28th Dec - 2nd Warbler

The very last bird of the winter bird survey of Middleton Nature Reserve was a Chiffchaff (collybita). This was not far from where yesterday's Cetti's was signing in the western scrape - no sign today.
Also at least 3 water rail squealing.
MD

27th Dec - Cetti's song

The first half of the winter bird survey on Middleton Nature Reserve included a brief burst of song from Cetti's warbler in the western scrape. This, I believe, is the first confirmation of Cetti's here since mid autumn.
Goldcrest on eastern boundary of golf club.
Also
Gadwall 5
Mallard 6
Pochard 1
Tufted 5
Teal 34
Little egret 1
Jack snipe 1
MD

Ferry fare

The Ben my chree was followed by:
Kittiwake - 1ad and 3 1CY - these continued into the bay
Med gull - 2ad

Gull turnover

There is a pretty decent turnover of gulls on the Middleton model boat pond with at least 70 in and 70 out in just 25 minutes, including at least 40 large gulls.

 North wall
Med gull - ad floating about

Model boat pond
Pochard - 1 mae
Rest of stuff in reduced  numbers with one gadwall, 4 tufted duck

Stationary technology

We're really high tec birders at Heysham, so I checked my IPhone ferry finding link at 1130hrs to see a little toy boat (the Ben My Chree) on a map somewhere off Fleetwood.  Peered out there but could not see it.  Then checked the interactive map ten minutes later, but it hadn't moved.  It transpired it was sitting it out until low tide in the rather dodgy conditions.  No chance of a procession of seabirds behind it.  Hope the passengers are fit to eat Christmas dinner.

Sea on and off late morning
Little Gull - one ad seaward end of outfalls briefly
Kittiwake - flock of 5 adult in
Razorbill - two out as soon as I got there (Suggesting some earlier?)

Middleton model boat pond
Gadwall - 3 (2 male)
Mute Swan - 3 1CY
Tufted Duck - 8
Pochard - drake

Interestingly all the seagulls flew and all the wildfowl went on alert when two nags went through the car park - I think it was the high vis jacket as thought they would have been used to these by now

Ducks consolidate

Middleton Nature Reserve
The increasingly aggressive mute have cleared the "no swimming" pond of ducks. All except the teal and an odd mallard are now on the main pond.
2 adult mute ("no swimming" pond)
4 juvenile mute (main pond)
8 tufted
1 pochard
5 gadwall
20 teal (Tim Butler pond)
4 mallard
1 little egret

2 roe deer
MD

Brief visit

ad kittiwake and ad med gull behind IOM ferry lunchtime

Pochard present

Middleton Nature Reserve
A male pochard has joined tufted on main pond. This is, I think, the first record this winter.
6 Tufted duck
1 Pochard
6 Gadwall
5 Mallard
4 Teal
1 Little egret
2 Pheasant
24 Redwing
47 Pinkfoot (south)
MD

Earlier 62 pinkfoot north

Amateur dramatics at the Heliport roost

Just managed to make it back from work - counting waders - to change into an 'unreliable amateur' (details confidential) and count waders for WeBS.  The heliport roost revealed a good array of birds and enabled most species to be counted at the individual level

Heliport roost
Redshank- 385 (initial guesstimate 370)
Ringed Plover - 43
Lapwing - 21
Dunlin - 68
Turnstone - 41
Knot - zero (all at Middleton?)
Black-headed Gull - 6

which left Oystercatcher.  Had just enough time to spend about 15 minutes on these:
"Visual impression" - 4500
Block count in 50s - 4800
Block count in 100s - 4700 plus about 60
Block count in 10s - took 'ages'! - 4840 - fortunately they kept still throughout
So yet again visual impressions underestimate - always doing this - especially with V or W geese flying over - amateur!!

The number of Oystercatcher at the sunny slopes and battery/west end groyne roosts were rather on the low side with 475 Redshank the stand-out. Adult Med just out of the area by the Battery groyne but anglers prevented access/time for access for a thorough check of Fishers roof for the Czech bird (can someone do this tomorrow pm please?)

Fishing Fest

North Harbour Wall
More than 30 vehicles along the wall just after lunchtime today.
Brief visit to replenish nyger seed saw just 13 Linnet and 1 Robin at the feeding area.

Heysham Reserve
A ringing session at the hut feeding area, still limited because of access difficulties, produced the following:
Goldfinch - 13 + 2 retraps
Blue tit - 7 + 3 retraps
Greenfinch - 6 + 1 retrap
Dunnock - 4 retraps
Chaffinch - 3
Robin - 2 retraps
Great tit - 1 + 3 retraps
Coal tit - 1 + 1 retrap
Blackbird - 1
GS Woodpecker - 1 retrap