Heysham Nature Reserve
Report by Jean:
I put up a couple of nets on the off chance a Yellow-browed Warbler might be around. Spoiler - it wasn't. But a small flock of young Goldfinches descended and 7 new ones were caught, as was an older male from 2022 that should have known better!
Other than that two Great Tits were retrapped, a juv from April that has now revealed itself to be a female, and another young female that was a nestling in one of the Landscape Strip nest boxes in May. There were also two Dunnocks, both this year's birds.
Apart from the birds attracted to the feeders I heard a Chiffchaff calling but didn't manage to catch it.
South shore (Malcolm)
Red Nab then out from the saltmarsh.
Mediterranean gulls 7 at least. 3 adult and a 1st calendar year on Red Nab (probably others out of sight). 3 adults on the shore.
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First calendar year Mediterranean gull (centre) |
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All the other gulls on the beach were stood, but the Meds chose to sit! I eventually saw their legs and none were ringed |
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Wigeon |
Grey Plover 9 were resting on the mud close to the saltmarsh
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Grey Plover and Shelduck |
Redshank 76 around the saltmarsh
There were a few small groups of waders feeding high up the shore, but only Dunlin seen.
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Dunlin feeding close to the shoreline |
There was a flock of c1,500 waders along the waterline, mainly Knot and Dunlin but also at least 20 Bar-Tailed Godwit and 30 Grey Plover
Oystercatcher 200
On the saltmarsh
Linnet 40+
Meadow Pipit 2
Wheatear 1
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Wheatear with its feathers fluffed out |
Swallow 1 south
Heysham skear - low water 18:20 (Malcolm)
I checked about an hour before low water, there was very little on the sea.
Eider 6
Red-Breasted Merganser 3
Great Crested Grebe 1
Little,Egret 9
Oystercatcher c500
Knot c200
Curlew 60
Redshank 40
Turnstone 35
Ringed Plover 3
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Ringed Plover |
There is still loads of gutweed and sea lettuce. Many areas of the skear are green.
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All the green is either gutweed or sea lettuce. If it stays like this the Brent geese will only feed close to the shore at high water this winter. |