Kingfisher and Grey wags brighten up a dull day

Very low cloud all day. Light fine rain began lunchtime and continued to mid afternoon. A SW breeze

This report by Jean of the ringing session at Heysham Nature Reserve, plus her and Pete's observations.

88 Pied Wagtails on the grass not far from the reception area at Ocean Edge were probably ex-roost from the power station grounds. A total of 985 Pink-footed Geese flew north in 3 flocks early on and later in the morning 500 were reported from Ambleside, so may be related? There was very little visible migration apart from the geese, just 29 Swallows, a Skylark, and 9 Grey Wagtails, six of which were caught and colour ringed. The photograph shows one of them which is sporting an orange colour ring. 

Colour ringed Grey Wagtail, see sidebar for scheme details

Other birds ringed:
Cetti’s Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Robin 2
Blackbird 2
Great Tit 3 plus one retrap
Blue Tit 1 plus 2 retraps
Goldfinch 7plus 2 retraps
Greenfinch 1

A young (2CY) Shag was on the jetty.
A juvenile Marsh Harrier was just about in the recording area visible from Imperial Road.

South shore

Malcolm 10:00 - 11:30

Linnet 60+ feeding on the saltmarsh 

Robins 3 along the foreshore, 2 on Red Nab, slightly surprisingly, none between the lighthouse and waterfall 

Robin

Three of six Magpies that flew south from the saltmarsh 

No Wheatears seen and just 1 Rock Pipit on Red Nab

3 Pied and a White Wagtail along the sea wall

White Wagtail 

Little Egret 14 

Little Egret

Shelduck 6

Pink-Footed Goose - 3 skeins SE totalling 149

Pink-Footed geese

Mediterranean gulls 2 between the outfalls

2cy Mediterranean Gull (top) with a 3cy/adult

Guillemot 1 out from the harbour 

It looked to be paddling with just one leg. Surprised it wasn't going in circles!

The noise in this clip is a steam release valve blowing in the Power Station

When I walked back there were cranes and other heavy equipment at No.2 outfall. Access along the wall was closed.

Janet checked later 

Kingfisher one was fishing in the channel along to the salt marsh. These were the first shots from a long way off.

I was trying to get closer and hid behind one the large concrete blocks on OE but still not near enough.

There was a Cetti's warbler singing from the wood behind Red Nab. Earlier a Cetti's and Chiffchaff heard at Middleton Nature Reserve 

This is the work underway at No.2 outfall

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:45 - 16:45

A very low neap tide so not far to walk today

Gulls just c75 mainly Herring Gulls

Eider 1

Red-Breasted Merganser 5

Red-breasted Mergansers

Great Crested Grebe 1

Great Crested grebe

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew 9

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3 

Redshank 30

Knot 12

Turnstone 40

Ringed Plover 3

Bar-Tailed Godwits and Knot

The Godwits flew south. The Knot moved higher up the skear and joined 
10 others then they all flew north

Albatross!

 A dry sunny day. The wind was still quite fresh but from NW today. 

Black-Browed Albatross seen by Ian Hartley from the Battery car park. He managed to track it out past Sunyslopes groyne before it was lost from view.

This from Pete:

Sea Heysham 0705-0830:  wind too NW for here: Leachs: just one seemingly tired bird at 0712 which didn’t go through my fixed scope position but was picked up flying slowly out on a scan then seemed to land on the choppy sea

distant Manx Shearwater out

Guillemot out

2  Razorbill/guillemot

1 Common scoter out

c60 pink feet north and a lot of shelduck

South shore - Malcolm 10:00 - 11:30

Linnet 30+ feeding on saltmarsh 

Meadow Pipit 3 grounded on foreshore then inland

Meadow Pipit

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore, 1 between foreshore and Red Nab, 2 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit

Grey Wagtail 1 flew across Red Nab

Wheatear on foreshore

Bar-Tailed Godwit just out from the foreshore 

Curlew just out from the foreshore 

Common Tern 1 on No.1 outfall

Mediterranean Gull - 1 2nd calendar year turned up on the beach by the wooden jetty. A 1st calendar year out from the harbour 

2cy Mediterranean gull

Shelduck 98. There were c50 scattered around out from Red Nab when I walked out. More arrived as I came back.

Shelduck arriving

The ones on the mud were mainly resting. These in the freshwater runoff 
were drinking

In the Nature Park 

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 3

Speckled Wood 5

Middleton Nature Reserve southern section - Janet

Chiffchaff singing 

Three Common Darters sunning themselves on the wooden bridge

Migrant Hawker 

Four-spotted Orb-weaver
It's shots like this that makes you grateful that you are not a small fly!

good conditions + good coverage = 18 Leach's + more

A dry day after early showers. A fresh west wind.

Report by Shaun:

BD, DK, JR, PC, PM and SC stationed at Stone Jetty, St Peter's Churchyard & Heysham Harbour.  07:15-10:15:
Manx Shearwater 3.
Fulmar 1 out. 
Leach's Petrel Minimum of 15. Most were quite close in.  Two were actually flying over the beach behind the churchyard, one of which was seen running on the sand! 

An additional bird was seen later from Half Moon Bay Cafe at 10:55 quickly heading out. 
Gannet 3 or 4 adults in, plus a juvenile 
Shag juvenile harbour mouth briefly.
Pink-footed Goose 8 south and 17 north.
Common Scoter 5 in.
Mediterranean Gull 2 adults + 2 1cy harbour. Adult from churchyard.
Razorbill 1 Heysham (maybe the same one on the sea from churchyard). 
Guillemot 1 in from churchyard. 

Razorbill/Guillemot 2 at Heysham. 
Osprey over churchyard heading towards Heysham Harbour. 

I had a few bits extra along the sea wall this morning - Malcolm

Mediterranean gull a 1cy and 2cy on the beach by wooden jetty. The 1cy possibly the same as the one seen in the harbour 

1 and 2cy Mediterranean gulls with a Black-Headed gull

2cy Mediterranean gull

Common Tern 1 on No.1 outfall

I checked again this evening towards high water. I was going to check any waders along the waterline, but a scan from the shore showed that there wasn't any.

Linnet 4 on saltmarsh 

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore plus 2 on Red Nab

Shelduck 25 on the shore and at least an additional 20 in small groups south

Shelduck heading south

Mediterranean gull 1 adult on Red Nab, possibly included in this morning's count.

The Common Tern had switched to No.2 outfall

The sun came out for the only time today, making the sea shades of silver.
This isn't a monochrome shot, but full "colour"

Pete had a second check this afternoon:

One Leach's heading out off near Naze at 1628 and another from back of harbour at 1658.

Then nothing despite scan from Knowlys (to 1740).  

So minimum of 18 Leachs in total 0730-1000, 1055, 1620-1740. Almost certainly more in the periods in between, based on numbers seen just south of here at Rossall.

A  Manx Shearwater and two Razorbills out reported from Stone Jetty late afternoon.  

In the Nature Park - Malcolm

Common Darter 1

Comma, showing what its wings have evolved to mimic 

Bow-winged Grasshopper 

Janet also saw a Common Darter on the southern section of
Middleton Nature Reserve 

More Leach's

Overcast all day. Heavy rain started after lunch and didn't ease till evening.

Both Pete and Shaun managed a seawatch this morning. Shaun from the lighthouse on the south wall roundhead. Pete from the back of the Harbour and Knowlys Rd.

PJM+SPC. 07:15-09:45:
Manx Shearwater 2 out.
Leach's Petrel 1 out past the Harbour mouth at 07:30. Another seen from Knowlys Road at 08:40.
Gannet adult in.
Shag imm + adult type.
Pink-footed Goose 90 south. 50 + 80 + 40 in. 
Greylag Goose 5 in.
Eider 6 in.
Common Scoter 8 + 3 in. 
Mediterranean Gull two adults off the harbour, then 6 on the beach next to the pier later. 
Common Tern adult in + adult on No 1 Outfall.
Razorbill 1 out.
Guillemot 1 on sea. 

Malcolm 16:30 - 18:00

Common Tern 3 adults feeding along the sea wall, centred on No.2 outfall

Common Terns

Shag 1 immature 

It was fishing just below the north wall roundhead

Then moved further out to freshen up

It then flew off to join the Cormorants on the wooden jetty

This Black-Headed Gull was also feeding below the roundhead

Turnstone