Some stuff on the move

A dry day, cloud cover to begin with, then sunny spells. A very light variable breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Jean:

In the background throughout was the beautiful sound of a singing Mistle Thrush. I caught 18 birds, 7 of which were retraps . 

The main aim was to catch Redpolls which are on the move at the moment heading to their breeding areas further north. A few came down but only two were caught, including the brightly coloured adult male in the photograph. It was a “control” - a bird ringed somewhere else, not at Heysham. We are awaiting details. 

List of birds caught:

Goldfinch - 5 new

Greenfinch - 1 new

Chaffinch - 1 new

Lesser Redpoll - 1 new, 1 control

Chiffchaff - 1 new

Robin - 1 new, 1 retrap

Wren - 1 retrap

Blackbird - 1 new

Blue Tit - 2 retraps

Great Tit - 1 new

Dunnock - 1 retrap

This morning's previously ringed Lesser Redpoll 
Ringing location details awaited

A Reed Bunting was singing in the vicinity of the Fire Pond.

Other stuff from Pete

one swallow and two sand martin north (first Swallow of the year)

three red throated diver on the sea

At least three redwing grounded Heysham NR but little else grounded/vis  

Highish layer of uniform cloud regularly fails to deliver

Heysham Skear (Malcolm)

No Brent geese seen today

Pink-Footed goose four large flocks heading North

Pink-Footed geese high to the north

Pink-Footed geese

Whooper Swans 34

The sky was white, the sea was flat and reflecting the sky.
Spotting swans wasn't easy!

Fortunately, they did pass a little closer by.

Eider 120 many quite distant, only observable due to the flat sea.

Eider close in, plus many of the specks on the "horizon" are also Eider.

Red-breasted Merganser 12

Great Crested grebe 8

Little Egret 5

Oystercatchers flew directly from the outer skear to the waterline when displaced by the tide at least 1,000.

Curlew 3

Redshank 350

Knot - there were none feeding on the skear this morning and at least one of yesterday's birds was seen on Ainsdale shore today.

This Icelandic ringed Knot was feeding here yesterday. Today it was seen
On Ainsdale shore some 30+ miles south

Three flocks of constantly calling Knot flew from the north and continued south this morning. A total of 700 birds, they were flying in very spread out formation, not the tight balls that you normally see.

Part of today's largest flock of Knot passing over to the south.

Turnstone 250

Ocean Edge (Janet)

Two Wheatear along foreshore 

Rock Pipit also on foreshore 

Small Tortoiseshell 

Looks to be a Green-Veined White

Also from Janet

Goldfinch taking nesting material from Janet's "feeder"

One of two pairs of Jackdaw nesting in roofs near Meldon Rd

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the south sea wall and spotted this beetle - not that it needed much spotting, it is a big one!

Hairy Rove Beetle
They are fairly widespread but not common.

A lot of Knot going on

A dry and mainly sunny day with a fresh west wind.

North shore

I watched the tide cover the skear this morning (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 4

Dark-bellied Brent goose 1

They started in the SE skear corner. The recent strong winds have left plenty of broken weed there.

One dark and 2 pale-bellied Brent geese

Eider 63

Several small groups of Eider headed further north

Red-breasted Merganser 14

Female Red-breasted Merganser

Oystercatcher 1,000 ended up along the tideline 

Curlew 10

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Redshank 400

Knot 1,000 were on the skear and moved to the waterline when the tide moved them off, but today's tide was coming in so quickly that in 10 minutes the tide had covered the mud and the Knot left to the south. A few flags were seen including one new one for this winter.

Turnstone 360 - three large flocks plus others scattered around 

Male House Sparrow looking out to sea.

Heliport (Howard)

2,500 Knot roosting at high water, several flags read.

This shot is from a couple of days ago when there were also c2,500 Knot

These are today's shots

When they are all hiding each others legs, sometimes aerial shots are
the only option 

A couple of shots from Janet

Greenfinch and Wood Pigeon 

Just out of interest, the Forster's Tern seen here on Friday is now on the Wyre

The birds not quite eclipsed

A dry but overcast morning, steady rain in the afternoon. A SW wind freshening as is drifted to the south.

It was too cloudy this morning to directly observe the partial solar eclipse. But, impressively, Kevin Eaves' weather station did register the dip in solar energy despite the thick cloud cover.

The dip in solar energy during this morning's partial solar eclipse is clear to see.

North shore - David Kaye

Osprey 1 feeding out from Heysham Head this morning - first record this year

0840hrs 14 Pale-bellied Brent off play area Heysham Plus 1 Dark-bellied Brent 

Heysham skear (Malcolm)

Two quick visits, one to watch the tide cover the skear this morning, and a wet check as it was uncovered again this afternoon.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 9 this morning (08:00), 24 flew north this afternoon.

This morning's Brent geese, later to be joined by others

Eider 18 this afternoon 

Red-breasted Merganser 11 this morning, 9 this afternoon 

Little Egret 3 this afternoon 

Waders not counted in the afternoon, other than a flock of 300 Knot arrived when much of the skear was exposed.

Waders this morning

Oystercatcher 200

Curlew 4

Redshank 300

Knot 2,000 flushed by the tide from the skear and half settled along the waterline briefly but only three flags could be read.

Turnstone 350

Turnstone

South shore (Janet)

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 feeding around the harbour wall plus two together on the sea wall near No.1 outfall.

Rock Pipits in the harbour 

Sea wall Rock Pipits

Wheatear 2 a male and female along Ocean Edge foreshore 

Female Wheatear

Male Wheatear

A star tern (actually two stars)

A dry morning after an early morning downpour. A couple of showers in the afternoon. A fresh west wind.

Forster's Tern -  it was identified close inshore by Nick Godden off Morecambe then presumably it (but no detail at that range) seen by Jean and David distantly between Grosvenor and Sunny slopes groyne feeding close inshore.  Then it was seen briefly off Heysham Head from the near Naze by Shaun before completely disappearing.  

Seawatch  - Pete:

7 Gannet

30 plus 10 kittiwake

3 guillemot

1 razorbill/guillemot

2 red throated diver 

1 common scoter

Howard checked out the c2,500 Knot at the Heliport, unfortunately most packed tight on the sloping wall. Still he managed to read several flags.

South shore (Malcolm)

I went out just after the heavy morning shower.

Linnet 7 around the saltmarsh 

Linnet

Linnets hunkered down against the wind

Wheatear 1 on saltmarsh

Female Wheatear

Rock Pipit 5 - one each on saltmarsh and foreshore plus three on Red Nab. The resident bird trying to chase the other two off. None seen along the sea wall, lighthouse or waterfall.

Saltmarsh Rock Pipit

Unhappy Red Nab Rock Pipit

Pale-bellied Brent goose 17 flew south from Red Nab.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Eider 2 out

Shelduck 3 + 2 out

Shelduck

First Gannets

A dry day with sunny spells. A fresh SW wind continued to freshen throughout the afternoon and evening and shifted more to SSW.

Pete checked the sea on the incoming tide this morning.

Gannet 3 adults, then nothing else in the hour towards high water - conditions should be better tomorrow.

Heysham skear - low water 16:40 (Malcolm)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 23

Eider 14

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Wigeon 16 north

Wigeon gaining height as they head north

Oystercatcher 1,500

Curlew 6

Redshank 400

Bar-Tailed Godwit 97 minimum

Some of the Godwits landing on the skear after arriving from the south

Bar-Tailed Godwits with Knot

Knot 1,000. Mercifully, there were no Peregrine attacks this afternoon, presumably the Peregrines had already fed. Many of the Knot were also more interested in preening than feeding, when they settle like this amongst the rocks, checking for flags is impossible. This clip includes Oystercatchers, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot preening, with a few Redshanks walking around.

They didn't preen all the time though and nine flagged birds were read. Six are new for Heysham this winter. Clearly, some movement involved.

Turnstone 250

Some of the Turnstone 

Raptors clear the skear!

A dry day with afternoon sunshine. A SW wind

Saltmarsh to Red Nab (Janet)

Carrion crowing!

Lesser Black-backed gull, it had clearly been digging in the grass

Meadow Pipit

Little Egret

Shelduck

Some of the 25+ Pale-bellied Brent geese leaving Red Nab

Heysham skear - low water 15:50 (Malcolm)

I went down just after lunch as the skear was becoming exposed. I was hoping to be spending a couple of hours checking any Knot for flags. Unfortunately within 30 minutes the skear was almost devoid of waders!

Knot 1,500 were resting amongst the inner skear rocks when everything went up for as far as I could see. Not just waders but gulls and geese too. This is the sort of reception normally reserved for the likes of an Osprey, but I couldn't see what spooked them. About 800 Knot returned but then the Peregrine attacks began. Three in 10 minutes resulting in just 400 Knot remaining. I was lucky enough to be able to check these for flags, but unlucky enough not to find any! A fourth Peregrine attack saw those leave too. No Knot remained on the skear.

Oystercatcher 1,000 to begin with but the Peregrine continued to attack them, and most left the skear.

Redshank 400 did remain feeding around the skear edges.

Turnstone 250 these too remained around the edges.

The Turnstone had forgone their stone turning for a bit of shrimping,
or at least foraging for invertebrates in the receding shallows

This clip is the Turnstone  feeding, and ends with the birds taking flight as a Peregrine attacked the Oystercatchers.

Peregrine Falcon - just right of centre

Curlew 8

Bar-Tailed Godwit 15 until they too left with a group of spooked Oystercatchers.

Some of the godwits moulting to summer plumage

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers 

And that was it! The normally vibrant Skear was deserted. Nothing along the north
edge or in the middle. Just some valiant Turnstone and Redshank remained on the 
Southern edge. I don't know how many Peregrines were involved, possibly no more 
than two, but suspect that at least one was testing itself against the Oystercatchers.

Eider 14

Red-breasted Merganser 6

Pale-bellied Brent goose 62 arrived from the west 

Incoming Brent geese

They too got caught up in the Peregrine induced panic

But they returned to feed and remained around the north side of the skear

I returned this evening on the flood tide. By this time there were just 3 Pale-bellied Brent geese, a pair plus this individual.

Pale-bellied Brent goose

But there was also a Dark-bellied Brent goose

Dark-bellied Brent goose

It flew off to the north

As I was leaving this evening another 55 Pale-bellied brent flew in from the north.

Also this evening 

Shelduck 2 south

Little Egret 6 feeding

It was a beautiful evening, but the approaching weather front doesn't bode
well for tomorrow