Sunday 26 November 2023

Scaup adds some interest

A fine but overcast day. Light breeze from SE.

South shore (MD)
Pink-Footed goose 570 in three main waves low to the north at 08:50
Pale-bellied Brent goose 16 on Red Nab before flying south when flushed by the tide.
Wigeon 200+
Scaup 1 female/immature 
Scaup - originally it was just out from the harbour mouth.


It then started heading out and swam past the wooden jetty.

I thought that was it, but it then swam back and headed into the harbour. This is where it was when I left.
(Pete Crooks also saw a Scaup up at Teal Bay this morning - for details visit LDBWS webpage https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/forum/bird-insect-sightings/)

Little Gull 1 adult very briefly on No.2 outflow. There was hardly any gulls feeding here today, then the Little gull just appeared from "nowhere" did a short circuit and disappeared again, presumably very little food was coming through.

Grey Plover 1 on the few remaining Red Nab rocks. It appears to eat some gutweed, possibly there were invertebrates mixed in with it.

Grey Plover
Rock Pipits 3

This male Bullfinch was calling in the Nature Park

North Shore
Howard managed to find two flagged Knot roosting at the heliport this morning, unfortunately one was too badly damaged to read.
This one could be read - details awaited

Once again there was a large roost on Heysham Head rocks, mainly Knot but Redshank and Oystercatcher too. Janet took this panoramic shot of them. If you open it you can see the detail of individual birds, it shows how many pairs of legs you have to check to find any with colour rings or flags (I can't see any amongst this lot (MD)).

Then something spooked them and they were all in the air