Sunday, 13 September 2026

Plenty of stuff on the move

An early morning shower then dry and largely sunny. A very light variable breeze.

South shore
Pete did an hour ocean edge shore vis migging etc 0710-0810: 
Swallow 190 south
Meadow Pipit 18 south 
alba wagtail 49 grounded, 16 south
Grey wagtail 8 south
Yellow Wagtail - Juvenile grounded then it or another in flight possibly same scattered with albas by dogs, 
Pinkfoot 61 north!

61 Eider mainly resting at low tide on sandbanks off harbour then headed Into bay c0800
Shag on wooden jetty (seen earlier heading that way by David Kaye from Ocean Edge)

Jean saw an additional 670 south Pink-Footed geese in 4 skeins 

Malcolm 09:00 - 10:45 it was still cloudy 
Pink-Footed goose 36 south just as I was getting out of my car, later another 3 south.
Pink-Footed geese
Swallow 4 south over the saltmarsh 
Ringed Plover 4 out from the saltmarsh 
Linnet at least 12 on the saltmarsh, probably more, 2 along the foreshore and 14 on Red Nab
Robin 3 along the foreshore plus 2 near the lighthouse 
One of the foreshore Robins

This one near the lighthouse 
Wren 1 on the foreshore 
Wren

Wheatear 1 on Red Nab and 1 by No.2 outfall
Wheatear

Pied Wagtail 3 along the sea wall
Pied Wagtail 

White Wagtail also 3 along the sea wall
White Wagtail 

By this time the sun was shining and it was quite warm. This White Wagtail was catching the flies as they lifted off the wrack.

Meadow Pipits initially there were at least 11 grounded around the roundhead, then they continued south.


Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail 

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore, 2 on Red Nab, 1 along the sea wall and 2 between the lighthouse and waterfall.
Rock Pipit on the harbour wall

Mediterranean gulls 4 individuals 
There were just two Mediterranean gulls on the beach by the wooden jetty
despite there being plenty of Sandmason worm tubes showing 

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull (right) with a Black-Headed gull
between the outfalls

Little Egret 4
Grey Heron 1
Heron on No.1 outfall

In the Nature Park 
Small White 5
Speckled Wood 2
Red Admiral 2
Painted Lady 2
Common Darter 3
Painted Lady

Heysham Nature Reserve - Jean
After a drizzly start, 48 birds were caught today, mostly young ones:
Goldfinch 13 (1retrap)
Grey Wagtail 8 plus 6 others over
Blue Tit 7 (2 retraps)
Robin 5
Great Tit 5 (1 retrap)
Blackcap 3
Chiffchaff 2
Wren 2
Cetti’s Warbler 1
Greenfinch 1
Dunnock 1

The mammal list was short:
1 Rat 
1 Stoat

Middleton Nature Reserve 
WeBS report by Jean
Main pond:
Grey Heron 1
Little Grebe 2
Mallard 23
Tufted Duck 9
Moorhen 4
Coot 2
Mute Swan 2
Black-headed Gull 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6
Cetti’s Warbler 1
Swallow 4 South

No Swimming Pond:
Mute Swan 1
Moorhen 2
Coot 2

These from Janet
Main pond
At least two Red-Veined Darters
Immature Red-Veined Darter on the main pond west bank

Immature Red-Veined Darter on the main pond spit

Common Darter - Someone was feeding the ducks as I took this shot.


Tufted Ducks

Moorhen

Cetti's warbler singing

On the southern section 

Southern Hawker

Common Darter

Sand Martin south at Knowlys Rd 13:00 - David Kaye