Back to earth with a bump - a typically birdless high spring tide and calmish weather

No sign of any white-wingers.  The Iceland Gull report on Red Nab late yesterday afternoon was very unexpected, given the observer effort looking for a bird which seemingly soared up and disappeared after all the gulls were spooked in the harbour late morning.............and it wasn't there this morning.  No ferry repeat with the Glaucous in calmer weather

Still plenty left by normal standards for here!
Chough - seen early am in half moon bay fields
Shag - Juv on wooden jetty 1030 at least
Stonechat - female OE saltmarsh corner
Jack Snipe - OE saltmarsh
Snipe - 23 OE saltmarsh
Kittiwake - 2CY briefly in harbour
Knot - four with flags and colour rings by heliport but none fully read - please have a go mid afternoon tomorrow if you are around
NNEW Brents
Med Gull - two ads seen

Iceland and Glaucous on the same day

We have got our act together a bit earlier than usual and, as can be seen in the sidebar, the 2017 report is available at £3.  This is basically a cost-covering exercise of a limited production, printed by a commercial printer (Pagefast).  There will be no reprint as it is cost-prohibitive to do a small print run so we advise you purchase early.    

Today seems rather good, but try telling that to the mid afternoon observers as all the harbour area offerings went awol.

Iceland Gull - 3rd W Red Nab early on, waterfall area late morning, disappeared, back on Red Nab 1600hrs at least

Glaucous Gull - Juvenile following the IOM ferry into the harbour mouth 1215ish then apparently flying out again (as per observer near the lighthouse) as many ferry followers do.  Looked a darker bird than the previous record seen in exactly the same light/circumstances from the back of the harbour.  It was reported on the pager again at 1250hrs when one of the freight ferries was coming in but it certainly was not in viewing range from the back of the harbour at that time.
Shag - Juv around the harbour mouth/inner end wooden jetty on and off, more on in the morning and off in the afternoon

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - two off the horse paddock on skeer afternoon at least
Chough - seen in the first two fields north of |Half Moon Bay cafe on the two occasions it was known to be looked for - pre-lunch and mid afternoon - initially located by scoping from the north harbour wall
Med Gull - adult on shore off horse paddocks again
Stonechat - female NE corner OE saltmarsh
Water Rail - 2+ Middleton
Gadwall - 5 model boat pond

NB  The Black-throated Diver is taking the micky.  It is obviously a higher life form than Fylde and Heysham Obs year listers and is toying with us.   Today it decided not to leave Blea Tarn Reservoir until it was almost dark at 1715hrs and took a line which would, in normal daylight, have sent it overhead easily visible from eg Knowlys Road!  The departure from Blea Tarn was about 1.5hours later than yesterday (see thread LDBWS site)

Iceland Gull added to the impressive January list

A 3rd W Iceland Gull was located independently at about 1100hrs from either side of the harbour by Craig Bell on the north side and Malcolm & Tom on the other side.  This remained in the area until at least 1530 when it was on the mudflats next to Red Nab.  Thanks to Craig, Jean, Nick and Malcolm for pics and video

Pics from Craig Bell

Life at the harbour waterfall, including the Iceland Gull (Jean)

Thanks to Nick (top) and Malcolm for these pics at the waterfall

Shag - 2CY around harbour mouth on and off  latterly on the wooden jetty

Chough - seen in the sheep field about 1245hrs as scoped from the Near Naze

Green Sandpiper - again on the eastern fringe of the area by the new transformer on pools alongside bypass just beyond the recycling centre roundabout

NNEW on Brents - no known visit by locals

Black-throat no show

The commuting Black-throated Diver decided that heading for Glasson (from Blea Tarn) was a better option this evening and we obviously failed to add it to the "seen from flypast list"

Big contrasts with the weather at the moment

Flesh-fly landing on the car in yesterdays sun at Middleton (Pete)

soft focus Shag by the harbour in driving rain this morning (Malcolm)

...................but a decent sunset this evening (Malcolm)

Todays birds
Shag - juv in the harbour mouth briefly in the rain at 0940
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the two off horse paddocks on skeer late afternoon (flew in from north)
Chough - on Heysham Barrows at lunchtime
Med Gull - ad on shore by horse paddocks with the small gang of BHG (seemingly very regular here) 

"Seen from" possibilities!

Today was the last of the "isn't it a lovely day" greetings for about a week or so and we finished off the winter bird survey for SD45.  After yesterdays comment, what a surprise that TWO male Pochard were present today!  Malcolm also located a very mobile Chiffchaff on Middleton along with at least two Goldcrest but still no Cetti's.

Chough - seen at least twice
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - on the shore off the childrens play area, viewable from Knowlys road vantage point
Chiffchaff - one Middleton NR
Pochard - TWO drakes model boat pond
Med Gull - one ad harbour mouth
Red-throated Diver - one in second channel offshore
Eider - 520 - pretty accurate
GCGrebe - 2 

Also:
Chris Batty watched the Black-throated Diver leave Blea Tarn reservoir for FIVE MINUTES on the following trajectory at 1639hrs. It did not waver from the straight line flight during this period and, assuming it does not change direction when reaching the sea, suggests it is pitching in somewhere around the old Sandylands sewer outfall south of the Stone Jetty. There is a fairly wide channel here, even at low spring tide. Various vantage points suggest themselves for monitoring this flight eg watching the halfway stage from the raised south end of the golden ball tidal road and more coastally: end of Royds Avenue or even scoping north from Knowlys Road which would give good evening light as well as a 'seen from'!

Good coverage, missing birds but the Pochard back!

A sign of current status was a decision not to stay at home today but 'twitch' the Pochard in case it was the last ever day this species would grace the Heysham Obs list!

Glaucous Gull - no sign in extensive coastal and rooftop search and regular waterfall checks
Shag - no report
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the two on the shore off the northern end of the horse paddocks - scan from Knowlys Road
Chough - seen at the half moon bay fields and, first report for a bit, from the horse paddock
Med Gull - ads on the shore from the horse paddock, fishers roof and possibly the same behind departing ferry = presumably Czech bird
Stonechat - no sign of OE saltmarsh bird, no reports of half moon bay bird
Eider - 420 off the north harbour wall
Pochard - drake model boat pond

Tufted Duck - 2 model boat pond
Gadwall - 3 model boat pond

The sum of the bit-parts

Today was a bit like one of those seawatching reports which look absolutely "mouth-watering" until you see the small print................. (0530-2000hrs = one decent bird every 2.5 hours).  For example, the only birds of note I saw today were: about 40 seconds of juvenile Shag (along with Rosie and Mario), a distant Little Gull and 1st W Kittiwake on the outfalls, yet the 'full house' was available for visiting birders, but extremely elusive with only the Brent Geese playing ball to any extent.  Pics from Malcolm unless otherwise stated - thanks for these

Glaucous Gull - juv under the waterfall c1000hrs as per these pics but not there one hour beforehand and not seen since.  Where is its bolthole or rooftop?

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - the two were on the shore north of Heysham Head off the horse paddocks, then shifted to Red Nab at High Tide (1500hrs).  This is a Pale-brindled Beauty copied by accident but the first moth of this year at Heysham NR office!

  photo P Marsh

Shag - juvenile flew into the harbour mouth from along the north wall about 1150hrs, remained for about 30 seconds then flew 'round the corner' towards the inner end of the outfalls.  Not seriously looked for since but a nice addition to the year list 

Little Gull - adult flew out about 1220 hrs

Kittiwake - Juv on outfalls late afternoon

Stonechat - half moon bay female seen again, NNEW on Ocean Edge bird

Chough - only definitely seen about 1130hrs in field north of cafe

Chough plus a bit of Choughish scenery (thanks Jeff)

Glaucous Gull mystery

Four of us put quite a bit of time into searching for this bird today around the harbour, as also did the police patrol birder!  Yet it was seen there and earlier on Red Nab by visiting birders.  I suspect it must have been sitting on the Fishers quay behind an object, rendering it about the only place not visible from the south harbour end

Chough - in the half moon bay fields lunchtime and in the sheep(less now?) fields mid afternoon
Stonechat - female NE corner of OE saltmarsh
Merlin - female seen near half moon bay cafe
Med Gull - adult behind the dredger may have been the Czech bird also seen along the north wall

Third successive day of no Brent Goose sightings despite coverage of the usual sites

Glaucous finds the waterfall, Chiffchaff on the HN reserve

A very successful disappearing act for a day and a half and it was back today underneath the waterfall in the SW corner of the harbour - a proven attraction for white wingers if they find it

Thanks Malcolm

Also:

Chiffchaff - one in bushes by HNr car park

Woodcock - one MNR again

Goldcrest - ringed bird MNR

Chough - half moon bay fields
Med Gull - ad following IOM ferry into port
Eider - 489 offshore - careful count
Great-crested Grebe - 2
Rock Pipit - south roundhead



Sunday

Chough - half moon bay fields
Stonechat - NE corner OE saltmarsh