Sanderling and Kittiwake on the year list

Kittiwake - flock of 11 flew into the Bay just as the IOM ferry turned into port, presumably having followed it
Sanderling - one running around with Knot on the top of the heliport seawall - unusual here in winter.  Worst pic of the year so far?

Pale brindled Beauty

One was on the wall of the Heysham Nr office

The three pale bellied Brent’s seen in transit on half moon bay beach on the incoming tide

Meadow pipit - three heliport

Hardly any knot today

More focus on the heliport area

More Knot ring/flag reading today - now up to about 30 read since Saturday, mostly by Richard.  Details tomorrow
 
Snipe (per Malcolm)
I checked the rocks in front of the heliport, just as the tide was reaching it (09:00). I was trying to establish what they were feeding on, rather than count birds, but I estimated between 200 - 250 common and 1 Jack. This was similar to the last time I counted tide flushing them off (120 before water reached rocks plus 231 actually flushed by tide).

The terrain here is a mix of small to medium sized rocks, most with serrated wrack attached.  There are shallow pools with a thin scrim of mud on bottom and a few small patches of open mud (which again would only be a thin covering over stones). The only sign of the snipe had been here were footprints in the pools, nothing on the open mud. Absolutely no sign of any feeding activity, no digging and wrack was where the tide had left it. I did look under wrack, there was nothing suitable for a snipe. I now believe I misunderstood what was happening, instead of feeding here, it looks like this is their roost. All the birds flew over sea wall to heliport grass, but I don't know if they all settled here, or some continued to other feeding grounds.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose

Didn't see the three pale-bellied Brent till I was walking off, by that time most of the outer rocks were covered by tide. Three were in the middle of the outer rocks directly out from the slipway. This makes sense, this section of Half Moon Bay is rarely disturbed by dog walkers. I'll have a look tomorrow to see if they are there again and if there is gut weed in that area. They flew off due west, but seemed to be veering south as they went out of sight, possibly heading to RN (which is where they were).

 

Med Gull

Czech bird north wall over tide

Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Checked salt mash just before high water. 25 common snipe (almost certainly more earlier) and 1 Jack snipe.

2 Reed bunting

1 Rock pipit - not seen one here since autumn passage.

 

Meadow Pipit - 3 heliport grass

More knot reading

An amazing 16 more leg flags were read by Richard this morning and a Norwegian ringed Black headed Gull was on the ice at Middleton

Med gull - ad briefly harbour mouth
Jack Snipe - one Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Knot - a lot!

Malcolm’s photo of just a few of the Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits today:

Amongst the 3500 Knot at the heliport there were quite a few with coloured leg flags. Richard managed to read 10 of them, 3 were ringed in Iceland, 2 had Dutch rings and 5 had been ringed at Formby in September 2017.  A further 5000+ were on the south side (pic)

They certainly travel eg one had been ringed in SW Iceland in May 2017, the following March it was at Formby, in April it was at Southport then in May it was back in SW Iceland (on passage to Greenland), it was then seen today wintering on the old heliport at Heysham.

786787/31A	Ad	20/05/2017	Skogarnes, ICELAND SW  64 46N  22 36W
	Seen	21/03/2018	Marshside Marsh, Southport
	Seen	27/04/2018	Southport
	Seen	13/05/2018	Hitarnes, ICELAND SW  64 42N  22 21W
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport
791996/84N	Ad	24/05/2017	Skogarnes, ICELAND SW  64 46N  22 36W
	Seen	17/5-20/5/18	Skogarnes, ICELAND SW  64 46N  22 36W
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport
787402/VEP	Ad	20/05/2014	Dyrafjordur, ICELAND NW  65 51N 23 20W
	Seen	25/05/2018	Dynjandisvogur, ICELAND NW  65 44N 23 12W
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport

SR77047/OY	Ad	22/09/2017	Altcar, Merseyside
	Seen	28/9-12/10/17	Caldy Wildfowl, Merseyside
	Seen	25/4-1/5/18	Leighton Moss
	Seen	13/5-15/5/18	Lambastadir, Myrarsysla, ICELAND SW 64 28 N 22 05W
	Seen	27/7-3/8/18	Formby Point, Merseyside
	Seen	06/08/2018	Crosby, Merseyside
	Seen	24/9-23/10/18	Caldy Wildfowl, Merseyside
	Seen	25/10/2018	Formby Point, Merseyside
	Seen	27/10-28/10/18	Caldy Wildfowl, Merseyside
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport
SR76792/P2	Ad	22/09/2017	Altcar, Merseyside
	Seen	06/10/2017	Formby Point, Merseyside
	Seen	20/12/17 & 14/2/18	Thurstaston, Merseyside
	Seen	31/7-3/8/18	Formby Point, Merseyside
	Seen	11/08/2018	Seaforth, Merseyside
	Seen	04/09/2018	Crosby, Merseyside
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport
SR76987/52	Ad	22/09/2017	Altcar, Merseyside
	Seen	27/02/2018	West Kirkby, Merseyside
	Seen	03/03/2018	Thurstaston, Merseyside
	Seen	05/03/2018	West Kirkby, Merseyside
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport
SR76732/K1	Ad	22/09/2017	Altcar, Merseyside
	Seen	11/08/2018	Seaforth, Merseyside
	Seen	08/10/2018	Altcar, Merseyside
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport
SR76799/L2	Ad	22/09/2017	Altcar, Merseyside
	Seen	06/10/2017	Formby Point, Merseyside
	Seen	20/12/17 & 14/2/18	Thurstaston, Merseyside
	Seen	31/7-3/8/18	Formby Point, Merseyside
	Seen	02/02/2019	Heysham old heliport

On the subject of ringing, a Robin caught at Heysham today was first ringed in 2012 so pretty old by Robin standards which is usually 2 years. The oldest recorded Robin is 8 years 4 months and 30 days (BTO birdfacts).

The Czech Mediterranean Gull was on the railings on the north harbour wall.

The Cormorants were fishing near the Outfalls when one of them caught an enormous Bass which it managed to eat before any of its mates snatched it away:

Cor, what a whopper!

Frisky foxes

Friday, 1st Feb 2019

Bit chilly today ranging from minus 4C to plus 3C, chilly ESE F4, weak sun shining through a veil of high cloud.

South Shore
A couple of foxes got a bit frisky out on the mud. The Gulls in the photograph below politely looked away and the Shelduck continued to feed, pretended nothing was happening

Meadow Pipit on Red Nab

Rock Pipit near jetty/inner harbour

North shore
Still a bit low-key at low tide with no sign of the Brents on the skeer. In the low-tide channel:
Great-crested Grebe - 6
Red-breasted Merganser - 3
Eider - 50 close in but no count of the ones further out

Middleton NR
No colour-ringed gulls on the ice today.
Barn Owl hunting alongside the model boat pond late afternoon.

31 Jan 2019
Nothing unusual about so here are some pics of the drab Gadwall and gaudy Shoveler on Middleton NR:

30 Jan 2019

Overnight snow and minus 3C. Daytime high plus 3C. SSE F2

Pink-footed Geese heard flying over the reserve but little else of note.

29 Jan 2019

Rain
Nothing to report

Goldeneye

Heysham skeer
A male Goldeneye was feeding, just north of Heysham skeer at low water. At least 150 Eider, but only one GC Grebe seen.

Middleton Nature Reserve
The pair of Shoveler are still on the "no swimming pond" (that's the pond just to the west of the main pond). c20 Gadwall and similar number of Teal alternate between these two ponds.

No sign of the pale-bellied Brent near children's play area today, checked at high and low water. This area is very busy with dog walkers.

Massive Snipe gathering

27 January 

351 Snipe this afternoon on the rocks below the heliport.
Three Brents still off play area per RBA
*******************************************************************************

26 January 2019

3 Pale-bellied Brents off the children's play area again.

Mediterranean Gull loafing off the children's play area as well (PC). It or another seen later in the day in the harbour. (JR)

Large number (at least 2000) of Pink-footed Geese in the fields bordering Oxcliffe Road but couldn't stop to count them.

Massive count of 300 Snipe count on the rocks below the heliport. Plus 4 Jack Snipe (MD).

Meds more cooperative

The two regular ad Med gulls have been hard to find this winter

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - three off the play area at low tide, later on red nab on the incoming tide
Med gull - ad by the play area and presumably the Czech bird off then in the harbour
Jack Snipe - one OE saltmarsh

Dark Common gull

A rather dark toned Common gull was on Red Nab, perhaps from further east than usual.

The three pale-bellied Brent flew from west to shore near children's play area 08:20. They were still there 09:30.


10 Great crested grebe to south of skeer at low water.