Much of a muchness

Showers all day some with a hint of sunshine in between. A freshening wind became strong from the NW by evening.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Summary by Pete

Poor morning but could be explained by the wind going too southerly and us being in a huge clear slot between two weather fronts at dawn with nothing to focus any passage here other than pink feet ex roost and a trickle of common stuff 

Details by Jean:

Although it was a disappointing day for ringing with only 10 birds caught, there was more to see migrating overhead:
Vismig 0700-1000
Pink-footed goose 1562 north, 1 south
Redwing 31 E
Fieldfare 14 S
Starling 70 N
Chaffinch 13 S
Greenfinch 5 S
Siskin 1 S
Meadow Pipit 1 S
Skylark 3 SE
Buzzard 1 S low mobbed by Carrion Crows then perhaps the same bird high E
Sparrowhawk 2M, 1 F - maybe local
A Cetti’s Warbler was heard 
Ringing
Blackbird 2
Coal Tit 2
Robin 2
Chiffchaff 1
Long-tailed Tit 1
Goldfinch 1 recent retrap
We packed up early at 10am as rain was forecast..

North shore

Heysham Head - David Kaye

With high tide only 7.14 m  Skear waders roosted on Heysham north shore, at least 

36 ringed plover 

1800 Knot 

2 Dunlin 

4 Canada geese south 

rock pipit and stonechat on Heysham head

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:45 - 15:00

I had hoped that the sun would shine at some point. I hoped in vain!

This is 13:50. The StenaLine is heading in and the ferry heading out.
You can clearly see the lights shining on the ferry!

Pink-Footed Goose 45 SE

Shelduck 2 south

Eider pair south

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Shelduck 

This Peregrine Falcon left without hunting or with any prey. Presumably 
it had been feeding somewhere on the shore and left when it finished.

There were still c1000 Knot around the skear, other smaller flocks arrived (returned?) ending up with c2000. This flock gives a nice guided tour of the skear before settling 

Knot, no colour marked birds seen

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot

Oystercatcher c1500

Oystercatcher, Knot and Redshank with a Red-breasted Merganser in the background 

Redshank c200

Redshank

Curlew 12

Turnstone 5

Ringed Plover 2

I'd stood out two short squalls, but a third mean looking one drove me off. The visibility varies quickly in these conditions......

This is Humphrey Head. It is a prominent limestone peninsula near Flookburgh,
but normally you can barely make it out from the mainland behind. This was 14:01

This is Humphrey Head at 14:04. Even here it is showing more obviously 
than typical 

Humphrey Head, it is a Nature Reserve. Looks like a line of Eider in front of it

Still loads of Sea Lettuce awaiting the first Brent Geese

Loads of Pink-Footed geese over and around Clay Lane, but the Ross's Gull flew inland from the Pilling Lane ends roost early on.

Dodging raindrops......unsuccessfully

It rained all day, fortunately not as heavily as forecast.  A light SE breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve - Jean

Nothing much to report, although 9 Blackbirds and 5 Moorhen feeding in the area just west of the office was quite a sight. I counted 27 Blackbirds on a circuit of the reserve but probably more than that. 2 Cetti’s Warblers were singing, one by the main track into the car park and one in the tank farm.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

A quick look at the two main ponds

Main Pond

Mute Swan 2

Mallard 31

Gadwall 3

Coot 4 

Moorhen 2

"no swimming" pond

Mute Swan 1

Tufted Duck 4

Gadwall 2

Little Grebe 1

Moorhen 1

These shots and clip were actually taken yesterday. I saved them for today anticipating a complete washout. It was raining then too.

Gadwall pair

Little Grebe

Tufted Ducks

It was time for a preen

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:45 - 14:15

Only a 30 minute walk, mainly as today's low water was only 3.7m so very little skear was exposed. High water was only 7.1m, so a tidal range today of just 3.4m! The other reason for the short duration was that the initial light rain became heavier.

Little Egret 4

Little Egret and Lesser Black-Backed gull

Eider 2

Red-breasted Merganser 4 (2 + 2)

Red-breasted Merganser, its mate has just dived under 

Oystercatcher c1500

Knot c2000 spread around the skear edges

A small flock of Knot with the unmistakable twin turrets of the new StenaLine 
ship emerging from the gloom on the horizon 

They were feeding busily.

Knot. No colour marked birds seen today, but I only checked for a few minutes.
 In this terrain, you can see lots of birds, but typically not so many legs.

Redshank c60

Curlew 13

Turnstone - just 2 seen there were almost certainly more

Janet's male Sparrowhawk is becoming a regular. This is from yesterday when
it paid at least two visits. I bet the other regular visitors are delighted!

Just out of the recording area. I had a walk along Clay Lane to check the adjacent fields - Malcolm

Just one small feeding flock of 78 Pink-Footed geese were in the field opposite to the entrance to Heysham Moss Nature Reserve. There were no other geese to be seen. Four Egrets just beyond the cattle were just Little Egrets.

Some of the Pink-Footed geese

This Pheasant was feeding with them

A newbee

An overcast morning with light showers. Brighter in the afternoon with a SE breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve 

This from Jean

It was fairly windy today from an ENE direction but it was still possible to do some ringing in the more sheltered net rides. We were expecting some winter thrushes and managed to catch:
Blackbird 5
Redwing 2
Chiffchaff 1
Yet another Cetti’s Warbler
Greenfinch 3
Goldfinch 2 (retraps)
Great Tit 1

Here is new Cetti’s Warbler no.15 according to our latest statistics. It was a male and sang constantly from a bush opposite the office when released. Usually a Cetti’s Warbler just gives one or two explosive calls “Chettee, chettee, chettee” but this little fellow warbled on and on for about an hour! Fun fact: Cetti’s Warblers have 10 tail feathers whereas all the other small passerines have 12. I don’t know why. Cetti’s are a bit like overgrown wrens and tend to stay hidden. Their call is very loud and you can be standing right next to one calling but you probably won’t see it. Not many years ago you wouldn’t see/hear one in our area but due to the warming climate they are spreading northwards. 

Cetti's Warbler

Overhead vis included:
A late Swallow N
11 Redwing N
20 Starling N
1 Sparrowhawk high south
50 Jackdaw S
140 Pink-footed Geese N (no Ross’s with them)
39 Woodpigeon S
36 Goldfinch E and S
11 Greenfinch 
4 Pied Wagtail S
1 Redpoll S
5 Siskin S

At least 24 Blackbirds, some flying over, some in the bushes
2 Goldcrest
2 Bullfinch
3 Long-tailed Tit
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
2 other Sparrowhawks on the reserve

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Gadwall and a Coot

Male Gadwall

Immature Moorhen

Dunnock

And on the feeders

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Bellow the feeders

Brown Rat. This one has just chased another into the pond

Only three seen, a few years ago this area was overrun by Rats.

South shore 

Kevin Had a walk along the sea wall

Small Tortoiseshell taking advantage of the shelter and sunshine on the wall

12 Pied Wagtails and 2 Rock Pipits catching flies on the wall just before the dip. I disturbed them when I passed.

I started at the saltmarsh as Kevin was heading back (Malcolm)

Once again no Linnet seen or heard.

12 Pied Wagtails were being chased from Ocean Edge grass by a dog. Possibly the same group that Kevin saw. But there were others along the foreshore and Red Nab and along the sea wall. At least 20 in total.

Pied Wagtail strutting its stuff along the wall around the lighthouse 

This one was along the sea wall. Clearly catching plenty of small flies.

Grey Wagtail 1 on Red Nab

Grey Wagtail 

Plenty of small flies for them to eat. These are easier to see, warming themselves 
on an old plank in the scrub near the lighthouse 

Pink-Footed geese 70 south (no white geese amongst them)

Shelduck 19 out from Red Nab

Wigeon 105

Wigeon making their way to Red Nab

Little Egret 5

I didn't see any Butterflies along the sea wall, but there was a Harlequin Ladybird and....

a Drone Fly, a big one!

This is an Ivy Bee. Not recorded in the UK until 2001. But they have 
spread quickly. They feed on Ivy flowers hence this is their flight season

They are still uncommon, although they have been recorded in Heysham before.
This is the first one that I have seen, a new bee for me.

Just out of the recording area.

Just a single barnacle goose with Pinkfeet along Clay lane, Heysham (flock flew ex-roost over Heysham golf course early am) - Pete

Interesting goose just to the east

A fine sunny day with a light NE breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

There were no grounded migrants caught early this morning and the catch was largely made up of birds using the feeders.  There was a higher than usual proportion of retrapped local birds too. Another Cetti's Warbler was caught plus one Lesser Redpoll.  Greenfinches began to appear from mid morning onwards.
The total catch comprised:
Single Cetti's Warbler, Long tailed Tit (retrap), Great Tit (plus one retrap), Robin, lesser Redpoll and a retrap Wren.
Blue Tit  4 + 4 retraps
Goldfinch  4 + 6 retraps
Chaffinch  3
Greenfinch  12 + 1 retrap

Heysham skear - Malcolm 10:45 - 12:15

A very low neap tide that didn't expose much of the skear

No Eider, Mergansers of Grebes seen

Little Egret just 3

None of the Egrets were trying to feed

Oystercatcher c1500. Two Icelandic scheme birds were seen for the first time this winter period

Recent history awaited. Hopefully they have both been seen on their 
breeding areas in Iceland

Curlew just 8

Knot - a long thin line of Knot were arriving from the south as I was walking out. Probably returning birds after a a raptor attack. It must have been successful as they weren't disturbed again. Eventually c2800 ended up on the skear. I could only find three flagged birds, two youngsters ringed in the UK this autumn and seen here earlier plus an Icelandic scheme bird seen for the first time this winter.

Knot arriving in a line, instead of the normal swirling ball

Last sighting of this bird was off passage in Iceland in May this year

This Knot still in partial summer plumage 

Redshank c50

Redshank and Knot

Turnstone c60

Ringed Plover 5

Both the above species are well camouflaged in this terrain 

One Turnstone 

Two Ringed Plover

Just out of the recording area. 

Ross’s Goose with Pinkfeet.  First seen flying NW over Aldcliffe, then Heaton Msrshes.  Pete C saw it fly over while at Heaton Marsh. Its now with PfG opposite Sunnyside Caravan Park view from Oxcliffe Road

It spent most of day to east of Meldon Road visible from that road accessing the radar station  

See more on LDBWS website 

https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/topic/snow-goose/