Stuff on the move again

A dry day with plenty of sunny spells. A light variable breeze

This from Pete:

Sanderling off Ocean edge then joined c15 knot and c20 Bar-Tailed Godwit on incoming tide line south of the old sewer pipe

Immature Shag wooden jetty.  

Heysham NR

Clouded yellow and at least 6 red admiral south past NR office this am 

‘subtle’ migration included a flock of three migrant Song Thrush, a newly arrived dawn Robin at 15.4g chased into net by the already ringed local at 20.4g (!) and a trickle of southbound Chaffinch, presumably north British birds at this time of year. 

Of more interest a flock of 6 Jay south - vis mig postings nationally suggesting some movement this autumn.

Full report by Jean

It was a clear, cool start at Heysham NR this morning with just 3 Robins and a Chiffchaff in the first hour. Things then picked up at 08:15 with a flock of 5 Grey Wagtails. There was another lull then birds, especially finches, piled onto the feeders at 10:15

Ringing totals:
Robin 4 plus a retrap
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest 
Blackcap 2
Grey Wagtail 6
Goldfinch 8 plus 3 retraps
Greenfinch 8
Blue Tit 5
Dunnock 1
Carrion Crow 6

Vis (all south):
Pink-footed Goose 179 in 4 flocks

Carrion Crow 6
Jay 7
Song Thrush 3 together 
Grey Wagtail 2 more in addition to the ones ringed
Skylark 1
Red admiral Butterfly 3

A Peregrine called from a pylon

The adult female Goldcrest caught 2 days ago had been ringed as a youngster at Caernarfon last August so an unusual movement, although young birds quite often disperse northwards.

Middleton Nature Reserve

A more detailed report of Rosemary and Peter's visit yesterday 

Southern Section:

Speckled Wood 3

Southern Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darters 3 pr ovipositing plus at least 7 lone males

Main Pond:

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Blue Damselflies 3

Common Darters 6 males

Mute Swans 2

Mallards 6

Coot 1

Migrant Hawker on the main pond

Southern Hawker 

Migrant Hawker on the south side

Migrant Hawker

Common Darter 

Common Blue Damselfly striking an unusual pose

Speckled Wood

South shore

Janet went along the sea wall 

Oystercatcher and Curlew

Oystercatcher and Knot

Cormorant 

1st calendar year Black-Headed gull

This Turnstone has a crab

Turning stones paid off!!!

White Wagtail 

I checked later (Malcolm) 14:15 - 16:00

Linnet 200+ on the saltmarsh plus 16 along the foreshore and 6 on Red Nab

Linnet

This one had just had a bath on Red Nab

Stonechat at least 5. They must have arrived after Janet checked. Initially there were three feeding on Ocean Edge grass then one flew off inland. The two that remained were female or immature. Then a male joined them. Possibly the bird that flew off? Then a second more striking male arrived from the direction of the Nature Park. So I left two female type and two males. When I returned there were three female type, one flew inland almost straight away. There was no sign of the males.

This one had a pale supercilium 

Giving it a look of a Whinchat in flight

This is the first male with a female type

This is the second, more striking male

This was one of the female type on the return leg

Wheatear 1 - I didn't see one on the way out but one was on the foreshore when I returned 

Wheatear

Rock Pipit 3

Pied Wagtail 6

Robin 2

Along foreshore and Red Nab

Shelduck 20 out from Red Nab

Mediterranean gulls 6 along the waterline on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. 2 2cy and 4 adult. I was a bit later than planned with the delay checking the Stonechats so they were quite distant.

Mediterranean gull amongst a forest of Sandmason worm tubes

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

I called in on my way home to check if there were any Stonechats. There wasn't. 

But the field to the east of the road had been mowed and the birds were feeding on something.

c60 Wood Pigeons with their heads permanently down presumably finding seeds.

But the gulls including 6 Mediterranean gulls were on the prowl, presumably finding invertebrates. These are two of the adult meds

One of two 2cy Mediterranean gulls. That's a Wood Pigeon bottom right

Adult Mediterranean gull. Despite the same numbers as those seen on the
feeding beach these are almost certainly additional birds

Immature RVD still about

An early shower then a dry sunny day. A fresh NW wind

Middleton Nature Reserve 

This from Janet on the main pond 

Teneral Red-veined Darter

Peter and Rosemary checked the southern section of the reserve 

There were still a few Common Darters around at the Southern pond but not nearly as many as of late.

This Common Darter casting a good shadow in the sun

This pair were very busy 

A very obliging Migrant Hawker

South shore

Janet went to see if the Kingfisher was along the foreshore rocks, but no sign of it today.

This Little Egret was after the fish instead

Curlew 

Kevin checked along the sea wall

This Turnip Moth was on the sea wall.
Not rare but it's the first time I've seen one here. 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:00 - 15:00

There were many more birds around today, possibly due to the weather or perhaps just because the tides are rising again.

200 Herring gulls were feeding. 

Just some of the gulls, they were all Herring gulls today, many of them adult,
or at least near adult 

One was one of last year's birds ringed on the Power Station roof.
But this is the first time it has been seen at Heysham. 

The only Lesser Black-Backed seen was high up the shore 

As was this Great Black-Backed

Eider 16 all but 1 male in different stages of moulting into breeding plumage

Male Eiders

Red-breasted Merganser 2

This male also moulting out of eclipse 

Oystercatcher 2000

Curlew 25 feeding plus 20 south in small groups

Redshank a big increase, at least 260

Knot 4 (1 and 3)

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 1

Knot, the one on the left is a juvenile 

The Redshank were like this all around the edges of the skear.
There were probably more than I estimated 

Another dreary day

Very low cloud all day sometimes manifesting itself as fine rain. A very light variable breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean

Ringing was low key today rather like the misty weather. However another Grey Wagtail was caught and colour-ringed. A bit of excitement was provided by the capture of a male Sparrowhawk (pictured) with its scary piercing orange eyes and sharp claws that had been chasing a Goldfinch. 

Male Sparrowhawk

Ringing list:
Robin 3
Great Tit 3 plus a retrap
Grey Wagtail 1
Goldfinch 6 plus a retrap
Blue Tit 4 plus a retrap
Chiffchaff 3
Long-tailed Tit 6
Dunnock 1
Goldcrest 1 plus one from elsewhere
Sparrowhawk 1

The Long-tailed Tit flock was very large, maybe 18 birds plus Chiffchaffs trailing along with them.

Overhead vis consisted of 190 Pink-footed Geese heading south. Just one Swallow was seen.

South shore - Malcolm 09:00 - 09:45

Just from saltmarsh to Red Nab and back through the Nature Park, there was drizzle throughout

Pink Footed goose - 2 skeins south heard only as they were above the low cloud.

Linnet at least 180 feeding on the saltmarsh 

Linnet

Robins 3

Rock Pipits 3

Grey Wagtail 1

Blackbird 8 moving through the trees together in the Nature Park 

Blackbirds

Heysham skear  - Malcolm 15:00 - 16:30

At least it was fine, and the sun actually shone, albeit for less than a minute!

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 14

Heron and Little Egret

Pink-Footed goose 4 skeins south, heard only

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Eider 1 - this blob on a rock turned out to be an Eider

Gull 70 - mainly Herring gulls

There were more waders around today. These are best estimates.

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 30

Redshank 80

Knot 17 (11, 4 and 2)

Turnstone 45

Dunlin 2

Ringed Plover 6

One of the Curlew was colour coded. Ringed as a nesting adult this year at

Bransdale Moor North Yorkshire. It was also seen on Red Nab in July

The Knot were finding seed mussels to eat. The one that ends up central in this clip eats two.

Dunlin and Knot. The Dunlin on the left is a juvenile 

Their bills are surprisingly flexible 

Janet had a walk over the Barrows

Just one wet Small Copper today. But it did pick itself up and fly off

Cuttlebone (the internal skeleton of a Cuttlefish) under the Barrows

Just out of the recording area Glossy ibis flying west over Heaton marsh It appeared to drop into the fields west of the Bay Gateway / Moss Road roundabout. This evening. One to watch out for!

See link for the full report on LDBWS website https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/topic/heaton-marsh-8/