Whoopers over

A cool dry day with a light NE wind switching to NW by evening.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

It was a clear start after a clear night so I didn't expect to catch much or be able to see much vis but surprisingly there was a steady little flow of Chiffchaffs and evidence of Icelandic birds arriving with Whooper Swans and Pink-footed Geese overhead. The latter two species take a day or two to reach the Heysham area and usually "stage" ie rest up and feed up in at Scottish sites and/or Cumbria before continuing south. The passerines listed in the vis below are the absolute minimum that flew over but give an indication of what species were going over.

Vis:

Pink-footed Goose 60

Whooper Swan 18 

Pied/White Wagtail 3

Chaffinch 9

Greenfinch 1

Goldfinch 3

Siskin 1

Reed Bunting 1

Ringing:

32 birds were caught in 5 hours, 21 were new and 11 were retraps

Blue Tit  0 new, 2 retraps (both this year's young birds)

Great Tit 1 new, 2 retraps ( ditto)

Long-tailed Tit 2 new

Chiffchaff 9 new

Goldcrest 1 new

Robin 2 new, 2 retraps (one a year old, the other this year's young)

Dunnock 1 new, 4 retraps (one a year old and the others this year's young)

Chaffinch 3 new, 1 retrap (from this year)

Greenfinch 1 new

Goldfinch 1 new

Also present on the reserve:

A Jay, probably collecting or burying acorns

13 Carrion Crows - these gather on the pylon opposite the office and call each other in forming a "parliament" of crows. They then disperse in various directions to feed or some at this time of year migrate south.

Heysham skear - low water 10:45 (Malcolm)

Shag 1 immature rested briefly on conger rock then went fishing further south.

Immature Shag

Little Egret 18 - there are 10 in this clip.

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Great Crested Grebe 6

No Eider

This young Herring gull was trying to break open a Whelk shell, probably after a Hermit crab inside. Two Carrion Crows wanted to share the prize. The gull has to judge the best height to release the shell. Too low and it won't break, too high and there is less chance of it being first to reach it on the ground.

You can see in these last shots that the whelk shell is plummeting point down, and
appearing empty. This is what you would expect for a Hermit crab, it would retreat right
to the back of its shell, placing the centre of gravity just behind the point of the shell.
Perhaps the architect of its own doom!

The gull got there first this time, but had to repeat the process. I left them to it. My money would still be on the Hermit Crab, or at least on the whelk shell not breaking. I've never found a shell broken at the tip. That said, the gulls and the crows both seemed expectant, so perhaps the pounding renders the Hermit crab senseless and then easier pickings. I do regularly find empty whelk shells.

Oystercatcher 400

Curlew 30

Redshank 60

Knot 40

Turnstone 30

Ringed Plover 2

Ringed Plover

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I just did a quick check of the main ponds (Malcolm)

Mute Swan a pair with a cygnet on the main pond. Two more adults on the "no swimming" pond, one sat on the breeding pairs old nest.

This is the new adult on the "no swimming" pond

Coot 18

Moorhen 7 including 2 immature 

Mallard 8

Gadwall 9

Tufted Duck 8

Little grebe 1

I didn't manage to see one this afternoon, but Mark Jones took
this shot shortly before I arrived

Water Rail 2 squealing 

Cetti's warblers 2 singing

Migrant Hawker 6

Common Darter 12

I thought this Brown rat was scurrying off with a wafer biscuit......

........but it turned out to be a complete fat ball!

South shore

Wheatear 3 along the foreshore this morning - Linda Renshaw

I had a walk along the sea wall this evening (Malcolm)

This young Herring gull in the harbour has a small fish (looks like a whiting). The other gulls saw an opportunity so it flew off to eat it in peace elsewhere.

Grey Heron 2 - one each Red Nab and Wooden Jetty

Heron resting on the wooden jetty

This cormorant was fishing close to the sloping wall, not after large prey, but it was doing pretty well. I saw it catch two Common Blenny in two consecutive dives.

A smallish Blenny first dive

Quite a large one, as Blennies go, the next dive

Wigeon 29 - a Peregrine Falcon lifted all the waders off Red Nab and the Wigeon flew with them.

Wigeon

In the Nature Park

When I set out at 16:30 I heard two Chiffchaff calling, as had Kevin Eaves who checked a little earlier. But when I returned at 17:45 there were at least four calling.