Adventurous Treecreeper

Heysham Obs
The first 'mid' winter Treecreeper record for the Obs was found today in the Red Nab bushes during a squall, accompanying Long-tailed Tits - yes the observer was sheltering!

North harbour wall
The waif and stray tally has started to increase:
Shag: Yesterdays bird was by the heliport, then flew towards the harbour where it was found feeding under the waterfall late afternoon [also at least one Cormorant around here but they tend to be easily spooked]. A second juv was blown over the car on the end of the north harbour wall (no idea where from) and did a circuit of the harbour looking for somewhere to land before slowly flying out towards the wooden jetty
Guillemot: One in the intake area (by the waterfall/platforms) at least
1500hrs

Med Gull: ad on the beach late afternoon

Offshore
A short seawatch in WNW winds 0935-1005 produced 3 Kittiwake out together and a Guillemot out

Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Wigeon - 61
Ringed Plover - 12
Red-breasted merganser 6 RN


Heliport
Knot - 6,500


Elsewhere
6 Kittiwake ahead of a squall Morecambe Stone Jetty. Great White Egret Leighton Moss, also 1+ Water Pipit. Ringtail Hen Harrier Foulshaw Moss. Great Blue Heron (at last!) on the Scillies.

Useless weather

Heysham Obs
It was virtually flat calm during the morning high tide period with not a 'white horse' in sight! Livened up a bit later.

North harbour wall
Shag - a visit at 1300hrs coincided with the star arrival of the day watched approaching from across the Bay, landing on the sea by the locked gate and later feeding in the harbour mouth - a juv. Note two Cormorant feeding=spending all but the odd second under the water by the 'Shag waterfall' (careful!).
Purple Sandpiper - one below the north harbour wall mid afternoon
Med. Gull - ad in the harbour and 2nd W intermittently patrolling
Linnet - 6 on the sandplant edge - unusual this late in the year.

Elsewhere
Nothing worthy of mention as yet.

Little time, but not windy enough for seabirds at this time of year?

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Brief visits during the morning and afternoon produced:

Purple Sandpiper - at least one, with morning sighting at the Near Naze (46A) and afternoon sighting beyond the locked gate (36V)
Med Gull - Just the 2nd W during the morning visit
Kittiwake - adult out in the afternoon

Stage 2 outfall
Just Black-headed Gulls during a morning scan from O. Edge

Elsewhere
Guillemot off the Stone jetty. Ringtail Hen Harrier and Great White Egret (& 9 Little Egret) Leighton Moss. Two Brambling at garden feeder near Thrushgill. NNEW on Ringstones lane Snow Bunting (see prev. postings)

Zero

Nothing doing today, it seems. First blank for a bit and only the third in twelve months. Thanks to all for what has been good coverage this year.

Elsewhere
Purple Sandpiper off the end of the Stone Jetty early morning

wet and the wrong kind of wind

Heysham Obs
......a north-westerly (despite Metcheck to the left - must have backed since I left).

North harbour wall
A brief visit at lunchtime saw Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls patrolling and a 1st W Kittiwake heading out close inshore

Elsewhere

Snow Bunting still on millet at Ringstones Lane/Slaidburn Road junction early pm (thanks Gavin). Purple Sandpiper still off the end of the Stone Jetty early morning. The "Warton flood" season has started with over 600 Black-tailed Godwits as well as other wildfowl/waders. View from Crag road. No sign of Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid on Pine Lake.

wet and no wind

Heysham Obs
As predicted, we were just too north of the wild and woolly weather and coverage comprised:

North harbour wall
Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls (Mark)

Middleton IE
Female Pochard, 2 Little Grebe, 34 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, 28 Snipe, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Reed Bunting, 6 Mallard, 5 Coot, 7 Moorhen (Malcolm)

Elsewhere
Male Snow Bunting still on the millet put out at the junction of Ringstone Lane and Slaidburn Road at at least 1135hrs. Male Snow Bunting also still at Fluke Hall ramp morning and late afternoon at least. Great White Egret still Leighton Moss.

Whooper Swan added to the list

Distant Whooper Swan through spray and rain (photo courtesy of Blurred Guides!! aka PJM) (lyrics by Dan Haywood and Jean Roberts)

Heysham Obs

North Harbour Wall

Highlight of the day was an adult Whooper Swan which was seen on the sea in both 36V and 46A as observed from the North Harbour Wall.

A juvenile Shag spent a short time in the harbour mouth.

2 Kittiwakes flew out of the Bay, far offshore.

The usual 2 Mediterranean Gulls were seen

Elsewhere

Two flocks of Kittiwake off JB Point late afternoon. Great White Egret Leighton Moss and best of all a Snow Bunting by the ramp at Fluke Hall (for the second day - this is just in the LDBWS recording area). NNEW on the Tatham Fells bird.

Not strong or rough enough

Heysham Obs
The only small bird I remember seeing today was the Snow Bunting near my house! (see below). John had a few bits and bobs of useful tetrad records around the harbour but the only birds of individual note here were 11+8 Shelduck flying purposefully out, the 2nd W Med on the north wall and at least one Purple Sandpiper on the rocks below the heliport

Moths
A very mild night saw single Winter Moth and Light-brown Apple Moth in the trap

Elsewhere
The male Snow Bunting was alongside Aitkengill Road near the junction with Slaidburn Road this am, therefore in SD66T (all previous sightings in 66S?). The hybrid female Ferruginous Duck x Pochard was on Pine Lake along with just about all the inland water diving ducks in the Carnforth/Leighton area by the look of it! Purple Sandpiper by Morecambe Stone Jetty this morning. 47 Winter Moths noted at 30mph in driving rain on the Mealbank Road near Millhouses early evening! This is a superb road for early and late season moths.

We need some gales

Heysham Obs
The only observations of note today were the usual 2 Mediterranean Gulls on the North Harbour Wall and an adult Kittiwake briefly on Heysham 2 outfall before flying out of the Bay.

Elsewhere


Male Snow Bunting still alongside the Ringstones to Petersbottom Lane section of the Bentham to Cross of Greet Road (SD6765). Thanks to Tony Moreton for this photo taken today at 11:30hrs.

Red-throat saved a dreary day

Showing the unobtrusive Czech ring on the adult NHW Med. Several schemes e.g. with Turnstone place the rings above the tarsus to avoid corrosion. This can make them less easy to see and it is worth carefully examining any Med Gulls.

Heysham Obs

North Harbour Wall

Purple Sandpiper - 2 on the rocks at the Near Naze, Med Gull - adult and 2nd winter, Red-throated Diver - single floated in then flew out of the Bay mid-morning (rather belated additional species for SD35Z and 36V. Knot - 3000 to 4000 on the heliport. Goldfinch - 1 on the Mound. Meadow Pipit - 3 on the Mound.

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Outfalls

Nothing worthy of mention.

Elsewhere

The Snow Bunting has been refound this last two days between Ringstones Lane and Petersbottom Road alongside the Bentham to Cross of Greet road. It was present at least this morning.