Much of a muchness

Showers all day some with a hint of sunshine in between. A freshening wind became strong from the NW by evening.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Summary by Pete

Poor morning but could be explained by the wind going too southerly and us being in a huge clear slot between two weather fronts at dawn with nothing to focus any passage here other than pink feet ex roost and a trickle of common stuff 

Details by Jean:

Although it was a disappointing day for ringing with only 10 birds caught, there was more to see migrating overhead:
Vismig 0700-1000
Pink-footed goose 1562 north, 1 south
Redwing 31 E
Fieldfare 14 S
Starling 70 N
Chaffinch 13 S
Greenfinch 5 S
Siskin 1 S
Meadow Pipit 1 S
Skylark 3 SE
Buzzard 1 S low mobbed by Carrion Crows then perhaps the same bird high E
Sparrowhawk 2M, 1 F - maybe local
A Cetti’s Warbler was heard 
Ringing
Blackbird 2
Coal Tit 2
Robin 2
Chiffchaff 1
Long-tailed Tit 1
Goldfinch 1 recent retrap
We packed up early at 10am as rain was forecast..

North shore

Heysham Head - David Kaye

With high tide only 7.14 m  Skear waders roosted on Heysham north shore, at least 

36 ringed plover 

1800 Knot 

2 Dunlin 

4 Canada geese south 

rock pipit and stonechat on Heysham head

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:45 - 15:00

I had hoped that the sun would shine at some point. I hoped in vain!

This is 13:50. The StenaLine is heading in and the ferry heading out.
You can clearly see the lights shining on the ferry!

Pink-Footed Goose 45 SE

Shelduck 2 south

Eider pair south

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Shelduck 

This Peregrine Falcon left without hunting or with any prey. Presumably 
it had been feeding somewhere on the shore and left when it finished.

There were still c1000 Knot around the skear, other smaller flocks arrived (returned?) ending up with c2000. This flock gives a nice guided tour of the skear before settling 

Knot, no colour marked birds seen

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot

Oystercatcher c1500

Oystercatcher, Knot and Redshank with a Red-breasted Merganser in the background 

Redshank c200

Redshank

Curlew 12

Turnstone 5

Ringed Plover 2

I'd stood out two short squalls, but a third mean looking one drove me off. The visibility varies quickly in these conditions......

This is Humphrey Head. It is a prominent limestone peninsula near Flookburgh,
but normally you can barely make it out from the mainland behind. This was 14:01

This is Humphrey Head at 14:04. Even here it is showing more obviously 
than typical 

Humphrey Head, it is a Nature Reserve. Looks like a line of Eider in front of it

Still loads of Sea Lettuce awaiting the first Brent Geese

Loads of Pink-Footed geese over and around Clay Lane, but the Ross's Gull flew inland from the Pilling Lane ends roost early on.