Standard seawatching fodder

Shag - the presumed long staying bird still around
Little gull - ad out
Kittiwake - 52 out including flocks of 6,11,31
Auk spp - one long range
Duck spp - one at long range and not a lot to go on but possibly of interest!
Common Scoter -usual flock of 7-8 with Eider
Eider - c400

Wild

Little gull - ad out during 40 min seawatching
Common Scoter - drake in
Shoveler - Male Still middleton
Gadwall - c23 middleton
Coot - 1
Teal - female with Wigeon Red Nab
R b merg- 3 red nab (2 drake)

No seaduck check

Wet and Windies but too southerly

 Common Scoter - flock of eight and Singleton off Heysham Head
Red-breasted Merganser - three as above

Bits and bobs before the rain

Guillemot in harbour new in
Med gull - ad harbour mouth area
Common Scoter - tight flock of 8-9 bouncing up and down in channel off Heysham Head
Great-crested Grebe - 14 close inshore North side of Heysham Head
Meadow pipit - at least one ocean edge

Hen Harrier harried

A ring-tailed Hen Harrier, the first for many years, was harassed by corvids on Middleton

Thanks Malcolm

Subad Shag on wooden jetty with 124 Cormorant

 

NO Common Darter seen on Middleton on last possible afternoon, weather-wise

 

Middleton NR rest

Main pond
Mute 8

Gadwall 20

Mallard 4

Teal 1

Moorhen 2

No swimming pond

Mute 2

Coot 1

Moorhen 4

Shoveler 2 (m&f)

Teal 2

Gadwall 6

Tim Butler pond

Moorhen 2

Teal 2

Water rail 1

New small ponds

Teal 2

Water rail 1

Meadow pipit 4 grounded

Green woodpecker 1

Common snipe 1

Woodcock 1

A lot of not a lot

There was a heaving great flock of what seemed to be mainly Knot off Potts corner to the south of OE - one for the murm fans and possibly as many as 15-17k, the biggest number for a few years

Otherwise...…
Jack Snipe - one OE saltmarsh
Great-crested Grebe - 8 off Heysham Head as tide dropping but too early for seaduck in numbers

The day the earth stood still

If only this was late September or October - murky NE with bits of sunshine.  There was absolutely nowt happening today with three new finches the only "arrivals" caught in the feeder nets run from 0830-1330!  Reed Bunting by HNR office notable. Tides a bit awkward but no obvious sign of the Brent Geese

Green Woodpecker - around office most of am and would be a site ringing tick if.....
Chiffchaff - by the fire pond near office still
Common Scoter - 8 off Heysham Head
Skylark - one flushed by tide off OE saltmarsh but only one (Common) Snipe
Shoveler - just one male Middleton
Coot - one Middleton still

Are they back?

Pale-bellied Brent - three south past OE close inshore at 1020 - tidally-related feeding movt or just passage?
Snipe 56 OE Salt
Jack Snipe - one OE salt
Chiffchaff - collybita female ringed Heysham NR office
Wigeon - 223 Red Nab including male with maybe 15-20% American genes

Scoters again Wednesday

6 Common Scoter off Heysham Head
Two RB mergs Red Nab

Very brief

At least four of the Common Scoter flock offshore

Waxwing

This was a real bonus and once again a product of scanning for seaduck from Knowlys Road - this time from the main section.  A first winter calling on top of a hawthorn bush bordering the horse field at the inland end before following after three Starlings which flew over houses on the south side of the road.  No further sign but a big area with berries!

 

Common Scoter - flock now 6 female/imms

Green Woodpecker - 1 Middleton

Redwing - I grounded Middleton

 

Middleton NR

Not sure what's happened, but Gadwall now favouring main pond. Can't think it's the result of recent landscaping, and Mute on "no swimming" are not bothering the remaining ducks.  No dragonflies.

Main pond

9 Mute (including 3 x 1cy)

24 Gadwall

4 Mallard

2 Moorhen

No Swimming pond

2  Mute

2 Gadwall

2 Shoveler

1 Tufted

6 Teal

1 Coot

6 Moorhen

Tim Butler

1 Teal (almost certainly more in reeds)

2 Moorhen

Still just about in shirt sleeves

The change from warm southerlies to a mini beast from the east is slow and subtle with today perhaps being the final curtain for the lingering Common Darters on Middleton.  The or a Chiffchaff was also calling by the fire pond near the office but the only other notable was a male Stonechat on OE saltmarsh, as rare as Yellow B, Warbler this autumn.  Of interest was an experienced birder thinking they heard two Chough flight calls in the sky but in an area with limited viewing and nothing was found on Heysham Head.  Thanks to Malcolm for pics

Common Scoter - gang of 5 still offshore 

Stonechat - male OE saltmarsh

Chiffchaff - by fire pond

Middleton NR
Mute 10 - could only see 2 of the recently arrived 1cy.
Coot 1

Gadwall 24 (16 on main pond)

Shoveler 2

Tufted Duck 1

Teal 2

Mallard 4

 

Common Darter - male trying to keep warm on Middleton

 

A couple of continentals arrive

A couple of female Blackcaps unexpectedly appeared in the nets, probably wintering birds arriving from the continent.

Vis 0730-0900

Pink-footed Goose 192 SE

Chaffinch 8 south

Brambling 1 S

Redwing 3 S

Fieldfare 1 S

Siskin 1 S

Just after dawn c4600 Pink-footed Geese flew north from the Cockerham Marsh roost to feed somewhere.

Middleton NR

Mute Swan 11

Gadwall 19

Shoveler 2

Tufted Duck 1 (Male almost out of eclipse)

Teal 2

Moths: Large Wainscot, Brick and 2 Winter Moths

Spot the Common Darter:

 No? Well try on this closer up photo.

Still no?
Here it is:

The last fling of autumn passage?

The sort of murky light south easterly we have been waiting for all autumn.  Unfortunately all three of the current Ringing team had last minute commitments.  Best was a scarcity we don’t really need this year - spring records- found whilst scanning for any swifts!

Chaffinch - c40 south

Brambling - flock of 6 south then landed 

Meadow pipit - 1se and four more grounded

Blackbird - c30 round hnr office 

Redwing - two hnr office

Black redstart - female/imm north side Heyshsm Head seaward end Salem Mews

Common Scoter - flock of five

Winter Moth - one hnr office 

Bits of late migration and another Common Darter

No proper vis coverage today but bits noted which suggested it might have been a good idea

Chaffinch - 24 S
Brambling - 1 S
Skylark - 12 S
Meadow Pipit - 3 S
No obvious thrush grounding in clear conditions but two unringed Goldcrest caught along with low single figures of unringed Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch

Middleton NR
Mute Swan - 11!
Shoveler - pair still
Woodcock - 1
Coot - 1

The seaduck check on the neap tide was poor with just 320 Eider and no Common Scoter

Common Darter nowhere near where the two 2 days ago were

Not much coverage today

A quick seaduck check on the choppy sea saw:

Common Scoter - flock of five female/imm about half way out to the main Eider line and a drake on its own beyond the Eider line
Eider - c420

Blackbird - gang of 10 migrants by hnr office car park

Mute swan - flock of six juvs along coast
Rock pipit - at least one

Middleton NR
Gadwall - 11 model boat pond + 6 no swimming pool
Shoveler - 2 no swimming pool (m+f)
Raven - 1 calling from transmission tower
Snipe - 1 western marsh

Late darters

Malcolm saw a Male and photographed a female Common Darter at Middleton today

Also at Middleton, the pair of Shoveler, 22 Gadwall, a Chiffchaff, single Coot

Five female Conmon Scoter off Heysham Head

Seaduck day

Just a bit late this am and missed some of the Eiders which float rapidly in on the fast Kent channel

Lower Knowlys VP
Cumbria
Scaup - flock of 3 - male, female and what looked like juv - way beyond the outer Eider line
Scoter spp - drake on sea on its own - not convinced it wasn't Velvet but it didn't flap/fly - absolutely miles away - then floated behind the trees

Lancs
Eider - 445 min
Common Scoter - 3 females together fairly close inshore
GCGrebe - 5

No swifts in lee of Head!

 

Sunday 11th November

Fairly quiet on the Heysham front today due to a band of rain moving through in the morning.

Blackbird - 15 munching through hawthorn berries in the Reserve

Cettti’s Warbler - singing Male in the scrub bordering the marsh

Water Rail - in the marsh again

Chiffchaff - 1 

Pink-footed Goose - 52 south at midday

On the sea:

Common Scoter - 5

Low-key highlights

Only a fleeting visit today. Luckily Wigan RSPB group had spent a bit more time in the area so thanks to them for the coastal sightings:

Common Scoter - at least 5
Snipe - 40 in the high tide roost at the heliport seawall today
Cetti’s Warbler singing in the scrub at the back of the car park for Half Moon Bay cafe and area.

Grounded migrants on Heysham Nature Reserve:
Blackbird - at least 12
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldcrest - 1

Water Rail squealing in the marsh

Yellowhammer

The vis was quite good for so late in the year:

Heysham NR
Vis 0700 - 1000. SE F5 gusting 7, 6/8 cloud, dry
Sparrowhawk - flock of 3 high flew south
Chaffinch - 80 SW including a flock of 35
Brambling - 2
Yellowhammer - 1
Redwing - 43 SW
Starling - 27 SW
Goldfinch - 12 S
Kestrel - 1 SE
Blackbird - 3 S
Meadow Pipit - 2 S

Other birds of note:
Raven - 1 on the pylons again
Teal - 1 male by the boardwalk
Goldcrest - 3
Water Rail - 1 calling in the marsh

Middleton NR
Shoveler - male and female
Gadwall - 20
Coot - 1
Redwing - 10
Meadow Pipit - 7

Scoter still in situ

Common Scoter - flock of 5 off Heysham Head on drop tide
Ringed plover - 36 heliport roost
Rock Pipit - two half moon bay beach, one by harbour
Lots of Blackbird Hey NR

High tide roost spectacle

The operative word was "high" in the high tide roost - high numbers of Oystercatchers which stretched all along the heliport sea wall along with other waders.  Another "high"light was a young Merlin chasing the Starlings in the horse paddock.

Heliport sea wall
Oystercatcher - 9600
Redshank - 460
Turnstone - 38
Ringed Plover - 36
Snipe - 21

Ocean Edge
Jack Snipe - 2

Horse paddocks north of Heysham Head
Merlin 1CY

 The large Oystercatcher roost. 

Five birds had metal rings but too far away to read the numbers with binoculars.

 Little Egret looking rather elegant in flight

Wigeon at Ocean Edge 

A quieter day

Most of the Blackbirds had gone from the reserve so it was a lot quieter today. Fewer finches were moving overhead and even fewer at the feeder.

Vis 0830-1000
Chaffinch - 20 SE
Greenfinch - 2 S
Little Egret - 1 W

On the reserve
Cetti's Warbler singing again between the pagoda and the alder copse in the scrub on the edge of the reedbed.

More Blackbirds and some old friends

At least 100 Blackbirds from observations around the recording area with at least 60 on or passing through Heysham NR alone.
The "old friends" were a Robin first caught in August 2011 at Heysham, a Dunnock first caught in July 2013 at Heysham and a Cetti's Warbler at Middleton NR which was first caught in October 2015.

Offshore very murky but flock of five female Common Scoter located and Eiders in the mist at low tide at least 520

Shoveler still at Middleton

More later when sound recorder consulted!!!
Well, nothing of any note on the sound recorder - plenty of Robin, Wren, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blackbird noise and a few Chaffinches plus the odd Bullfinch.

Vis
Pink-footed Goose 2000N over Middleton NR in ten flocks plus flocks of 450N and 20E over Heysham bypass at 0730.
Fieldfare 1
Redwing 16 SE
Starling 47 S
Grey Wagtail 2 E
Chaffinch 21 SE
Bullfinch 1

The Green Woodpecker is still around.

A female Blackcap appeared in the nets later in the day.

A Raven sat for a while on one of the pylons.

Bits

Shag - subadult feeding off the Head
Common Scoter - flock of five off Head and two females off north wall
Great crested grebe - 6
Brambling - one south west over HNR

Red admiral on orange buddleia by office

More Common Scoter and thrushes

Low tide channels
Common Scoter - flock of five (2 Male) close inshore and another Male flew in and landed seaward side of the Eider line

Middleton NR
Blackbird - c40
Redwing - c30
Shoveler - 1cy Male still
Gadwall -18
Coot - Singleton
Mallard - just three
Moorhen - 9 plus

Pics published tomorrow

End of season

There's a definite end of migration season feel now, with few birds over and few in the nets. But there is still a trickle:

Vis 0800-1000
Weather: NWF2, short rain showers at 0825 and 0900, 5-9C, 1022mB, 4/8 cloud
Chaffinch - 10N, 3 S
Coal Tit - 2
Starling - 207N
alba wagtail - 1N
Goldfinch - 1S
Greenfinch - 4S
Meadow Pipit - 3S
Corvid sp - 30E in one flock-
Pink-footed Goose - a flock heard
Carrion Crow - 2N
Skylark - 3S
Bullfinch - 2S

On the ground:
Blackbird - 15
Goldcrest - 2
Coal Tit - 1

Low tide channels
The only thing of note was a distant Red-throated Diver.  No sign of any Common Scoter

Insects
Feathered Thorn in the trap and Red Admiral on the yellow buddleia

No sign of any wasp flightlines today past the office

Mammal
Grey Seal as yesterday

Just a wee bit late

The highlight was the first SINGING Cetti's Warbler for Heysham Nature Reserve (others have contact called or be seen on passage but this is the first one to sing)

Offshore at low tide - perfect conditions for viewing but no Slavonian Grebe

Eider - 510

Common Scoter - 2F together and 1M further out

Great Crested Grebe - 6

Vis 0800 - 0900

Blackbird - 60 moving inland through the bushes, all had gone by 11am

Song Thrush - 1

Mistle Thrush - 2 SE

Starling - 155 N

Redwing 3 N

Fieldfare 3 E

Chaffinch - 10N

Reed Bunting 1 S

alba wagtail - 1SE

Jackdaw - 1N

Raven - 1 "messing about"

Grounded

Blackcap - 1

Goldcrest - 1

Coal Tit - 1

Reedbed 

Water Rail - 1

Moths
Two Silver Y and a Winter Moth graced the office lights

Grey seal off Heysham Head close inshore