Goldfinch 20 (5 retraps)

Chaffinch 1

Redpoll 1 

Chiffchaff 5

Cetti's Warbler 1 - an unprecedented 12 have been newly ringed at HNR this year so far. Last year there were 4 and previously none, although one has occasionally been heard on the reserve near the boardwalk.

Goldcrest 1 - unprecedentedly few so far this year! 

Long-tailed Tit 3 (1 retrap)

Blue tit 2

Dunnock 1 (retrap from 2023)

Robin 1

House Sparrow 1

Wren 5

Redpoll

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Alan

The sky was crystal clear overnight and in the morning and there was a quite heavy ground frost.  The three nets set (with very cold hands!) produced 35 birds by 11.30.Nine of one of the target species, Redwing, were caught out of approximately 50 that dropped to the Mp3 lure from very high in the sky on passage.
The total catch comprised:
Blackbird  3
Redwing  9
Great Tit  1 + 1 retrap
wren  2 + 1 retrap
Robin  2
Goldcrest  1 retrap  (this bird was ringed at Heysham on 03/10/26)
Cetti's Warbler  2
Blue Tit  1
Chaffinch  3  (passage birds)
Chiffchaff  4
Bullfinch  4
Greenfinch  1

South shore - Malcolm 14:45 - 16:00

I went to the waterline out from the saltmarsh to watch the last hour before high water. We are back to neap tides now and it was a little too low today to be ideal

No Linnets seen or heard around the saltmarsh 

Shelduck just 8 close in but many more further south

Redshank 40 close to the saltmarsh 

Curlew just 4

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2 

Oystercatcher 250 

Knot c1000 (more south of the recording area)

Dunlin 200

Sanderling 15

Knot

The two Bar-Tailed Godwit in this shot. Unfortunately the light was behind.
The Oystercatcher behind is just swallowing something.

One orange flagged Knot was seen, but not read. This Knot has
a pale blue ring, but has lost its orange flag

There were 14 Sanderling together and this lone bird. It looks to have found a small crab in this clip.

The bulk of the Sanderlings were on the waterline out from Red Nab

They were very mobile and not easy to count, but at least 14.

It was a juggling act today.....unfortunately all the balls ended up on the floor!

A cloudless sunny start till late morning when heavy showers began. The sun returned for the last few hours of daylight. A NW light wind.

South shore 

Malcolm 11:30 - 13:00. The morning sun and today's 8.3m tide were ideal for checking waders along the waterline. Unfortunately, by the time I reached the saltmarsh heavy rain had started. So I just went along the sea wall instead. Yesterday, during a basically wet day I managed a relatively dry walk along the sea wall. Today in what was supposedly a dry day, I got a soaking!

Linnet 150 on the saltmarsh 

Greenfinch 8 around the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 3 around the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 

Shelduck 113 out from the foreshore 

Shelduck filtering the mud

Wigeon 54 ended up on Red Nab

One of three Little Egret

The only passerine along the wall was this Pied Wagtail 

There were loads of Black-Headed gulls but mainly resting, not feeding.

Gulls along the south rail of No.2 outfall

Gulls along the north rail of No.2 outfall

There were also lots of gulls on the mud between the outfalls including 5 adult a 2nd calendar year and a 1st calendar year Mediterranean gull

2cy (top) and adult Mediterranean Gull

This green ringed adult is one of our regular veterans Ringed as a chick
in Germany 2012. It has been seen here pretty much every summer since

They were running out of space and another heavy shower was just starting. 
Time to head off.

Janet also checked Ocean Edge and was thwarted by the weather. At least the rain wetted mud provided a nice mirror effect 

Oystercatcher 

Redshank

Curlew

I returned in the sunshine this afternoon (Malcolm) 15:30 - 17:00. But the tide was now ebbing and the onshore wind holding the water on the mud for 50m beyond where the waterline should actually be, so no chance of checking legs for colour rings. Shame, there were a lot of waders.

c5000 waders, mainly Knot. But the sun was behind them 

These are along where the waterline should be, but I am stood in water here.
The only way to get a decent look at them was to wade out behind them

I managed to get behind them but the flock split in two

These to the north in full sunlight 

These on the south, but still well within the recording area.

14 Bar-Tailed Godwit were even further out

There were smaller waders higher up the shore so I left the Knot and Godwits in peace. Most of them were just sleeping anyway.

Knot nodding off

3 of 4 Grey Plover and 2 of 300 Dunlin

Dunlin and Redshank

This male Sparrowhawk is becoming a regular in Janet's garden

Clearly not one of the two that have been ringed in the recording area this autumn 

Fowl weather

It rained all morning, heavily at times, just the odd light shower in the afternoon. A light west(ish) breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

It was still raining when I set out, but a check of the two main ponds usually provides some interest on a wet day. 

Main pond:

Mute Swan pair

Mallard 8

Shoveler 1 

Coot 4

Moorhen 2

Cormorant 1

 Shoveler 

Mallard pair and a Coot

Mallard pair and a Moorhen 

"no swimming" pond. Surprisingly just two birds!

Mute Swan 1 although it wasn't Mute and was making contact calls, unfortunately no other Mute around to hear

Little Grebe 1

Mute Swan with a wry neck

Little Grebe

South shore - Malcolm 13:00 - 14:30

I was planning on just checking Red Nab, but somehow the rain largely held off and I managed a walk along the sea wall too

Linnet at least 120 at the saltmarsh 

Shelduck 22 out from the saltmarsh 

Shelduck and Redshank

Wigeon 45 around Red Nab

The males are starting to moult into breeding plumage

This one was having a good preen

Little Egret 4

Little Egret with Black-Headed gulls, Oystercatcher and a Redshank

Grey Heron 1

Fishing on the walk out

Resting on the way back

Mediterranean Gull just 1 adult seen

Mediterranean Gull (top) with a Black-Headed Gull and Oystercatcher 

There were lots of Black-Headed gulls feeding on No.2 outfall. There was
clearly plenty of food for them again, but nothing else was with them.
You can see the remains of the old wooden jetty behind 

Plenty of Cormorants on the wooden jetty, but I couldn't see any Shag

Pied/White Wagtails 5. I struggle separating them when they are wet

Rock Pipit 1

Rock Pipit

Shrimps on the menu today

A dry day with long sunny periods. A light south wind became fresher as it moved to SW

Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:30

Eider 11

Red-breasted Merganser 8

Red-breasted Merganser pair

Shag 1 immature feeding

Little Egret 16

Plenty going on here. The tide is rising quickly the Egrets, gulls and waders were after shrimps 

This Black-Headed gull had its own little channel, but it was quickly filled by the tide (Knot in the background)

It managed to catch one before the tide moved it on

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 60

Bar-Tailed Godwit 15 (10 + 5)

Bar-Tailed Godwits

Redshank 200

Knot several small groups scattered around eventually merged into one flock of 150 and headed off to the north

Turnstone 45

Ringed Plover 12 together high up the shore

One of two Barrel Jellyfish. This one is up side down 

Janet also saw this Barrel Jellyfish out from the Midland. This one the right way up
with its tentacles buried in the mud. There must be a few around. They can be quite
large, but they are not dangerous to people or pets (unless you have pet shrimps!)

South shore Malcolm 12:45 - 14:00

I walked along the sea wall to see if the Arctic Tern was still around. It wasn't.

Wigeon 52 on Red Nab

Wigeon

Mediterranean Gull 2 on Red Nab

Adult Mediterranean Gull

1st calendar year Mediterranean Gull (top) with 1st calendar year Black-Headed Gull

The density of Harlequin Ladybirds continues to increase along the fence
that leads to Ocean Edge entrance

The forecast is looking a bit grim for tomorrow!