First Sandwich Terns

A dry day with sunny spells. A light variable wind.

Pete checked from the back of the harbour

Heysham sea totals on and off 0700-0900: 

whooper swan 177 inbound either flying or floating with flock max 78. All but four were in Cumbria

Kittiwake flocks of 9,7,8 inbound

7 Canada geese

Red throated Diver 1,1,1 

2 Sandwich Tern in then out  (first this year)

12 Sand Martin in 

Dan Haywood checked from the Stone jetty

Movements 0900-1100, incoming tide;

Eider 220 flew or floated ‘in’ (ie NE)

Sanderling 41 SW
Bar-tailed Godwit 35 NE
Red-breasted Merganser 23 ‘in’ (floating or flying)
Kittiwake 18 flew ‘in’
Common Gull 9 ‘in’
Whooper Swan 7 floated ‘in’
Great Crested Grebe 7 floated ‘in’
Red-throated Diver 5 floated ‘in’ (all in non-breeding plumage)
Sandwich Tern 4 flew ‘in’ then ‘out’ ie SW

Common Scoter 2 (injured fem floated in, male flew ‘in’ then ‘out’)

Goosander 3 ‘in’

Little Gull 1 ‘in’

This report from Dan posted on LDBWS web page, follow this link for his full report and a nice shot of a Red-throated Diver

https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/topic/stone-jetty-21/

Heysham Nature Reserve

Jean was underwhelmed with her ringing session

Ringed two Goldcrest and caught a retrapped Dunnock and a retrapped Goldfinch. 

As soon as I took the net down I heard two Redpoll - they had been sitting in a nearby tree watching me take down. One Linnet flew over.

South shore - Janet

Pale-bellied Brent goose 17 on Red Nab

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Redshank 

Little Egret - look how lush the gutweed has grown 

Cormorant and Little Egret

White Wagtail

Wheatear. Both the Wheatear and the White Wagtail quickly moved on

This Cormorant has caught a Common Blenny. This is just about as big as
Blennies get. This one certainly won't get any bigger!

2nd calendar year (2cy) Kittiwake on No.2 outfall

Later when Kevin Eaves checked the outfall the 2cy had been joined by two adults.

Kittiwake

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm 

Main pond

Mute Swan pair, both on the water, plus an immature 

Mallard 4 males

No Shoveler seen

Little Grebe at least 3

Coot taking nesting material to the reedbed. Little Grebe behind

Then the grebe sees a rival and shoots off to see it off.

This is the rival being seen off, a third grebe in the background. They all duck under the water when the gulls pass low over the pond.

These are the courting pair. You can hear them trilling in this clip.

"no swimming" pond

Mute pair both on the water

Mallard 2 males

Tufted Duck 7 (2 female)

Gadwall pair

Cetti's warbler 1 and Chiffchaff 1 singing

Peacock Butterfly 2 flying together

Fence pond and central marshes

Mallard 2 male

Cetti's warbler 3 and Chiffchaff 2 singing

Common Buzzard 1 over to the north

Peacock butterfly 3

Kittiwake lingers

An overcast day with just a few light showers. A light SW wind.

Janet made an early start

Middleton Nature Reserve 

just after sun rise, but I didn't see any sun, It was too dark for any decent photos!!

A fine Roebuck

Female Pheasant 

Wren singing its little heart out!

Mute Swan pair

Along the south sea wall

This Little Egret has caught a Common Goby by Red Nab....

.......it didn't last long!

2nd calendar year Kittiwake on No.2 outfall. Likely the one that arrived yesterday 

Wheatear by the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit near the lighthouse 

It certainly doesn't look undernourished!

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:00 16:00

Something lifted everything as I was walking out. I couldn't see any specific cause and suspected that a Peregrine attack on the Knot was most likely. These don't normally lift the Oystercatchers but they are probably skittish after at least one Osprey passed over yesterday.

Brent, Oystercatcher and gulls, the Knot were already distant

Pale-bellied Brent goose 25 the most seen at one time

Eider 85 close in, more further out

Red-breasted Merganser - it was difficult keeping track of them 13 minimum but suspect more

c1000 Knot returned for a while before 750 flew north again. Only four flagged birds seen from three different schemes, but all previously recorded.

Bar-Tailed Godwit a solitary bird with the Knot

Bar-Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Knot

Out of area news:

Osprey headed out to sea over Knott end towards Walney 1100ish 

Bonapartes gull 1st w Myerscough quarry. It may end up in our area (watch the outfalls or low tide channels). If you want to see images check out Paul Slade's Facebook page

Paul Slade - 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull, Myerscough... | Facebook