A pair of yellow ringed Meds

A dry day with plenty of sunshine. The wind shifted to SE.

South Shore

Janet had an early walk along the sea wall.

Water vapour was still rising from the seaward end of No.1 outflow
No wind at this time

Looks like this young Black-Headed gull wanted to play "sticks"
But the others weren't interested today

I walked down a little later to watch the tide cover the beach next to the jetty (MD)

Mediterranean gulls 13 at least. There were 8 adult, 1 second calendar year and 2 first calendar year on the beach. Plus at least 2 additional second calendar year on Red Nab later.

The pickings are still easy here and the gulls were mainly resting and flew off as the tide reached them. One of the adults had a yellow darvic ring, but remained just beyond reading range.

Fortunately, I relocated it later on Red Nab, it is one of the German scheme adults read earlier this month. There was also a yellow ringed immature Med on Red Nab which is also part of a German scheme. This is a new bird for Heysham.

German ringed Mediterranean gull - details awaited 

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore 

Swallow 2 south

Heliport 

Howard had a quick look

Nothing exciting on the heliport today other than 3 visits from a male Sparrowhawk, think it got a Turnstone on it's last attack.

Wheatear 1 juvenile 

Rock Pipit 2 on Near Naze

Rock Pipit

Feeding time.......

A heavy downpour at 07:00 after that dry and largely sunny. A fresh NW to NNW wind.

South Shore (MD)

I couldn't get down till 09:30, probably missed most of anything that had been grounded by the rain. Still, along the foreshore:

Robin 2

Robins rarely make the picture gallery 

Goldfinch 2

Linnet 4

Pied Wagtail 1

Rock Pipit 2 plus 1 on Red Nab

Wheatear 4

Wheatear 

Mediterranean gulls 6 - 4 adult on Red Nab in the morning plus, later in the afternoon, 2 x 1st calendar year on the end of No.1 outflow. This is one of the Meds at the end of No.1 outflow, a Grey Seal reveals itself at the end of the clip.

1st calendar year Mediterranean gull and a Grey Seal

I walked along the wall in the afternoon to check the beach next to the wooden jetty, only 2 adult Meds turned up. The new ferry obviously has a greater displacement and more power than the old one, and has a proportionally larger wake. This is the wake running up the beach next to the wooden jetty.

It clearly reached further up the beach than the Oystercatchers were expecting. I am confident that this additional replenishment of nutrients up the beach can only benefit the Sandmason worm colony. We'll see.

This Redshank found a crab in the wash. It was just about small enough to pass its gape, when all its limbs were removed. Even so it made short work of it.

In contrast this young Black-Headed Gull didn't seem to know what to do with this small fish. What's it been eating up to now? Perhaps it was already full. It took it almost two minutes to eat this Whitebait, it spent most of that time washing it.

I mentioned yesterday about honing survival skills, hopefully it will soon learn that it will seldom be allowed to play with its food for so long. It probably only got away with it today as there was plenty of food to go round. In this clip it finally managed to eat the fish, meanwhile an Oystercatcher casually catches a Sandmason worm.

The Starling numbers in the harbour continue to grow. There are 500+ now, these are some of them on one of the platforms, I'm pretty sure they are not feeding here, just breaking off pieces of barnacle shell for grit.

Juvenile Turnstone 

Some nice shots from Janet:

Redshank and Oystercatcher on the Heliport wall
plus the Manxman turning into the harbour

The top of the heliport wall looking out into the bay

Female Migrant Hawker on Middleton Nature Reserve 

It's caught a Crane Fly

Mobile Purple Sandpiper

A freshish west wind. An early shower then dry with sunny spells till more rain in the evening.

South Shore on rising tide (MD)

The waders weren't flushed today, but were already feeding towards the edge of the recording area when I started, and they continued moving south as the tide rose.

Numbers similar to yesterday for Grey Plover, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Dunlin. But fewer Knot, c250.

More Ringed Plover 25

Curlew only 50

Oystercatcher also only c50

As I was scanning the skies yesterday for a "large raptor", that I'd assumed had spooked the birds, watchers (on full zoom) from Cockersands saw an Osprey resting on one of the posts in the sea out from Ocean Edge! I'll remember to check the posts as well as the skies next time.

Redshank c150 most on Red Nab

Turnstone 11 Red Nab

Lapwing 4 saltmarsh 

This Lapwing is after Harbour Ragworm, it catches one at the very beginning of this clip. Watch also the Wood Pigeon, it is drinking the fresh groundwater as it seeps up through the mud.

This is a detail from the above clip, you can see the worm being pulled from its hole.
Harbour Ragworm are named after their preferred terrain, not the deep harbours we think of today,
but traditional ancient landing areas, which were often just creeks into a marsh where a boat could be 
grounded at high water to be unloaded/loaded before floating off on the next tide. An area like our saltmarsh.

There were lots of gull today. Mainly Black-Headed with several Common. Also

Mediterranean Gulls 5 adult

Sandwich Tern 11 resting on the mud and occasionally flying around 

Sandwich Tern, left. Mediterranean gull lower right, with a Common gull just behind it and two above.

This clip is when the tide was pushing the gulls up the shore. There are at least one Mediterranean gull and four Sandwich Tern, but not easy to spot. Watch in slow motion. Note also the young Black-Headed gull with a piece of weed. More on this next.

The young Black-Headed gulls were, what can only be described as, "playing". One would pick up a piece of weed or a stick and others followed and picked it up again when it was dropped. Like all play, you have to hope it is fun, but it definitely hones the skills the birds will require to survive.

Swallow 4 south 

Pied/White Wagtail 10 in one flock east

Rock Pipit 4

Wheatear 1

Heliport (PM)

Redshank 720

Turnstone 225

Knot 7 juvenile 

Lapwing 24

Dunlin 1

Common Sandpiper 1

Purple Sandpiper 1 adult in summer plumage heliport seawall 

then the flock flushed probably by ground predator and 1/3 of the Redshank and Turnstone with the Purple Sandpiper flew towards Heysham Head.

5 Curlew, 

5500 Oystercatcher,

A bit frustrating

A fresh NW wind. Dry with the odd sunny spell.

South shore towards high water 09:40 (MD)

There were lots of waders on the waterline as I was walking out on the shore:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 10

Grey Plover 240+

Knot 500+

Dunlin 650+

Unfortunately before I could get close enough for a good look something lifted all the waders and gulls. Whatever it was I couldn't see it! Everything landed again, quite quickly. Most of the waders further south towards Potts. 

A few remained in the recording area. These are Grey Plover, Knot and Dunlin retreating from the rising tide. The brown blobs are just natural spume, formed when the waves break (the white of "white horses"), as they are blown over the mud, they pick up particles and become mud coloured.

Other waders:

Curlew c150

Oystercatcher c200

Redshank c130 most on Red Nab

Turnstone 4 Red Nab

Ringed plover 16 between waterline and saltmarsh 

The Ringed Plovers didn't move when everything else was flushed

Sandwich Tern 3 at least. 2 were seen on the shore and later 3 came in to rest on Red Nab

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 on foreshore and 2 on Red Nab

Grey Wagtail 1 on Red Nab

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

Janet gave the Pheasants their daily exercise.

Heysham Skear - low water 16:40 (MD)

Eider 2 female/immature 

Little Egret 5

Oystercatcher c300

Curlew c100

Redshank c120

Turnstone c30

Knot c100

Ringed Plover 2

Once again, everything, including the gulls was lifted, and once again I failed to locate the culprit (hence the frustration).

Oystercatcher and Knot spooked by something 

This clip shows some of the feeding activity on the rising tide. Most of these are after shrimps. Little Egret, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Knot and a Black-Headed gull.

I like this clip of Knot. Mainly as it begins with one pushing an Oystercatcher out of the way. The Knot that was behind the Oystercatcher finds an invertebrate to eat.

Redshank and Knot

Juvenile Knot

Sand Martin 2 flying into the wind to the NW

Postscript from Pete

Osprey hanging about south of Ocean Edge sat on post - visible on full zoom from Cockersands 

More Sandwiches

It just about remained dry after an early shower. A freshening NW wind.

South Shore (MD)

Just one check today, on the shore out from the foreshore just after morning high water.

Red Nab not checked.

Wheatear 5 along foreshore 

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore 

There were lots of waders along the waterline:

Curlew c150

Oystercatcher c100

Bar-Tailed Godwit 24

Grey Plover 197

Knot 391

Dunlin 685

Turnstone 2

Redshank c100 close to saltmarsh 

Ringed Plover 15 close to saltmarsh 

Grey Plover, Knot and Dunlin

These are some of the Grey Plover, Knot, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Dunlin

Male Bar-Tailed Godwit, still largely in summer plumage, with Dunlin

Sandwich Tern 48 at least - there was one main resting group, but birds were leaving and arriving all the time. The highest count was 45 resting plus at least 3 blogging.

Common Tern 1 resting with the Sandwich Terns.

This is the resting group including the Common Tern

This clip shows the Common Tern more clearly and the location of the resting group.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a brief check of the two main ponds in passing.

Mute Swan 2 adult 8 cygnets 

Coot 9 all on main pond and still squabbling!

Moorhen 1 - the only bird on the "no swimming" pond

Mallard 4

Tufted Duck 1 female

Mallard and female Tufted duck - just traces of a tuft now.

Yesterday, Janet accidentally flushed a female Pheasant with a recently fledged brood.

These Kestrel shots from Janet are from the Barrows today.

Kestrel

Janet also had a raptor visit her garden this evening 

Sparrowhawk 

Meds dissapear

Very light and variable breeze. Some sunshine and a couple of light showers.

South Shore (MD)

Two checks again one in the morning on the ebbing tide and an evening check towards high water.

Wheatear 17 in the morning moving through very quickly. 6 on Red Nab in the evening almost certainly additional.

Five of the morning Wheatears stopped off on the wooden jetty briefly 
These are three on top of the wooden jetty lighthouse. 

Rock Pipit 3 along foreshore 

Linnet 4 on foreshore 

Goldfinch a flock of 24 were feeding at the bottom of the foreshore rocks

Peregrine Falcon 1

There were no small gulls on Red Nab and no gulls at all were feeding on either outflow. Only a single Black-Headed gull turned up to feed on the beach next to the Jetty. No Mediterranean gulls seen in the morning.

There were plenty of gulls in the evening c350 Black-Headed, mainly on the shore. 

Mediterranean gull 3 adult on Red Nab

I walked out onto the shore to check the waders on the waterline.

Curlew c250

Oystercatcher c300

Bar-Tailed Godwit 8

Knot 43

Grey Plover 32

Dunlin c150

A slightly different view of the tower at the seaward end of No.2 outflow 
with the South Lakes hills in the background 

Sandwich Tern 14 resting on shore and occasionally blogging. This youngster was after being fed, but the adult wasn't impressed!

One of the adults had a yellow darvic ring, unfortunately just beyond reading range.

Sandwich Terns

Easy pickings and another Osprey

Sunshine with heavy showers, particularly in the morning. A west wind.

South Shore (MD)

I walked along the foreshore and sea wall in the morning.

Wheatear 2

A particularly rufous 1st winter Wheatear

Rock Pipit 2 - foreshore and Red Nab

Linnet 5 - foreshore 3 lighthouse 2

The forecast was for light rain showers. I suppose by volume of water over the day the rain was "light". I'd set off in bright sunshine and waterproof leggings were a last minute decision. A good one! I could see the rain approaching while I was on the foreshore. Foreboding weather conditions rarely look so when photographed, but this is a reasonable representation.

I was walking towards the weather, and the weather was heading towards me.....
.....we met half way along the wall. There is no definition of "light" that would describe the subsequent rain!

Fortunately it was easing as I reached the end of the wall. The beach by the jetty was just becoming exposed by the tide. Only 6 Mediterranean gulls turned up, along with Black-Headed Gulls, Little Egret, Curlew and Redshank. All were catching Sandmason worms, although I didn't actually see the Egret catch any.  This compilation shows the differing techniques, I did feel that the Curlew was "cheating" a little.

Robin 1 grounded by lighthouse

I returned early evening towards high water

Mediterranean gulls 15 adult on Red Nab including one white ringed bird.

Curlew c300 on the south shore

Whimbrel 1 flew from Red Nab

Oystercatcher c500

Redshank 120 on Red Nab

Turnstone 4 on Red Nab

Knot 20 on tideline 

Dunlin 60 on tideline

Lapwing 4 on saltmarsh 

Sanderling 1 feeding amongst the Oystercatcher on the tideline, but only briefly 

Sandwich Tern 1 resting with c200 Black-Headed Gulls just south of the saltmarsh 

Sandwich Tern

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I called in on my way home mid morning, the heavy shower had eased a while earlier, but the rain had only just stopped and the clouds were clearing.

Osprey 1 - it flew north over the main pond and was obviously checking for any fish. But the gulls were agitated and it continued north

Osprey, checking out the main pond

Main Pond

Tufted duck 1 (the odd) female

Coot 8 only 2 obviously immature 

Only 1 Moorhen on "no swimming" pond.

By this time the sun was out and the insects were just beginning to move

Common Darter 1 male

Common Blue Damselfly 1 male

Common Blue Damselfly

Common Emerald Damselfly 

Common Emerald Damselfly

Pete Crooks had a stroll around the village in the afternoon.

2 Greenshank flew south over Heysham Village (first of the autumn - they are not common here)

1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Small Copper at St Peters Church

1 Painted Lady on the footpath between Knowleys Road and Heysham Village Bay. 

Out with the (not so very) old and in with the new.

A light SW wind. An early shower then dry with plenty of sunshine

Just my stuff so far (MD)

South shore

I had planned to go along the wall early to watch the beach by the jetty become exposed. But something happened (or more honestly, something didn't happen, I didn't get out of bed!). So I went down just after lunch to watch it being covered. I didn't hang around it was deserted except for:

Mediterranean gull 1 adult. I'll try and get down early in the morning to see if the Meds are feeding in numbers.

Rock Pipit 2 one on Red Nab plus one flew quite high to the south over the roundhead.

This is what today's title refers to. As from 17th August the new ferry the Manxman took over the regular Isle of Man service from Ben-My-Chree. The Ben only began service in 1998, ok last century, but not a long time for a ship. Today the Ben was heading out, to Douglas, as the Manxman was coming in.

The old ferry, Ben-My-Chree on its way out,
as the the new ferry, Manxman comes in

Nature Park 

Jay 1

Red Admiral 2

Large White 1

Small White 3

Speckled Wood 3

Male Small White and a splash of Autumn colour!

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Jay 1

Red Admiral 2

Large White 3

Small White 5

Speckled Wood 4

Most of the butterflies were around the reserve edges. On the raised peat moss itself there were hardly any but Silver Y moth were constantly lifting as I walked across the moss

Dragonflies 

Common Darter lots mainly male 

Brown Hawker 2

Brown Hawker and Common Darter

But I'd really gone to see if there were any Black Darters around. The first dragonfly I saw on the raised moss was a male. I couldn't get a very good picture of it but I reasoned (reasonably), that if there is one straight away there will surely be others. There wasn't! I walked all over the moss there were lots of pools which on previous years would likely be a territory, but not today.

The going wasn't easy over the moss, it is crisscrossed with sink holes filled with water.
In theory ideal for Black Darters but not today

I couldn't even relocate the one I saw when I first arrived, so I was left with a less than satisfactory shot, although it does capture key identification features.

Male Black Darter

Pelican update (see post 19/08/23). They've caught it!

The bird was found in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, about 65 miles from its home at Blackpool Zoo.

The Eastern white pelican has Been missing since the 4th August

Picture courtesy of BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-66608150

Med numbers increasing again

A light SW wind. Dry with sunny spells till early evening, when rain set in.

South Shore

Mediterranean gulls 22 minimum - Pete saw 14 between Red Nab and outflows on the ebbing tide. These included a distant 2nd calendar year with a dark ring with possible yellow characters. Also 2 juvenile.

I went down a little later (MD). By that time there were no small gulls on Red Nab, but there were 2 juvenile Meds feeding on the seaward end of No.1 outflow, plus 20 resting and occasionally feeding on the beach by the wooden jetty. These included at least one 2nd calendar year and the green ringed German adult, plus a white ringed adult.

This is the green ringed adult. The clip shows the current high density of sandmason worm tubes, which presumably alerts the Meds to their likely availability.

Most of the Meds were just resting/preening, presumably already eaten their fill
2nd calendar year, now in 2nd winter plumage left
White ringed adult top right

I returned to check Red Nab as the tide was reaching it, again at least 20 Meds with no juveniles seen. There were three previously read white ringed birds plus the green German bird again. Unfortunately I couldn't find the dark ringed bird, but it could well have been there, most of the time, most of the legs were obscured. 

This one was an exception, stood on the mud and providing easy views of its ring

This clip is from this morning, I'd walked along the shore rather than the sea wall. It shows the gulls feeding on No.2 outflow. The smaller Black-Headed gulls hovering and diving, while most of the young large gulls preferring to wait until something is passing before diving. You might want to turn the volume down on this one, I was right behind the water outlet.

No Rock Pipits seen or heard, although the foreshore wasn't checked.

Wheatear 1 near wooden jetty.

Wheatear

Waders:

Curlew - must have been 300+ flew past to the south shore.

Whimbrel 1 flew south from Red Nab in the afternoon 

Oystercatcher 600+

Redshank 100+

Turnstone 4

Nature Park 

Jay 2

Migrant Hawker 1 - glimpses seen over the past week but this was the first one to be able to identify with confidence. Unfortunately it refused to settle.

Common Darter 3

Male Common Darter

Red Admiral 2

Large White 1

Small White 5

Speckled Wood 4

Gatekeeper 2 (looking worn)

Common Blue 1

Not a lot again

A fresh SW wind. Dry all day with some sunshine.

Heysham skear - low water 10:00 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe - just one seen but the sea was quite choppy.

Eider 20 in small groups of female/immature birds

Little Egret 13 - there are 10 in this clip.

Common Tern 1 resting on a sandbar on the rising tide.

Common Tern with a metal ring

It flew further up the sandbar when flushed by the tide

Waders:

Oystercatcher c500

Curlew c100

Redshank c80

Turnstone only c20

Knot 2

Knot and Oystercatcher 

Ringed Plover 3 - the plover were on the inner skear where they normally feed. But the inner skear isn't as it normally is. It is normally small stones, broken shells and patches of mud. This year it has an healthy covering of mussels. Not sure they are to the Ringed Plover's liking though.

Ringed Plover on a terrain that they do not usually choose to feed.

South shore (PM)

Mediterranean gulls 14 Red Nab/outflows, including 2 juvenile 

An old link on the sidebar "magic seaweed" is no longer active, so it has been replaced with "Heysham Surf report". It is an excellent guide to tide times and heights plus the sea conditions. Worth a look.