Heysham Bird Observatory: Plenty of stuff on the move

Dry and overcast after overnight rain. A very light east breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve

Report by Jean:

On arrival at Heysham in the dark the seeps or Redwing and chuckles of Fieldfare could be heard. Just before sunrise Pete saw 24 Redwing on the grassy area near the office and more were in the bushes and trees on the reserve. At daybreak there was very fine light precipitation which perhaps accounted for the "fall" of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs that ensued.

I put up the usual three nets and over the course of the morning caught 87 birds (mostly ringed by Pete). Retrap numbers in brackets:

20 Chiffchaff

18 Goldcrest (1)

15 Goldfinches (4)

7 Coal Tit

5 each of Great Tit (3) and Greenfinch

4 Blue Tit

3 each of Blackcap, Chaffinch and Robin (1)

2 each of Dunnock (1) and Long-tailed Tit (2)

A Peregrine caused havoc among the Carrion Crows. They were fighting over who got the right to sit on one of the pylons. As far as I could tell the Carrion Crows made a racket but left the pylon so the Peregrine won.

The low cloud obscured any vis but I heard one flock of Pink-footed Geese, a couple of Siskin and a few Chaffinches. As the sky cleared at midday a Redpoll flew over.

South shore

I checked from Red Nab to the saltmarsh 09:30 - 10:00 (Malcolm)

Wren 3

Wren on Red Nab

There were two Robins today

Rock Pipit 1

Rock pipit

Meadow Pipit 2

Meadow Pipit

Wheatear 1

Wheatear

Reed Bunting 4 around the saltmarsh

Reed Bunting

Linnet 100+ on the saltmarsh

Goldfinch 12 and Greenfinch 3 around the saltmarsh

Greenfinch and Goldfinch

Shelduck 59

Pink-Footed goose 19 having a rest on the mud.

Pink-Footed geese

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the sea wall this afternoon

Stonechat 1 male

Water Rail disappeared into the scrub near the lighthouse. A slightly unusual sighting, but there is a reed surrounded pond just inside the Power Station grounds.

I checked the waterline this evening 16:30 - 17:30 (Malcolm)

A lot of waders eventually turned up, but the light was fading quickly.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 70

Grey Plover 8

Knot c1500

Dunlin c300

This is a blizzard of Knot and Dunlin coming in, the Godwits, to the left, had already arrived

They ended up leaving to the south

Shelduck 200+

Middleton Nature Reserve

This from Janet:

Pochard still on pond, I'm gutted I can't get a shot! (still out of action camera wise)

5 Cygnets still there, the reason we have 5 again is because one crash landed at the garage on Middleton Road when they got chased off and the dog warden put it back on the pond.

I checked 10:15 - 10:45 (Malcolm)

There was a sixth cygnet on the "no swimming" pond, perhaps it too will be allowed back. The female seems to be distancing herself from the others.