Lots of west wind + lots of observers = plenty of birds. Some good ones!

The very strong SW winds overnight switched to a westerly during the day, not starting to ease until evening. It remained mercifully dry (apart from the sea spray)

LDBWS Field Meeting at Heysham Head

This report by Nick Godden

Ten of us met at 7am for an enjoyable seawatch, some of the group remained until 12.30
Whooper swan 19 NE
Shelduck 335 S
Wigeon 33 S
Pintail 28 S
Teal 4 S
Common scoter c.20 into the Bay
Eider c.70
Diver sp 1 out
Little gull 41 S
Kittiwake 52
Black-headed gull 6 S
Sabine’s gull probable out (Dan only)
Skua sp 1 S
Leach’s petrel 1 S around 10.40
Gannet 5 S
Razorbill 1 S
Guillemot 3 S
Grey plover 2
Sanderling 2
Knot c.2000
Redshank c.450
Goldcrest 1

For more information about LDBWS check the website

https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/

Heliport - Malcolm 10:30 - 11:00

The high tide 9.2m was attenuated by the storm surge and the waves were breaching the wall forcing all the birds onto the grass.

Heliport grass with a substantial pool formed

Oystercatcher 2000

Curlew 6

Lapwing 10

Redshank 500

Knot 250

Common Snipe 15

Turnstone 20

Meadow Pipit 1

Little Gull 3 (an adult south and two 1st calendar year with the waders)

This is one of them coming to the Heliport 

1cy Little Gull amongst the Oystercatchers showing just how little they are

2 x 1cy Little gulls in this shot, one takes a bit of finding 

This one doing a spot of walking on water. It seemed to be finding something to eat.

Common Snipe

Turnstone, Redshank and a couple of Knot

South shore - Malcolm

I tried to go along the sea wall this morning, but the wind was too strong. It was hard walking against it, but the danger lay in trying to walk back with it. I tried and was almost blown over so decided to retreat to the shelter of the saltmarsh.

Wigeon 100+

This group were feeding on seeds washed into the margins

Jack Snipe 1 flew from the margin where the above clip was taken

Reed Bunting 5

Greenfinch 8

Linnet 80+

Linnet

They were finding seeds in last night's strand line 

I tried the sea wall again this afternoon. The wind was just as strong, but the slightly more westerly angle afforded some protection. Even so it was a hard walk.

Little Gull  6 minimum. 1 adult and at least 1 1st calendar year feeding on No.2 outfall. 4 adult out from the roundhead.

1cy Little Gull

Adult Little Gull with a 1cy Black-Headed Gull

Adult Little Gull

Mediterranean Gull 2 - 1 out past the roundhead and 1 flew along the sea wall.

Mediterranean Gull with Oystercatchers 

Storm Boelo did some damage! 

All the weights, designed to keep the railings in place, were moved. 
The railing stayed where it was!

A substantial chunk of roundhead wall now rests on top of the wall

This large buoy has been blown from somewhere. It is not one of the red ones
marking the shipping lane, but will have its GPS location transmitted so it can
be recovered before becoming too damaged 

Storm Boelo arrives

Showers all day particularly heavy in the afternoon and evening. The south wind freshened all day becoming strong this afternoon then very strong this evening as it drifted to SW.

South shore -Malcolm 09:45 - 10:45

It rained the whole time but not too heavily.

Redshank c80

Knot c300 settled by the saltmarsh briefly and had a quick freshen up in the freshwater runoff

Knot making their way to the creek. Also Redshank and a Curlew

Knot taking a bath (it was raining!) plus a Shelduck

Shelduck 8

Wigeon at least as many as yesterday's 130 around Red Nab

Wigeon

Rock Pipit 1 flew along the sea wall

Mediterranean gull 1 adult feeding on No.1 outfall

Mediterranean gull with the wooden jetty behind 

Despite the strong south wind it was relatively easy to get a clip. The gulls were flying hard into the wind just to keep in position over the outfall.

1 immature Shag on the wooden jetty

Shag (middle)

I returned this afternoon, the wind was really strong by this time, but still from the south and even a touch of east in it. The rain was also very heavy. I didn't see anything, including, unsurprisingly, another soul. The wind is going to remain strong all night and tomorrow and should be from the west, so hopefully something will be blown in.

Heliport

Same mix as yesterday, but more Oystercatcher and Knot.

Knot in the foreground and Oystercatchers behind

Knot, Redshank and Turnstone 

A breakaway faction of Turnstone

A few of the Knot roosted on top of the heliport wall. No ringed bids seen

This heavily pregnant Grey Squirrel is now too large to get through the bars on my feeder table. The bars are to prevent Pigeons eating all the food. Squirrels normally get through without any problem.

As well as nuts and seeds on the table I string peanuts in shells on a wire
that goes around the mushroom. Each day is a lottery as to if the squirrels or
Jays eat them, usually both. Jackdaws and Magpies also have a go in winter.

So she took the sunflower hearts from the feeder

I suppose it is the sign of our warmer times that she is pregnant at this time of
year, they traditionally have their kits in spring and late summer. I think
late summer is pushing it a bit for the end of October!

It was calm, before the storm!

Showers on and off all day. Very light winds in the morning before increasing to very strong from the NW after lunch, then easing again later.

I took advantage of a dry calm period mid morning (Malcolm)

South shore

Linnet 17 on the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting 3 on the saltmarsh edges

Reed Bunting in a brief burst of sunshine 

I was going to check any wader along the waterline, but there were only Oystercatchers, so I didn't bother.

Closer to the Saltmarsh were 60 Redshank and 15 Dunlin

Redshank and Dunlin

Knot 37 flew to the north side

Shelduck c50 spread around 

The Shelduck on the right has a black swelling where you expect the male bill knob

Presumably, some sort of growth, and probably not good

Wigeon 130 counted, others would have been out of sight.

Male Wigeon moulting out of eclipse 

Just a few of the Wigeon here

Many more in this shot, but I took this just to show how calm it was at 09:45

Mediterranean gull, just 1 2nd calendar year bird seen with the Black-Headed gulls

2cy Mediterranean gull top centre, stubbornly refusing to show its face

Little Egret 4

Turnstone on a clump of red sandstone that gives Red Nab its name

Greenfinch 6

Rock Pipit 2 

Rock Pipit on the sea wall above Red Nab

I checked the old heliport area on my way home, by this time it was high water.

c2000 Oystercatcher, c200 Knot, 26 Redshank, 16 Lapwing, 3 Curlew and
5 Turnstone. Plus 1 Little Egret and 5 Common Snipe which flew from the grass.

Knot and Oystercatchers 

Lapwing, Curlew and Oystercatcher

Little Egret

Last serene day for a while

A wet start then a dry day with sunny spells. A west(ish) breeze

Janet had a walk from Middleton Nature Reserve to Ocean Edge

Two Roe Deer seen on the reserve 

One Chiffchaff singing

Tufted Ducks on the main pond

Gadwall pair, Coot and Mallard

Cormorant 

Lots of Black-Headed Gulls feeding on the outfalls. 

This Shelduck has a black ring, but the code obscured. The likely scheme has
been notified. One to watch out for

Rabbit enjoying the sun on Ocean Edge grass

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:30 - 16:00

Shag 1 on Conger rock. 

It was on top of Conger as I walked out. King or Queen of the castle

But not for long.....

  .......dethroned by a Cormorant

Later it snook back on, but further down

Eider 3 - 1 adult male on the water and 2 flying around 

Eider in front of the harbour and Power Station

Immature Male Eider

Little Egret 6

Oystercatcher c1500

Quite a few of the Oystercatchers are metal ringed, but this one has two metal rings

Curlew 35

Redshank c300

Knot c500

Knot coming in to land. No colour marked birds seen

Turnstone 30

Looks like we are in for a wild and wet weekend!