Another one to add to "elusive" status - Black Redstart

It's nice when a plan comes up with a good sighting.........Shame that the plan was locate the Purple Sandpiper, and came up with a:
Black Redstart 1 f/imm - 10:05 - about an hour before high water. Red Nab was mostly covered. (MD).
It flew low along sloping sea wall from the direction of No.2 outflow. It initially landed on rocks below the wall where the freshwater culvert drains on to Red Nab, and disappeared from view. As I got within 50m it flew from here towards the exposed natural red rocks, I lost sight of it over the eastern edge of Red Nab. I hoped that it had landed, but I didn't see it again. After an extensive check of likely habitats nearby, I concluded that it must have doubled back towards the Power Station grounds. Just popped out for a drink?
This sighting suggests that the bird seen on 27/11 is lingering, and hopefully will be for some while.

Salt marsh - tide not much higher than yesterday, with reduced wind.
Common Snipe 6 (reduced waves tends to move birds in rather than flush them up)
Reed Bunting 2
Linnet c30

One elusive plus one habitual

Ocean Edge - am
Tide flushed 18 Common snipe off the salt marsh, but not quite high enough today to flush any Jack snipe. Tomorrow might be high enough, Friday's tide will be. Jack snipe are more likely here when the tides are rising, as now, they tend to stay away after being flushed a few times.
Rock pipit 1
Purple Sandpiper 1. As far as I know (MD) this is the first sighting since 12th and 13th November. Elusive? Yes, but possibly predictable. Today's bird was seen flying east from the direction of the small beach between Red Nab and Ocen Edge foreshore at 10:50, just after high water. The previous  two sightings were from same location on similar height tides. Worth checking this beach about an hour before and up to high water on spring tides.

Middleton Nature Reserve- pm
Gadwall 31
Wigeon 1
Shoveler 2 (m&f)
Teal 10
Mallard 6
Coot 1

Redwing - up to 32 seen flying around at one time, plus many more feeding on hawthorn all around the Reserve.

Great White Egret 1. This is the habitual bird. So I decided to hang around to see if it was still commuting in the "evening" (MD). It finally turned up at 15:45, by then quite dark. It flew from the direction of golf course to ESE.

Tuesday - Shag

Shag 1 - adult or near adult briefly in harbour mouth before flying in to the inner harbour, out of sight line.

Middleton Nature Reserve
Pretty much as yesterday, but the Wigeon was back on main pond with 5 Gadwall (31 in total)

Hopefully more later

Monday

Nice day, but nothing of interest on south shore this morning.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)
Grey wagtail - second sighting of same colour ringed bird. At least three different ringed birds are around the Heysham area this winter. More lingering birds than normally located from the ringing program.
Gadwall 28 - no sign of the wigeon, but all the Gadwall were all on the "no swimming" pond, I have only seen the Wigeon on the main pond
Shoveler 2 (m&f)
Coot 1
Little grebe 1 - offering slightly better views on "no swimming" pond.

Redwing- at least 40 feeding on the Reserve.

Mediterranean Gull - 1 adult behind IOM ferry

Wigeon conundrum, settled........

The only bird of note seen on the sea was a juvenile Kittiwake behind the IOM ferry.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Just checked the three ponds on east side of MNR:
Main pond
Mute 3 adult 7 juv
Gadwall 6
Mallard 4
"Wigeon" 1 - this is the bird previously thought to be a hybrid, partly down to its unusual behaviour. But the decision now is: just a female wigeon with odd habits. See pic below (MD)
Moorhen 6

No Swimming pond
Mute 2 adult
Shoveler 2 (m&f)
Gadwall 21
Teal 2
Coot 1
Moorhen 6

Tim Butler pond
Mute 1 adult
Mallard 4
Gadwall 2
Moorhen 2

Redwing 17 grounded

The odd, at least by behaviour, female Wigeon.

Friday - Long-Tailed Duck

Long-Tailed Duck - 1 juvenile very elusive in far channel out from Heysham Head. Almost certainly the same bird as unidentified duck seen in same channel on Tuesday.

Rock Pipit 1 on inner harbour wall

Middleton Nature Reserve
Gadwall 30
Shoveler 1 male

Wednesday
Common Snipe 51 flying from rocks below heliport on to heliport grass.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Gadwall 32
Pink-Footed goose c2,300 flying south over between 15:20 to 15:25

Some of the Pink-Footed going over

The low water channels provide main interest

Low water channel out from Heysham Head 
Scaup 1 female
Eider 27
Red-Throated Diver 1
Red-Breasted Merganser 4

Middleton Nature Reserve 
All the ponds were virtually ice free this morning, but the number and variety of ducks was reduced.
Gadwall 30 - no sign of possible hybrid bird.
Mallard 2
Teal 3
Water Rail 2
Little grebe 1

This individual lingering much later than in recent years.

Still at least 20 Redwing plus 10 Blackbird feeding on hawthorn

A bit better variety

Low tide channels viewed from Knowlys Road
Great Crested Grebe 19
Goosander 1 (redhead)
Eider 3
Goldeneye 1 drake
Wigeon 8

Harbour mouth
Mediterranean gulls 2 adult - 1 flew in high behind ferry and was joined by a second bird (Czech ringed?) in the harbour.
Red-throated diver 1 - distant

Rock Pipit 1 near waterfall
Nothing of note along south wall or outflows

Middleton Nature Reserve
Gadwall 34
Possible gadwall/wigeon hybrid - better views today now reveal that this is possibly what yesterday's "wigeon" was.

Shoveler 1 male
Mallard 7
Teal 14

Redwing at least 40 grounded, pretty much everywhere on the reserve, but the two main concentrations are near Tim Butler pond and the corner with golf club and Tradebe.

Saturday - Wigeon guest appearance

Middleton Nature Reserve 
There are routinely up to 200 Wigeon around Red Nab/south shore, but this morning, 1 female had joined the Gadwall on the main pond. Unusual (unpresidented? MD).

Gadwall 31
Teal 9
Little Grebe 1
Mallard 5
Water Rail 1

Redwing c10
Fieldfare c30

No sign of Little gull or BRS on south wall

Ducks

Little else showing today.
Middleton Nature Reserve
Gadwall  33 on main pond with
Tufted Duck 1 female.

 Most of Gadwall on above frame, Tufted top right. Detail below

No Swimming pond
Shoveler 1 male
Teal 1 female
Coot 1

Still plenty of grounded Redwind (c10 around the two main ponds)

No sign of Little gull or BRS on south wall

Possibly more later.