Where's the Groucho Marx convention?

Another day of calm to very light variable breeze. High cloud for most of the day.

Red Nab and saltmarsh area towards high water 

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 34 located on Red Nab, there were probably more

Wigeon c160

Shelduck 115 - most to the south of the saltmarsh 

Curlew 180 - also south of the saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 6 flushed by the tide from the small pockets of saltmarsh grass south of the saltmarsh  

Redshank c50

Lapwing 4

Heysham skear - late afternoon on ebbing tide

Eider c80

Red-breasted Merganser 2 (pair)

Great Crested Grebe 4 (2+2) - they are starting to move to summer plumage (at least the one on the right is)

Knot, a big increase in numbers today, at least 2,500

Pale-bellied Brent 37 - as per Friday evening they were "feeding" along the inner skear. The inverted commas are because I am not sure that they are actually feeding here, possibly just collecting grit/broken shells for their gizzard (MD). I haven't checked this area for over a week, but when I last looked there was hardly any weed. I took this clip of a few of them today, from quite a distance in the fading light. Unfortunately it isn't possible to see what they are picking up, but the area does appear to be weed free.  I'll check again, next time they are elsewhere.

Once again the sun made its only appearance just before sunset. No wind today, so I took this short clip to share the beauty and sounds of the skear on an evening like this. It's a Cormorant on conger with mainly Oystercatcher and Redshank on the skear.

Just out of the recording area:

Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (MD)

I had a nice peaceful walk around in the afternoon. I had expected some wildfowl and snipe among the peat bog, but nothing. There were plenty of small birds in the wooded area, Tits, Goldfinch, Robin, Dunnock and Wren.

This Dunnock wasn't happy about a mixed tit flock passing through its patch

One of the reasons I went to the Moss today was to try and establish just how many Roe Deer there are in this area. Although the Moss is just out of the recording area, it is just across the bypass from Imperial Road where I saw the three Roe Deer yesterday. I wasn't disappointed, one deer cut across my path, too quickly to see if it had antlers and its rump was not visible. But there was a second one following, its white rump patch is just visible amongst the branches on the right, you'll see it when the deer moves. The clip shows two things, no sign of antlers an no tail like white tuft on the white rump. So a buck, but only a young one, so presumably the first deer would have been mum.

Unfortunately, all it tells us is that there are at least three bucks in the area, the one with well developed antlers, one with small antlers and this one with no antlers. These two deer, could be the same two that I saw with the buck yesterday.

My reference book says that Roe Deer, both sexes, have a dark moustache stripe. I'd have gone for, comedy false moustache à la Groucho Marx!

Roe Deer showing its distinctive moustache 

Just a lazy Sunday.......chewing the cud.

A steady west wind all day, mainly high cloud with a bit of light rain early on.

Red Nab towards high water

Pale-bellied Brent goose 40 at least

Wigeon c200 including a flock of 164 in from the SE

Shelduck 26

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a mid morning check of the main ponds

Mute 8 adult 9 immature 

Moorhen 8

Coot 1

Mallard 10

Gadwall 35

Wigeon 2 (pair)

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Tufted Duck 2 male

Heysham skear towards evening low water

Pale-bellied Brent goose 42 (at least) - they were well spread this evening and the quickly fading light didn't help. There were 8 out from play area, 6 in the skear corner and a flock of 28 that were in the middle of the skear (there is absolutely no weed here) before flying off north. 

Pink-Footed goose 50 - 17:00 came from the south did a circle and headed back south. This clip shows nothing other than the light contrast at that time, still some light to the SW but black overhead when they pass over.

This is the same flock of Pinkfoot heading back south
The two lights are atop of the buoys out from the north wall

Knot 1,000+  The tides are going further out now so the Knot are back, this clip is 16:30, so it's reasonably clear considering the fading light, but nowhere near clear enough for me to read the yellow flagged bird towards the end of the clip.

Imperial Rd

This is the road off the bypass that leads to the "Waste Technology Park", west of this road is within the recording area. It's nice and quiet here on a Sunday as the "Park" is closed. So I went prepared at lunchtime today rather than just checking in passing (MD).

Teal 2

Raven 1

Raven 

Sparrowhawk 1

Roe Deer 3

There was a buck and a smaller deer sitting, but I couldn't tell if the smaller one was a doe or the small buck I saw on 4/01/22, but the tranquil scene suggested the former. Fortunately it stood up briefly revealing herself to be a doe.

Roebuck with velvet over his developing antlers on the left. Roe deer do not have tails,
 but the Does do have a tail like tuft of white hair on their rump, as this one on the right 

This is what today's title refers to, the buck, and presumably the doe with her back to camera were chewing the cud.

Did you see what I said was in the clip, or did you see what was actually there? Well done if you spotted there were actually two deer sat on the right side. The shot below is a still from the clip, the third deer (you can only see it's head behind the reedmace) is not a mature male, so either another doe or last year's youngster.

Doe Roe deer back with another deer's head just above the reedmace.

Same stuff, but different views

The light breeze started from NNE and was quite cool, it later moved round to the south. Mainly high cloud with occasional sun.

South shore

The only records so far today are from my morning and Kevin Eaves afternoon walk along the sea wall.

Shag 1 juvenile (at least) in the harbour both morning and afternoon. This is a nice shot from Kevin as it flexed its wings.

Juvenile Shag in the harbour this afternoon 

Mediterranean gull 1 second winter on outfalls in the afternoon.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese 49 - they were on Red Nab at 09:40. The water had barely reached the rocks and the Brent had to compete with the Wigeon for the tightly cropped gut weed on the rock surface. 

But they didn't just come here to eat. At the end of the above clip you can see the freshwater stream that runs though Red Nab. Many of the Brent were taking advantage of this to drink and bathe. One thing all birds seem to have in common is that they all look like they really enjoy taking a bath, I think it is the gusto that they throw into it.........some more so than others!

Two to four birds at a time were having a bath and when they finished others moved in, presumably this had been going on before I'd arrived, and continued as I moved on, so most, if not all, of the birds would have had a drink and a bath, plus a nibble of gut weed. My return from the harbour at 10:40 coincided with them moving to the north side. Nothing spooked them and the water level was similar to when I'd arrived, although it was now ebbing. Presumably they were off to the children's play area, where the gut weed is much longer, but the disturbance is much greater!

49 Pale-bellied Brent geese flying to the north side. Watched on by two
Black-Headed gulls braving No.2 outflow superstructure in the calm weather

Wigeon c150

Shelduck 72

Lapwing 120

Rock Pipit 2

Kingfisher - not seen today, but Jean has been reviewing last year's records and identified a male bird photograph posted 22/12/21, this with the female bird picture posted 5/01/22 means there have been at least two birds visiting Red Nab over this winter.

Roe Deer 1 buck - I stopped on imperial way in passing this afternoon. What I took to be the larger of the two bucks photographed 4/01/22 was feeding in the high reeds, unfortunately it dropped out of sight before I could get my camera.

Fifty up, but it includes two byes

Almost no air movement and what there was was swirling around in the morning. A steadier light east breeze by the afternoon. Mainly overcast till evening.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 50 - there were at least 23 on Red Nab at 09:00, even though the tide was only just high enough to reach the rocks. At least 44 out from the children's play area, as I walked out to the skear at 15:15 and 48 on the inner skear just west of Sunny Slopes groyne on my return at 16:40 (I don't think they come to this area to feed, there is much less weed here than out from the play area, which was deserted at this time. I suspect that it is a better area for them to find suitable grit material, perhaps another reason why they ventured to the north of the groyne the other evening, there is lots of coarse sand there as well as the gut weed (MD)). The 50 was made up by 2 birds flying north up the bay while I was on the skear.

South shore 

Shelduck 33

Wigeon c160

Knot 150

150 Knot (and a Redshank) waiting for the flat calm sea to ebb a little further to expose the mud.

We are coming to the end of this set of neap tides. This area of mud, just out from the saltmarsh hasn't been covered for 3 days, the Blow Lugworm casts, that are normally erased each tide have grown. These casts are made by relatively immature (small) worms, even so the casts have become impressive. You can see the line where they end towards the slipway, this is as far as today's tide reached. Earthworms produce similar casts, but with no tides to wash the soil away it just builds up over time, burying anything on the surface (Charles Darwin was fascinated by this process and conducted experiments with earthworms over a 25 year period!)

An impressive three day accumulation of Lugworm casts. Each cast represents  one worm, the casts
get taller each day when not erased by the tide. You can see the line where today's tides has erased
them, towards the slipway. They will all be gone tomorrow, and return to modest sized intertidal casts

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just the two main ponds checked, pretty much a full house except for no Teal

Mute Swan 9 adult plus 9 immature 

Coot 1

Moorhen 8

Gadwall 41

Wigeon 2 (pair)

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Tufted Duck 4 male

Little grebe 1

Heysham skear

Eider c80

Great Crested grebe 2

Red-breasted Merganser 4 (2 pair)

One of the Merganser pairs in the fading evening light

The only time I saw the sun today was when it was setting.....I went all arty! (MD)

The StenaLine arriving at the harbour 

Sunset behind conger rock

Sunset reflected in from the Stone Jetty
in theory you should be able to see my silhouette in the windows!

After the sun set the light quickly disappeared, revealing another indicator that we are moving from neap to spring tides.

A waxing gibbous moon - waxing gibbous come between:
First Quarter moon = neap tides
Full moon = spring tides

Just out of the recording area:

Jean managed both the Sandy Lands Black Redstart and the Lamppost Mediterranean gull

Janet saw 15+ Redwing along Carr Lane towards Middleton sands.

Some of Janets Redwing

Brent, one off a half century

Mild WSW light wind, mainly overcast, but it remained dry.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent 49

They were well scrutinised today by Tim Woodward and Kevin Singleton.

In the late morning Tim went to check what yesterday evening's birds could have been eating:

I went to where we estimated that they were last night. There are some fairly substantial clumps of weed around but it’s not widespread

It may not be widespread, but this gut weed is like a banquet compared to any
other area around here, no wonder they sneak in under cover of darkness (MD)

At that point there were 40 Brent out from the play area. Later in the afternoon when Kevin checked, they had grown to 49. These are some of his pictures:

Tim returned in the evening to check their movements at dusk, unfortunately somewhat thwarted by some "late" dog activity.

45+ were down by the playground until just after 16.10 when flushed by a dog. All previous times I’ve seen them put to flight they’ve landed pretty close by, but this time they flew 600m and landed on the water in the armpit of the Skear. 20 minutes later there were only three still in the water, the rest were a few metres away on land. At 16.40 they took to the air and initially headed towards Morecambe, but switched direction and landed in the water maybe 50-100m from shore. No dogs seen to be involved. 16.50-16.55 they were just visible through binoculars- some in the water at the end of the spike of the Skear and some on the Skear itself. At this point I ran out of light!

Little Egret in the same area - picture by Kevin

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

When I checked the east side on Tuesday I couldn't locate any winter thrushes, so today I checked the west side too. The only thrushes seen were Blackbirds and probably no more than typical resident numbers. The Hawthorn berries are pretty much stripped from the trees, but there is still some to be found if we get any cold weather displacement.

Mute Swan 7 adult 9 juvenile 

Moorhen 11

Coot 2 - a new(?) bird on Tim Butler pond - this is it leading the lone Mute. It looks like the tug towing the Fighting Temeraire up the Themes.

Gadwall 40

Tufted Duck 6 male

Shoveler 2 (pair)

No Wigeon or Little grebe seen

Water Rail 2 heard

There are still lots of Elder cones in the trees, but perhaps they are now empty, or perhaps rising buds just taste better, either way, that is what the Goldfinch are now eating (this clip is actually from earlier in the week, but they were still at it today)

Just out of the recording area:

Mediterranean gull 1 adult on top of usual traffic light lamppost. 10:00, I was just going to take a picture when it flew and joined Black-Headed gulls feeding in a bungalow back garden. I think they are fed here regularly, so perhaps just before 10:00 may be a good time, if the feeding is punctual. As ever be mindful of privacy, but on the lamppost it is fair game.

Brent continue pattern of increasing numbers on the neap tides

Light SW to west wind, sunny.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet took this shot of two of the juvenile mute displaying, presumably (hopefully) they were just practicing.

Two of last year's cygnets, practicing displaying.
The adult mute are starting to display, so it is that time of year.

Gadwall numbers up to 41 including 2 on the main pond

Tufted Duck 4 male

Wigeon 2

Little grebe on "no swimming" pond

South shore

Wigeon c150

Rock Pipit 3 (Red Nab, Lighthouse and waterfall)

The lighthouse bird was the ringed male

Shag at least 1 probably 2 juvenile - watch the gull bottom centre at the start of this clip, it has a Whitebait, which is typical of the fish size caught here at the waterfall. A Shag makes a guest appearance towards the end of the clip, and shows just how slight they are.

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent 44 including the two Canadian ringed red/blue ringed birds plus the white ringed bird for which we still have no history.

There are 43 on this shot of the Brent just below the
Sandylands Promenade near Whinnysty Lane

The white ringed bird of unknown origin 
(The scheme has been notified, but history still awaited)

Interestingly, Tim and Jill had course to walk along the promenade twice after dark this evening. At 17:20 they could hear the Brent in the “fishtail” of the climbing wall groyne. They were gone when they returned at 17.50

This is interesting for two reasons (MD)

1. It confirms that the Brent are continuing to feed after twilight.

2. It suggests there is something in the "fishtail" worth waiting till dark for. I'm only aware of some saltmarsh grass there. I'll have to have a look.

From the skear:

Eider c60

Great Crested grebe 3

Shag 1 fishing

The waders were mainly just Oystercatcher again today, with just a handful of Knot, Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew 

These two Bar-Tailed Godwit were on the shoreline between the skear and the green marker post. The trouble with low winter sun, is that you have to be on the right side of it to see clearly. I wasn't here!

BRS still around but inaccessible.

 Calm to very light NNW breeze. High clouds in the morning, giving way to warm sunshine.

Good coverage today with Pete, Jean, Janet, Tim and Malcolm all contributing below.

Black Redstart 1 female/immature - this is the message Pete posted on the WhatsApp group:

Harbour/power station black redstart still present along single track road, but please avoid this sensitive area and restrict observations in the harbour/power station area to the north wall, nature reserve area and the route via Red Nab along the outfalls seawall. Thanks.

North Shore.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 38 - 33 feeding near the children's play area, plus a flock of 5 flying north up the bay.

Great Crested Grebe 12

Eider 68

Shag 1 juvenile feeding near conger rock. This clip from the skear starts with a Great Crested grebe through Cormorant and Eider to a juvenile Shag on the water, unfortunately it was directly behind the Cormorant when it dived. The waders flying past are Knot.

There were a lot more waders on the skear today - these are estimated numbers:

Oystercatcher 2,000

Redshank 150

Dunlin 30

Redshank 120

Turnstone 10

Curlew 30

South shore

Pink-Footed goose 40 SE over Ocean Edge 12:40

Shag 2 juvenile in harbour 

Juvenile Shag on and around upstands near harbour waterfall 
Pictures by Janet

Two Cormorants - the lead one a mature bird in breeding plumage
You'll probably need to open the image to see the detail  

Rock Pipit 3

Wigeon c150

Shelduck 14

Middleton Nature Reserve 

A more thorough check of the east side today.

Mute swan 7 adult (including 1 on Tim Butler). 9 juvenile.

Moorhen 14

Coot 1

Mallard 18

Teal 6

Tufted Duck 7 male

Gadwall 39

Wigeon 2 (pair)

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Little grebe 1 - on main pond today

Pink-Footed goose 2 and 14 north

Pheasant 2 (male and female)

Bullfinch 8

Goldcrest 1 (at least) not sure if it was with a small mixed Tit flock or just in the same place.

Just out of recording area:

Mediterranean gull 1 on lamppost just north of Four Lane End traffic lights.

Black Redstart near the blue building on Sandylands

Brent and Shag behaving, plus some Siberian Chiffchaff news

SSE wind, overcast and occasional light showers

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 32 (at least). I walked out to the skear at 11:00 (MD). I couldn't see any Brent out from the children's play area from the top of the steps, but when I reached the bottom of the steps, there they where!. They were so close in that from the top of the steps only their backs would have been visible and I was looking for their pale flanks. I sat on a rock and watched 23 of them walk past me, feeding as they went. They seem incapable of standing still to feed. As ever, they were led by the Canadian ringed birds.

I was really pleased this morning, there were several dog walkers in the area, but they were all aware of the Brent, pointing them out to others and controlling their pets so as not to disturb them.

When I returned from the skear at 12:15, all the Brent were out from the play area and had been joined by others there were at least 32 then and all seen were pale-bellied.

Pink-Footed goose 57 - an unusually ragged and silent flock came from the west and headed inland over Heysham Head. One does call once towards the end of this clip, but that was it. 

Eider 130+

Red-Breasted Merganser 2 (pair)

Great Crested Grebe 1

The only waders on the middle skear were c500 Oystercatcher. There was a handful of Redshank and Curlew on the inner skear.

South shore

Shag 1 (at least) juvenile. Tim checked at low water in the morning, and took this location shot of one resting on the lower struts of an upstand near the waterfall.

Shag resting on an upstand at low water

I checked towards high water (15:30)  this juvenile Shag was in the harbour mouth, I zoom out to show the location, the wall in the foreground is the one around the lighthouse.

Also, at the same time from the lighthouse, the ringed Rock Pipit was feeding on the sloping wall. This is the male of the breeding pair that nest in a hole in the harbour wall below the lighthouse. 

One of three Rock Pipits today

Wigeon c150 in the evening 

Shelduck 14 in the morning 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 26+ on Red Nab at 16:15. 

Finally here are some excellent images taken by Craig Bell yesterday, please open them to really enjoy the image quality.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

These next two shots are just out of the recording area, at Sandylands, please remember yesterday's request to respect the privacy of residents in this area.

First the Black Redstart 

Female or immature Black Redstart 

Plus a Siberian Chiffchaff! - the only record of this bird was Craig's brief sighting yesterday.

Black Redstart

WSW wind. Mainly overcast with a few showers, and glimpses of sunshine.

Black Redstart 1 female/immature on power station fence by (first) dog leg down the single track road to gate 38 (ref Craig Bell) - As this track is along the Power Station boundary, you may attract the attention of the  Power Station Police here. They will just need reassurance of your reason for being there, but best if you have some form of identification, and pictures inside the power station boundary are not allowed. (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 36 seen from Knowlys Road (ref Mark Breaks) - later at 14:30 at least 31 landed on Red Nab

Shag 1 juvenile in the harbour, at least in the afternoon 

Heysham skear - low water 10:40

Eider c120

Great Crested grebe 2

Little Egret 3

Waders:

Oystercatcher c2,000

Knot c250

Dunlin c50

Redshank c100

Turnstone c20

Curlew c20

Some of the Knot and Dunlin having a brief rest at slack water.
Even the "sleeping" ones always have one eye on you.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just the 5 minute check in passing

Mute, Coot and Moorhen unchanged.

Mallard 10

Gadwall 41 (2 on main pond)

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Wigeon 2 (pair) - this clip is as much for the audio as the video. After a while, the drake Wigeon whistles for his mate (she was on the other side of the pond and continued to totally ignore him). But at least it persuaded the drake Shoveler that he wasn't a threat.

Teal 11 - these are some of them dropping in

Tufted 3 male - the Coot has now decided that it is more expedient to hang around with the diving ducks (they reminded me of three Nuns and a Vicar.........perhaps I should get out more! (MD)). At least they didn't pinch its meal.

Just out of area:

Black Redstart 1 female/immature again near the blue house along Sandylands. 

There has been some, very understandable, concern raised by the residents of the houses where this bird visits their gardens. Cameras and optics looking into private property is only acceptable with the owner's permission. Please respect the privacy of the residents.

Unseasonal Seal

West wind. Rain all morning reducing to sunshine and showers by the afternoon.

South shore mid afternoon 

Sea wall and harbour - Kevin

Pale-bellied Brent goose 24 (at least) on Red Nab

Wigeon c150

Shag 1 juvenile patrolling above the waterfall, which was covered by the tide.

Juvenile Shag above the harbour waterfall 

Ringed Plover 1 on Red Nab, along with the Oystercatchers

Greenfinch 3 on Red Nab

Grey Seal 1 - Grey seals are around all year, but are not common here in the winter months. This one looks to be a female.

Grey Seal - males have pale markings on a dark background, females
have dark marking on a paler background. This appears to be the latter,
but you might need to open the image to see markings clearly.

Saltmarsh area (MD)

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 feeding amongst the flotsam in the NE corner

Reed Bunting 4

Song Thrush 1

Common Snipe 2

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Little change except:

Gadwall increase to 41

Shoveler 2 (pair)

Just out of the recording area:

Black Redstart 1 female/ immature - these are Nick Godden's comments from LDBWS website today: 

Not a surprise at all to find the black redstart still in the same area of Sandylands near the blue house about 11.05 this morning. Mostly using the gardens today. Don’t be put off by “no sign today” messages! It’s elusive and can easily go out of sight in the gardens or rocks but will surely remain all winter unless we get a spell of hard weather.

Also rock pipit again in the same area