Siberian Chiffchaff and BRS top an interesting day

Another dryish day that never really got light. A very light SE breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by John:

Nets set again this morning in not ideal conditions. Quite still, but light drizzle for much of the period. Numbers of Redwings seen was low, so catching ten of them was a good result. Few other birds around. There was an influx of some Blackbirds mid-morning, although none were caught. The catch comprised:

Redwing 10

Blue Tit 3

Redpoll 2  and singles of Chiffchaff, Robin and Dunnock

Heysham skear - low water 07:30 (Malcolm)

It was barely light as I was walking out, it was eerily quiet. Then about 07:30, when possibly it was slightly lighter, something triggered the waders to say that it was dawn, and the normal clamour began. There was a fine drizzle all the while I was out.

Six species of duck seen:

Shelduck 4 initially on the sea then north.

Red-breasted Merganser 5 at least

Eider 3 at least

Common Scoter 1 female type

Common Scoter

Wigeon 4 on the sea

Shoveler 3 (1 male) on the sea.

Shoveler 

Great Crested grebe 3 at least

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher definitely more than recent c2,500

Curlew 40

Redshank 60

Knot 600 in several very mobile flocks

Janet checked from the promenade later in the tide, when it was slightly brighter.

Knot

Curlew

The Curlew headed to the south side.
Janet also reported a large flock of them landing in the field near Heysham Moss

South shore (Malcolm)

Just a short walk after lunch from the saltmarsh to Red Nab.

Shelduck 37

Wigeon 120

Then back through the Nature Park.

I spotted a greyish Chiffchaff in the bushes and trees near the circle of stones. I eventually managed some decent diagnostic shots confirming it to be a Siberian Chiffchaff 

Heysham Head (Dan Haywood)

overhead;

Chaffinch 18 NE
Woodpigeon 14 NE
Siskin 6 NE
Song Thrush 6 NE
Lesser Redpoll 5 NE
Brambling 5 NE
Meadow Pipit 1 W
Swallow 1 NE

selected; on deck

Blackbird 15
Goldcrest 3
Rock Pipit 3
Chiffchaff 1
Mistle Thrush 1 then NE

Redwing 1
Black Redstart 1 (fem-type, shore beneath the barrows)

Female type Black Redstart

Dan's full report, can be seen on the LDBWS webpage

https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/topic/morecambe-heysham-am/

A lot more thrushes

Another dry day, but little light and little breeze - what breeze there was came mainly from the east.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

It was quite an exciting morning.  Nets were set in the dark and opened by 07.00 and groups Redwings appeared straight away, presumably having been grounded overnight.  As the morning progressed there were many hundreds of Fieldfares attracted to the Mp3 player.  However, only one was trapped and that escaped whilst I was still a way from the net.  Fieldfares are well known to avoid mist nets. Other flocks of Redwings and mixed redwing/Fieldfare appeared and moved on until about 09.30 after then only occasional smaller numbers were seen.  They seemed to be generally moving towards the East away from the reserve.  Seven Redpolls were trapped at dawn but only one more after that.  Approx 50 corvids flew east to the south of the United Utilities site at 08.30, these were most likely Jackdaws.  The trickle of Chiffchaffs continues with two unringed caught, also a single Blackcap.

Robin  2

Redwing  12

Chiffchaff  2 + 1 retrap

Goldcrest  2

Blue Tit  2

Lesser Redpoll  8

Singles of Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush (0nly our 3rd this year), Blackcap, Reed Bunting.

One of the Redwing - picture by Jean

Jean also took this shot of Fieldfare passing over. Note the lack of formation........

........compared to the classic goose formation of Pinkfoot passing over 
a few days ago

Janet checked just after lunch

Fieldfare - still the odd one passing over

Cetti's warbler 1 singing

Common Snipe 1

Pheasant 1

I checked at twilight, although with today's dull conditions, there wasn't much change! I wanted to see if anything was roosting in the wooded area on the south side. In the second winter period earlier this year there were large Stock Dove and Jackdaw roosts. Today's effort was underwhelming!

Jackdaw 36

Wood Pigeon 2

Stock Dove 1

I'll check again in a week or so to see if there is any change.

Wildfowl pretty much as yesterday, but extra Gadwall (26 today). The lone adult Mute Swan is lone no more, it has been joined by another adult.

A Little grebe was showing today on the main pond.

Little grebe

Common Snipe 2 accidentally flushed

Jay 1

Fieldfare 2 

Meadow Pipit 1 over to west.

Chiffchaff 1 calling

South shore (Malcolm)

Just a short morning walk from Red Nab to the saltmarsh.

Wigeon 80+

Greylag goose 8

Greylag geese - just seconds after this shot they disappeared into the low cloud

Meadow Pipit 1 grounded on the foreshore 

Meadow Pipit

Lots of thrushes

Another still and overcast day. A very light south breeze developed 

Report by Pete Crooks:

Imperial Road, Heysham (7.45 – 8.15 am)
4 adult Mediterranean Gull among a large mixed gull flock – mainly adult Herring Gull, with smaller numbers of Black-headed, Common and Lesser Black-backed Gulls – in the fields east of Imperial Road
6 Fieldfare and 5 Redwing flew south

Heysham Nature Reserve (8.20 – 9.15 am)
c.110 Redwing – small numbers (a total of 10) were seen around the reserve with others heard high overhead, then a completely silent flock of c.100 ‘leaf fell’ into the trees around the Tank Farm at 9.10 am, but flew off south almost immediately. They were almost certainly brought down by the tape of Redwing & Chiffchaff calls being played by John Mason while mist-neeting behind the Nature Reserve hut.
2 Fieldfare flew south
c.90 Pink-footed Geese flew north
1 Sparrowhawk by the Dipping Pond
1 Chiffchaff calling near the Dipping Pond

Heysham Nature Park – Ocean Edge (9.20 – 10.20 am)
c.50 Redwing flew south at 9.25 am
1 adult Mediterranean Gull – with white left leg darvic, but too distant to read – at Red Nab
No grounded migrants along the Ocean Edge foreshore.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

I had a walk around the reserve mid morning.

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult on the main pond. Probably one seen by Pete earlier from Imperial Rd.

Mediterranean gull top right

Mute Swan - a single adult on the main pond. Pair with large cygnet on "no swimming" pond.

Female and cygnet resting on the nest. This wooden nest seems to draw
the females. It will be interesting to see if it is reused next year.

Mallard 11

Gadwall 16

Tufted Duck 8

Teal 3 (1 male)

Female and male Teal

Teal and Gadwall males

Coot and Moorhen as recent, and the Coot still arguing. This clip looks serine, and it had been for at least 30 seconds. I knew what would be happening soon.

Pink-footed goose 65 south

Jay 1

Thrushes:

At least 120 flew south in three medium sized and several small flocks

One of the larger flocks. Redwings heard 

At least some of the smaller groups were Blackbirds

Minimum 20 Blackbirds were grounded. This one manages to pluck a sloe. A short burst from a Cetti's warbler at the start of the clip.

The only other grounded thrushes seen were

Mistle Thrush 1

Redwing 3

Redwing

Meadow Pipit 1

Cetti's warbler 3 singing

A quick look at Imperial Rd on the way home saw just a handful of Herring gulls remaining in the fields to the east.

Several shades of grey!

Very low cloud all day but it remained fine. No air movement at all at times, when there was a gentle breeze it was from the south.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

The morning was mild and overcast with a very light SSE air movement.  Thrushes appeared not to have arrived in large numbers on this side of the country yet.  A few single figure groups did fly over from west to east, presumably having reached sight of the sea and turned back. They took little notice of the Mp3 player. The three Redwings trapped early on were already grounded.  Plenty of Blackbirds were in evidence around the reserve.  A Water Rail recording was played briefly near the reedbeds but with no response at all. Two Snipe flew a few a couple circuits round the site. Nets were set from just before 07.00 until 11.00 - the catch was poor for the time spent there. Jean did very much better at the Heysham feeding station.

Redwing  3

Blackbird  1

Chiffchaff  1

Long tailed Tit and Blue Tit  1 retrap of each

Chaffinch  1

Bullfinch   1

Reed Bunting  2

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Another ringing session dominated by Goldfinches. 19 more new ones caught bringing the total since mid September to 121. 

42 birds of 9 species caught between 0820 and 1300hrs

Blue Tit 0 new 2 retraps
Great Tit 1 new 2 retraps
Chiffchaff 2 new 0 retraps
Goldcrest 1 new, 0 retraps
Robin 1 new 2 retraps
Dunnock 0 new 2 retraps
Chaffinch 2 new 0 retraps
Greenfinches 4 new 0 retraps
Goldfinch 19 new 4 retraps

All retraps from this year apart from a Dunnock from last year. One of the Great Tits was ringed in May in a nestbox on the Landscape Strip woodland.

Nothing much overhead - a flock of 6 Siskin and three flocks of Pink-footed Geese heading south totalling about 240, just 2 Redwing, 2 Song Thrushes and a few Blackbirds.

South shore (Malcolm)

I walked in with the rising tide this morning, out from the saltmarsh. The grey light and still conditions made everything look monochrome.

Pink-Footed goose 59 (7 and 52) flew low towards the Fylde coast. These are additional to Jean's birds, so 299 in total.

Pink-Footed geese

Shelduck 18

Shelduck and an Oystercatcher 

Wigeon 151, first at Red Nab then to the saltmarsh 

Whooper Swan 6

Whooper Swans - the shipping lane buoy providing a "splash" of colour!

It felt a bit surreal as they flew past barely making a sound.

Oystercatcher 300 resting on the mud plus 40 were the only waders along the waterline.

Curlew 89 flew in small groups from the north side.

Curlew

Knot none landed but c1,000 in smallish flocks flew south

Knot

Redshank 65 feeding around the saltmarsh 

Grey Plover 10 resting high up the shore with a feeding group of  8 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin

5 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin

Grey Plover

Carrion Crow 18 foraging on the shore

Carrion Crow

On the way back to the saltmarsh a small raptor was flying off with a kill. Possibly a Merlin, but only seen from behind.

Linnet, ominously only 2 (3 here yesterday)

Heysham Head (Janet)

Janet was struck by the same sentiment as me: "The light was as flat as the sea, it almost looks black and white!!"

Eider 2

These shots are Knot coming in to roost on the rocks. A few Redshank and Turnstone also on the rocks

Just OOA provided most interest

A light west wind, basically dry although some very light drizzle in the evening.

South shore (Malcolm)

It was nice having a walk along the sea wall, it's been closed for maintenance during daylight hours all week. That said, there wasn't a lot to see.

Grey Heron 1

Grey Heron

Little Egret 2

Wigeon 136 initially on Red Nab then moved to the saltmarsh. 

Wigeon arriving at the saltmarsh 

These are a few collecting seeds from the marsh plants as the tide covers them.

Eider 1 female feeding by the outfalls

Carrion Crow a flock of 10 came from the north and settled on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 - sea wall and saltmarsh 

Linnet just 3 on the saltmarsh 

The tide wasn't high enough to flush any Jack Snipe, but again a bit surprising that no Common Snipe were flushed.

Just out of the recording area - Horse Paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall (Malcolm)

I went to see if the Green Sandpiper was there. It was.

But it was far from alone!

Mallard 6

Mallard and Green Sandpiper

Little Egret 1

Rook 2 flying around, as were several Jackdaw

Goldfinch 12

Greenfinch 6

Pied Wagtail 2

Pied Wagtail

Grey Wagtail 1 colour ringed.

Grey Wagtail ringed as part of the scheme detailed on sidebar.
Ringed at Middleton NR on 13/09/2024 as a juvenile

Meadow Pipit 4

Meadow Pipit 

Unsurprisingly, as I was leaving a Sparrowhawk was arriving!