At last! The sand mason worms start providing

West light wind all day. Mainly overcast with light showers.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Wildfowl unchanged except an additional male has joined the "no swimming" pond birds (now 8). He has joined the female with the three young (bet he got an earful).

House Martin 2 feeding over main pond.

Two small mixed tit flocks seen.

Very few butterflies, just. Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood.

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly 2

There were three rocks on the edge of the main pond marked with both fresh and old droppings consisting of broken crayfish shells. I am satisfied that they are Otter spraints, they are supposed to smell "oily", so I had a go. I suppose it could have been described as oily, the best I can say for it was that it didn't smell like what it looked like (thankfully MD) 

South shore 

Wheatear 2 ( one on foreshore plus one on Red Nab)

Rock Pipit 3 

Mediterranean gulls 20+ on beach between wooden jetty and No.1 outflow - no juvenile 

This is what today's title refers to, two things have changed.

1. For the first time, that I've witnessed, this year the meds were catching the sand mason worms all over the dry beach.

2. The worms that they were catching were much larger than the ones they have been catching up to now.

There were two colour ringed birds amongst them, one a regular and long staying green ringed German bird, the other a new white ringed bird. Details awaited.

This clip shows three things. The white ringed bird, how easy it was finding sand mason worms today and how much longer these worms are compared to the others I've shown being caught this autumn. 

When the meds are feeding like this each tries to defend their own patch of beach. Black-Headed gulls are also feeding, but they try and muscle in on other birds. 

Just a still of a sand mason worm being extracted from its tube

I suspect that when the worms are easily available like this, it relates to their breeding cycle, i.e. the worm has to at least partially leave the safety of its tube to deposit milt, presumably into an adjacent tube, or perhaps just onto the beach as lugworm do.

Gannet bonus

The wind was fresh but mainly from WNW, although it shifted slightly to west in the evening. Largely overcast with rain showers easing during the day and a bit of evening sunshine.

Heysham skear

We are back to neap tides, so the tide didn't go out far enough to uncover the outer skear.

Great Crested Grebe 2 (1 + 1)

Eider 4

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher <500

Turnstone >100

Redshank c50

Ringed Plover c30

Curlew c30

The shrimps are getting bigger now, not quite as big as you see in fishmongers, but getting there. The west wind colours the shallow water providing feeding opportunities for the shrimps, which in turn provides a feeding opportunity for the birds. All these birds, apart from the Oystercatcher, are after shrimps in their own way. The Little Egret is most successful, but will need lots of them. Whereas one will be a decent snack for a Redshank. One of the Redshank catches one towards the end of this clip. Too valuable a prize to lose, so it runs to the mud on the right, before eating it.

South shore

This felt like a bonus walk, the sun was shining, the wind had freshened and shifted to the west.

Plenty of insects around the nature park

Butterflies:

Brimstone 1 male

Red Admiral 2

Painted Lady 1

Large White 2

Green-Veined White 1 (very worn)

Speckled Wood 

Common Blue 

Dragonflies 

Common Darter 2

One of two female Common Darter catching the evening sun on the wooden fence.

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab.

Kittiwake 1 2nd calendar year 

Pete advises that this will be the same one that I photographed on 8th August 
as - "there won’t be another with moult so retarded"
It does look a bit of a state, even the top of its feet appear to be peeling.

It was clearly itching to get into adult plumage.

Mediterranean gulls 5 - at least 4 adult/3cy plus I juvenile on the sea out from the harbour mouth.

Gannet 2 - when I reached the roundhead the wind was at its peak for the day and pretty much due west, but I couldn't see anything moving. Then at 17:45, one swept out from the north wall gained height and shot off south, directly over my head, unfortunately it caught me by surprise and my camera wasn't set ideally for a bird so close, still, better than average record shots for here (MD).

So encouraged, I hung around as long as my rumbling stomach would allow. But no more passage birds seen. Unfortunately the second bird was the "sickly" bird first seen on Saturday. It was hunkered down in a hollow on the sea wall between the outflows. Easy to see from the wooden jetty area, but hidden from view from anyone passing above. At least it seemed comfortable, but the prognosis isn't good.

Location of the sickly Gannet between the outflows 

Just a bit of movement

There was a bit of north in the wind today, mainly WNW. Light showers with the occasional sun.

South shore

First an update from Saturday when Richard reported a "sickly" looking Gannet resting in the harbour.

Today:

Rock Pipits 5 (2 on Red Nab 1 + 2 on the foreshore - the 2 could have been passage)

Wheatear 4 at least - at 09:00 there was 1 near lighthouse, 1 + 2 on foreshore. The lighthouse bird appeared to have moved on, but Kevin also saw one here at lunchtime.

This morning's Wheatear near the lighthouse 

Whimbrel 3

Mediterranean gull 10 (1 juvenile)

The beach near the wooden jetty was checked as it became exposed at 09:00. Initially only 4 adult/3cy and a juvenile turned up. None seemed to be catching any sand mason worms, although the juvenile was still at the "try everything" stage.

By 09:30 numbers had grown to 9 adult/3cy plus 1 juvenile. By this time the tide was quite a distance out but the gulls were still paddling but at least here catching some worms. There are three Black-Headed gulls and three Mediterranean gulls in this clip. Watch the med on the right, it catches a sand mason worm early in this clip.

Surprisingly, there was just a single Starling near the lighthouse, and that looked like it wanted to be a Black-Headed gull.

Starling with Black-Headed gull

Kevin checked out the Buddleia in the nature park:

Small Tortoiseshell 

Red Admiral 

Comma

Plus also in the area - Common Blue and Meadow Brown

Middleton Nature Reserve 

First some bad news, I was wrong yesterday assuming that the Tim Butler cygnets would be around. Janet advises that one has been missing a while and the remaining one had recently been killed by a dog. The incident was witnessed and has been reported.

Wildfowl as yesterday 

Insects

Not large numbers, but a reasonable variety.

Dragonflies:

Brown Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 3

Common Darter 5

Butterflies in order of abundance:

Gatekeeper 

Speckled Wood 

Meadow Brown

Large White 2

Red Admiral 1

Painted Lady 1

Finally this bird was a puzzle. There was a Jay and a Carrion crow calling. Then this bird flew off in silence. It looks like a moulting Raven, but suppose it could be a carrion crow with a tail moult going on. Ravens do normally call as they fly off (MD).

First diving duck returns

A fresh west breeze mainly overcast with light showers.

Not a lot today.

Just a quick sweep by Pete from Ocean Edge 90 minutes before high water, located:

Mediterranean gull 10 (3 juvenile)

Heysham skear - low water 11:20

Great Crested Grebe 5 (2 + 1 + 1 on the water plus 1 flying south)

Eider only 4 today

Little Egret 13

No sign of any Mediterranean gulls. Waders similar to yesterday, minus the off passage flock of Redshank.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the three main ponds in the afternoon 

Mute Swan pair plus 9 cygnets on main pond, pair on Tim Butler, the 2 cygnets not seen but they would have been somewhere nearby. 

Mallard 5

Gadwall 7 - female plus 3 young and a male with 2 female/immature 

The male Gadwall, in the foreground of this clip,  is still in eclipse.

This is one of the female/immature Gadwall having a bath

Tufted duck 1 male.

Male Tufted duck, in at least, partial eclipse.
It was being very secretive.

Little grebe 1 adult on Tim Butler 

No dragonflies seen and the only butterflies were a few, Meadow Brown, 1 Gatekeeper, 2 Large White and a Peacock.

The Lion lies down with the.......mussel

The westerlies continues. Overcast for most of the day with light showers in the afternoon.

The only records so far are from my check of Heysham skear at low water (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 5 (2 + 3)

Eider 34

Little Egret 15

Grey Heron 1

Oystercatcher c500 on the middle skear - outer skear not checked

Curlew c50

Redshank c150 - including a presumed off passage flock c100 in an area where they do not routinely feed.

Turnstone c50

Juvenile Turnstone 

Ringed Plover 25

Mediterranean gull 1 - This looks like the same bird that I posted yesterday flying to the harbour mouth from the north. I can't recall ever seeing one on the skear before, hopefully the start of a new trend, there appeared to be plenty to eat. This first clip it was on the water on the north side of the skear. It seemed to find something to eat both times that it landed. It then flew to the skear.

It started feeding as soon as it landed on the skear, and certainly found a couple of morsels to eat. 

Today's title refers to Lion's Mane Jellyfish. There were several stranded on the beach, but this small one had dropped lucky and ended up being stranded in a small pool, just large enough for it to retain its form.

Lion's Mane jellyfish stranded in a shallow pool
It was pulsating, you can see the resultant indents in the surrounding mud

I've not had an active but captive Lion's Mane before, so I thought  I'd see how it reacted to a piece of broken mussel. This wasn't easy, mussel in left hand and camera in right, binoculars held between teeth! So I missed the actual encounter. No matter, the interesting thing happened afterwards. As soon as it "realised" that it was in contact with food, the pulsating stopped.

I know very little about jellyfish behaviour, but it makes sense to not swim away from an area that has just provided a meal. Jellyfish can't really dictate where they go, the pulsating will just allow it to rise higher in the water. So stopping pulsating would cause it to drop lower in the water. Or, perhaps, the energy used to pulsate is redirected to the tentacles to retrieve the food. They don't have to move quickly as any prey should be paralysed. Either way it started pulsating again and it definitely took hold of the mussel.

It hadn't long to wait, the incoming tide was only a few minutes away. I would have waited and recorded its release, but the tide would have silted the area up leaving visibility too poor to see anything. Hopefully it will be lucky, but the prevailing west winds will make it difficult. Just another reminder, these do sting, both the short red and long white tentacles have stinging cells. They will not harm you, but the sting isn't pleasant (I have been stung several times whilst  shrimping in the dark).

Hawker treble

A stong SW wind all day, mainly sunny.

South shore

Both myself (MD) and Kevin checked the sea for any wind blown stuff, but they either didn't arrive or were too distant for binoculars.

Wheatear 1 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab and foreshoe

Mediterranean gull - at least 15 at low water. Minimum 11 adult/3cy on beach next to wooden jetty, 3 juvenile on seaward end of No.1 outflow and 1 adult/3cy out from the harbour mouth.

Later they were more spread around. This bird came from the noth side and settled just out from the harbour.

I like this clip, there was at least one Mediterranean gull resting with the Black-Headed gulls in the lea of No.2 outflow (just right of centre on the clip). Everything was relaxed, then a new BHG arrived and moved on another that was, "sat in my spot on this beach"......... A behaviour previously only witnessed in humans!

Sheltered from the wind it was very warm. There were lots of insects in the nature park behind Red Nab.

Kevin took this nice shot of a Painted Lady.

Painted Lady 

There were also:

Red Admiral 3

Peacock 1

Comma 1

Large White 2

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Common Blue

Speckled Wood 

Gatekeeper 

Plus a trio of Hawker Dragonflies 

Migrant Hawker 3

Brown Hawker 1

Southern Hawker 1

Male Southern Hawker

I have received a very interesting comment regarding Wednesday's post of the mass exodus of the Oystercatchers. My thanks to "Throbshire", sorry I don't know any other identity. 

I can offer you a possible solution to your exodus question. At about 10.00 on Wednesday my wife and I saw a big bird of prey heading towards Walney, roughly on a line from Heysham Sunny Slopes. Too distant to be 100% sure, but thought it was probably an Osprey at the time

So, this seems to be the final piece of the puzzle, just as the tide was moving the Oystercatcher from the outer  skeer, a large raptor, probably an Osprey drove them all to the south side. I do like it when evidence emerges to support a theory. Although evidence to disprove a theory is also good, much better than not knowing. (MD)

Gadwall returning

The fresh breeze started in the south before moving SW.  Some cloud, but the sunny periods increased during the day.

First, a request. Janet lost her wedding ring whilst checking Middleton Nature Reserve, possibly on the road where the old brick building used to be. It's a long shot, but if anyone does find it please either contact Janet directly or myself (MD).

Heysham skear - low water 09:20

Great Crested Grebe 3

Eider 26, they appear to be in family groups, the males, still in eclipse. The gull in this clip is diving for crabs, it seems optimistic to find one below of a bunch of Eider.

Little Egret at least 18

Grey Heron 1

Oystercatcher c500 on middle skear, fewer than of late, but the outer skear was also exposed, more on that later.

Turnstone c60

Curlew c50

Redshank c40

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Ringed Plover c20 where they normally feed on the inner skear plus 15, presumed off passage on middle skear.

Dunlin 1

One of the reasons I went down today was to try and understand what caused the mass exodus of Oystercatcher yesterday (hoping a large raptor would show up!). The outer skear was exposed, but not checked in detail, but this shot shows two things. First, it is still nicely covered in mussels (it's the area beyond the first channel, running across the image). Second, it wasn't densely packed with Oystercatchers, but it is a large area.

The outer skear is the dark band on top of this image.
It is larger than it looks, at least 0.5km further to the main channel.

Nevertheless, these last few tides will have been the first time it will have been available for feeding for two weeks, so presumably more food there than the middle skear. The timing of the oystercatcher flying past the roundhead yesterday coincides with when the tide covered the outer skear, so clearly a factor. But it didn't happen today, and it didn't happen on Tuesday when the LDBWS were on the south wall. I can only guess that something else occurred at the same time yesterday, probably a large raptor, causing the already moving birds to continue to the south side. (MD)

Just another skear related snippet. These spring tides drain quickly, leaving lots of standing water on the skear, this inevitably finds its way to the sea, and once a channel is formed the water gushes out, removing any loose sediment. This is what has happened on this shot.

The mud has been swept away in this channel, leaving the tubes of tube worms exposed.

 These are not Honeycomb worms, more likely Sand Mason worms.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick look round mid afternoon 

The wildfowl was as per Tuesday except for 9 additional Gadwall, so 13 in total with the female and her young. This clip starts withe the female and her three young, she wasn't overly welcoming. Next is an eclipsed male, the rest all appear to be female/immature.

The insects were similar to Tuesday too, except fewer butterflies, plus four Migrant Hawker Dragonflies.

Migrant Hawkers

Mass exodus

The fresh breeze started SE but moved to south then SSW and freshened. A few light showers becoming heavier by evening.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

John and I set nets this morning and caught a reasonable 35 birds between us. Conditions were overcast and a little breezy but no rain:

Wren 2 +1 retrap

Blackbird 1 retrap plus a single nestling being fed by its parents in a nest on the east side.

Sedge Warbler 2

Reed Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 2

Common Whitethroat 9

Garden Warbler 4

Blackcap 2 + 1 retrap

Chiffchaff 2

Willow Warbler 5 + 2 retrap

10 Swifts seen moving southwards but just a single Swallow.

Janet found some fresh droppings on the edge of the main pond. These are located on top of old droppings that are now reduced to a collection of fragments of crayfish shells. Once again the main suspect is Otter, but neither of us are experts on Otter spraints. If anyone wishes to see the picture Janet took today please either contact Janet directly or myself (MD email address on sidebar ).

South shore mid morning

Wheatear 3

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 on foreshore plus 2 on sea wall

Mediterranean gull minimum 10 - 6 on beach near wooden jetty at least 3 juvenile feeding on outflows and seen from several locations along shore. As was this immature bird.

2cy Mediterranean gull (MD)

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Willow Warbler 1 in scrub near waterfall

There were 6 Linnet and 4 Goldfinch feeding on thistle seeds near the lighthouse. I can, and do, sit in my armchair and watch Goldfinch feeding on sunflower seeds from the feeder just outside the window, but it is somehow much more satisfying watching them feed naturally on seeds. This young Goldfinch seemed to be proficient in quite difficult conditions.

Grey seal 1 - shame one didn't show for the party from LDBWS yesterday.

Today's title refers to, what must have been, the entire population of north side Oystercatcher (at least 3,000) flying past the roundhead in less than 2 minutes. Something had seriously spooked them. It was 10:20, the tide had only been coming in for 90 minutes so they would have still been on their feeding grounds on the shore. So either a large bird of prey or something man made, e.g.  the RNLI hovercraft moves everything when they test it.

This is just a flavour of the movement.

Some, but not all, settled on the beach out from Red Nab, smeared over a few hundred metres.

Not a lot of Meds, but enough to go round.

Another steady west breeze all day, some light showers but largely sunny.

South Shore

A LDBWS event covered the rising tide this morning.

Report from Pete Crooks:

A group of 14 LDBWS members enjoyed searching for Mediterranean Gulls at Heysham on the incoming tide this morning. Highlights in roughly chronological order:

Heysham Nature Park – 1 Painted Lady

Red Nab (Brief check at low tide) – 2 Med Gulls (1 adult and 1 juvenile)

Heysham Outfalls – 8 Med Gulls (2 adults, 2 3rd CY and 4 juveniles)

1 1st CY Kittiwake

1 Eider

8 Turnstone

Red Nab (Longer check during incoming tide) – 10 Med Gulls (6 adults, including 1 with a right leg green darvic ring, 1 3rd CY, 1 2nd CY and 2 juveniles), 

1 adult Peregrine (briefly flushing the assembled waders and gulls)

2 Whimbrel  

1 Rock Pipit.

Assuming some duplication of Med Gulls at the different locations there were a minimum of 13 different individuals – 6 adults, 2 3rd CY, 1 2nd CY and 4 juveniles.

In addition 

Dave Hawkins had another two Kittiwakes at the back of the harbour, 1 adult + 1 juvenile 

Pete Marsh remained near Red Nab:

Sand Martin 1, in-off at red nab 

Manx Shearwater 1, very distant in against the turbines

7 non-juv Mediterranean gulls flew south past OE very early on (before 1030). Also 6 juvenile seen.

Before the LDBWS group arrived I (MD) had

Rock Pipits 3 on foreshore

Wheatear 5 - 2 on foreshore 3 on saltmarsh 

Wheatear amongst the Samphire at the edge of the saltmarsh 

A check of the Buddleia near the newt pond at 11:00 found it full of butterflies again, including:

Comma 1

Red Admiral 3

Painted Lady 4

Large White 3

Plus, Common Blue, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown

These are two of the Red Admiral, both quite faded.

These Whitethroat were near the small anemometer, I initially thought Common, but Pete Crooks, advised Lesser. There is a female feeding at least two young, although the "young" look more than capable of feeding themselves.

It was a big meal, but fed in two servings. These are a couple of stills from the clip, but I still can't decide what the meal was.

Pete (M) also reported two Common Whitethroat in the Heliport scrub plus two Willow warbler in garden near horse paddocks. There was also a Willow warbler in scrub near the lighthouse. 

Middleton Nature Reserve late afternoon 

Mute Swan pair plus 9 cygnets, just one adult seen on the Tim Butler pond, but large areas are hidden from view.

Mallard 7

Gadwall 1 female with 3 young

Coot 3

Moorhen 9

Swallows 44 to SW. they started moving through at 16:00 and were still moving at 17:00. Biggest group were 12 that had been feeding over the central marsh before moving off, the remainder were in ones and twos.

Dragonflies - not a lot:

Emperor 2

Brown Hawker 1

Black-Tailed Skimmer 2

Common Darter 6

Butterflies - also unspectacular:

Peacock 1

Meadow Brown 3

Gatekeeper still abundant 

Common Blue, less so

Speckled Wood several but becoming faded

Large White 2

Small White 4 confirmed 

Green-Veined White also 4 confirmed, all looking very warn

Several other "small white" butterflies could have been either species.

Finally, in the spring (it feels like last week!), based on the blossom, I speculated that we should have a good crop of hawthorn berries to hold onto the winter Thrushes this year. The fruits are just beginning to ripen and it looks like a bumper crop.

The Hawthorn berries are starting to ripen - bring on the Thrushes!

Ringed Plover return and Eider numbers starting to grow

A steady WSW steady breeze all day, overcast with sunny spells, light showers in the evening.

South shore

I checked the rising tide (MD)

Rock Pipit 3 - one on foreshore and two near No.1 outflow

The foreshore Rock Pipit revealed itself to be a juvenile 
You'll need to open the image to see the detail

Willow Warbler 1 in scrub near lighthouse 

Terns sp (almost certainly Sandwich) 4 out together.

Mediterranean gulls 19. At four hours before high water there were 15 adult/3cy, 1 x 2cy and 3 juvenile on the seaward side of the beach next to wooden jetty. But they weren't feeding and flew off as the tide reached them, although at least two of the juveniles were flying around and trying the outflows.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 on beach next to wooden jetty - it always puzzles me why more long billed birds are not feeding here regularly, every time I checked this bird it caught at least two worms.

It catches two worms in this clip

In this clip it displays all it's defining features 

Janet checked towards high water and took these shots

Juvenile Herring gull with Whelk egg cluster

There are still lots of Curlew around

Curlew 

Plus a bird on a wire....

Linnet

Heysham skear - low water 19:30

Eider 18 

Great-Crested grebe 5 (2 pair + 1)

Little Egret 7

Ringed Plover c20 - it was nice to see and hear them back.