Grey Phalarope makes it a top treble!

It was definitely post storm today with much lighter winds varying from WNW to WSW. Sunshine for much of the day

Pete is still housebound with car problems, yesterday he suggested Leach's Petrel and Grey Phalarope were likely. We managed the Leach's with a Sabine's bonus, today......

Grey Phalarope 1 located by Kevin Eaves in the Harbour towards low water in the afternoon.

Grey Phalarope - picture by Kevin

I didn't see it when I checked the harbour this morning (MD) but it was still around the NW side of the harbour early evening when Shaun checked. It was prone to short flights. Pete advises that if it manages to remain overnight the weather should hold it around a while.

Other stuff on the south shore on my morning check

Linnet/Goldfinch 66 in mixed feeding flock around saltmarsh slipway

Rock Pipit 3

Skylark 1 on slipway side of foreshore. They are very confiding here - this clip begins with it cowering as a dog passed by, but as soon as the dog had passed it continued its normal business even though I was only 3m away.

Jackdaw 5 east

Mediterranean gull 3 adult 1 on Red Nab, 1 patrolling the sea wall and at least 1 out from the harbour mouth.

The rising tide and still quite fresh wind had focused the detritus from the storm along a line against the current. There were about 30 gulls feeding along this line, these are a few.

This is the Med

Shag 1 immature - this was the only bird of note seen in the harbour this morning 

 Shag displaying its proto crest

Kingfisher 1 seen again by Janet at the dog walk pond

Heysham skear - low water 18:00

I had a walk around an hour before low water

Eider just 2, 1 each male and female

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 9. This is a slightly different take off view.

Little Egret 13

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Ringed Plover 17

Knot 7

Heysham Nature Reserve (MD)

I popped in this morning to see how the Fly Agaric was doing - not a sign of it! Assuming no one has picked it, something must have eaten it, stem and all.

These wasps had taken to one of the many guide notices around the reserve. There are c9,000 species of wasp in the UK, not just the one or two species that people normally think of. Most of them not even yellow and black, but these were, I'm pretty sure these are Potter Wasps (they build individual mud pots that are sealed with one egg and a paralysed prey inside). But with 8,999 others to choose from, I could be wrong! If I am, hopefully someone will correct me.

I don't think the second wasp sees the first as a potential mate.

Potter Wasp - I think (MD)

Leach's and Sabine's double!

The strong overnight winds continued from SW till late morning, then it started to ease slightly.

Yesterday Pete said that we needed some squalls to bring in the Leach's Petrels, none yesterday but several heavy squalls today. Unfortunately Pete was stuck at home with car problems, and missed the "most promising" seawatch day for a while.

Report by Dave Hawkins (many thanks)

Heysham north wall seawatch.  7/10/22 1200-1500 hrs

1 Leach’s Petrel flew in NNE direction into bay at 1302hrs

1 Sabine’s Gull juv came out of bay at mid distance 1402 heading SSW.  It was in no hurry often dipping down on water, occasionally landing. I would guess it was probably viewable distantly from outfalls.

1 RTDiver winter landed on sea then lost in the troughs.

1 Gannet adult into bay.

1 Guillemot out of bay

c 30 Eider majority males after tide turned

3 Tufties out

10 Shelduck

South shore 

I checked on the rising tide from about 09:00 (MD) The wind was strong and the skies black but the heavy rains held off till I reached the lighthouse, although whether there was light rain or just sea spray along the sea wall was arbitrary. Then a heavy squall forced me to shelter for 15 minutes behind the lighthouse. 

Linnet 13 on Saltmarsh 

Skylark 2 originally on saltmarsh but moved to foreshore 

Rock Pipit 9 - 2 arguing on Red Nab, 6 arguing near slipway, 5 flew to the east side and 2 returned. 1 near lighthouse.

Guillemot 1 struggling along the foreshore. Its little outboard motors working overtime.

It might look to be struggling, but it was making headway and the sheltered water of the saltmarsh bay was only 100m away. I fully expected to see it resting there on my return, but there was no sign, so it must have rested and moved on.

Loads of gulls sheltering in the lee of the foreshore including at least one adult Mediterranean gull

Lapwing 37

Redshank c150

Common Snipe 1

All on saltmarsh 

Wigeon 4 south plus 2 on Red Nab then saltmarsh 

This shot of Oystercatcher moving to high water roost was taken from the shelter of lighthouse at the height of the squall, it gives an impression of the lack of visibility due to the heavy rain.

Oystercatcher battling through a squall

I had another walk along the wall later in the afternoon, this time a squall had just ended and the winds started to ease. In addition to this morning's records:

Kingfisher 1 on Red Nab

Once again it had flown out from the freshwater culvert in the sea wall. This shot is looking down at the culvert from the top of the wall. You are not likely to get here without it have already flown out, if it was there. But it's worth keeping an eye on it as you approach.

Freshwater culvert at Red Nab

Mediterranean gulls 11 adult feeding on beach near wooden jetty 

Eider 2 in harbour mouth - looks like this youngster is a male.

Jackdaw 26 in one noisy flock flew low overhead east along the sea wall

Peregrine Falcon 1 adult

Report from Janet:

Kingfisher 1 at the small pond along the dog walk, probably the same as the one seen at Red Nab. This pond is full of Rudd/goldfish hybrids 

Speckled Wood and Common Darters also along dog walk

Finally this excellent shot from yesterday. Lesser Black-Backed gull with a crab by Kevin Singleton. 

A bit better

Strong overnight winds eased slightly by daylight but still strong and from west early on then SW. Plenty of sunshine with a few light showers.

Report from Pete this morning:

Gannet 1 adult

Kittiwake flock of 6

Sandwich tern flock of 3

and distant auk spp 

all above flying out off Heysham head.  

Mediterranean gull 5 on OE/RN

Shag 1 x 2cy flew off jetty north 

South shore (MD)

I checked in the morning around high water and another stroll along the wall on the afternoon ebbing tide.

Rock Pipit 2

Skylark 1 on Red Nab end of foreshore 

Eider flock of 4 in plus 1 in harbour mouth

Eider flying into the bay 

Guillemot 1 first winter in harbour 

First winter Guillemot 

It's high set legs reminded me of a couple of outboard motors. The pillar at the end of this clip is one of the platforms near the waterfall, although the Guillemot made no attempt to feed while I was watching it.

All the above were seen on this morning's walk. There was no sign of the Guillemot in the afternoon. The only thing different in the afternoon were 

Mediterranean gulls 5 adult feeding on the beach near the wooden jetty, almost certainly some if not all of Pete's morning birds. The tide was just leaving the wall so the gulls were quite close together. None were ringed.

Mediterranean gulls 

The insects in the Nature Park are just holding on

Speckled Wood 3

Small White 1 - the Buddleia is almost finished now

Dragonflies:

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 3 - this one is eating a fly, perhaps not a clip for the more sensitive.

Nothing new, but some bits of interest

The very strong winds didn't arrive till after dark this evening. Even so it was strong enough southeasterly to drive the "light rain" horizontal along the sea wall. Rain for most of the day. With only the occasional gaps later in the afternoon.

Just my stuff again so far (MD)

South Shore low water

It was raining when I started and I was only going to check the foreshore, but it eased for a while so I checked the sea wall too.

Curlew in front of foreshore 

Rock Pipit 2  - one at both ends of the foreshore 

Skylark 1 at the Red Nab end of foreshore. The Rock Pipit here wasn't happy! 

The above clip was during a brief dry spell, but it soon started raining again. So the Skylark flew onto the beach to shelter behind a clump of cord grass, don't suppose there are many shots of a Skylark on the beach. The Rock Pipit still wasn't happy.

It rained all along the sea wall and the only thing of interest was a negative, there were no Mediterranean gulls feeding on the beach near the wooden jetty.

Unbelievably, and slightly annoyingly, by the time I'd got back to my car the sun came out! So I called in at Middleton on my way home to check the two main ponds:

Main Pond

Mute Swan - the full complement of 2 adult and 7 cygnets back

Mallard 7

Female and male Mallard looking fine in breeding plumage 

Moorhen 2

Grey Heron 1

Little grebe 1 fishing

It catches a small Roach or Rudd (probably the latter), but has to dive again before it can swallow it. The Black-Headed gulls were closing in. It will not be able to swallow it underwater, but must have resurfaced in the reed margins as I didn't see it again. I've put two clips together, first the grebe with fish followed by the gulls arriving a couple of seconds after it dived.

No swimming pond 

No Gadwall was a surprise 

Moorhen 2

Kingfisher 1  - I didn't see it on the pond, but one flew south as I was leaving and presumably it had come from this pond.

Hopefully better fare tomorrow 

Mmmmm....."showers"

The forecast said light showers, and sure enough that's what we got this morning. But after lunch, although we did have some showers of light rain, they were interspersed with showers of very heavy rain!

A lightish south wind early on freshened as it moved to the west.

Strong SW - W winds with "light showers" forecast for tomorrow. Bet the showers won't feel light!

Just my stuff so far (MD)

Heysham Nature Reserve 

I had a walk around this morning while the showers genuinely were light.

Plenty of tits around, mainly along the north side near the road to the harbour.

Chiffchaff at least 2 with a mixed tit flock plus another calling near the office.

Not much else located.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a very brief check of the two main ponds in passing, but still managed a soaking!

Mute, no sign of the adults (they won't be far away) a single cygnet on main pond plus 3 more on "no swimming" pond.

Mallard 11

Gadwall 10

Moorhen 3

South shore 

Just a quick check from saltmarsh to Red Nab in the evening downpour (another soaking!)

And saw virtually nothing.......

Lapwing 14 on Ocean Edge field

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Grey Wagtail 1 on the newt pond, but it took flight before I could check for rings. I assumed it wasn't the ringed bird as it gained height and set off east. But when I reached the small anemometer it, or another, was feeding. This bird was definitely ringed. Clearly saw the metal over Red and a yellow on the other leg. Almost certainly the same bird seen here last Friday and Saturday.

There was no chance of a picture today, even if there had been an opportunity the rain was bucketing down!

But John took these shots of the retrapped bird on Middleton yesterday.

Grey Wagtail ringed on passage here last September 
Unfortunately no sightings in between

I did manage to find Jean's Fly Agaric (see yesterday's post), but it had been got at!

No sign of any teeth marks so I assumed a slug was the culprit.

But it's a sizeable hole to eat in one session, presumably a big slug.
No doubt it will return for seconds.

Fly Agaric are toxic to humans and others, they are named thus as they were once used as poison to kill flies. Don't be tempted!

Back to my roots (actually my celium)

South to SE light wind, some light showers with occasional sunny spells

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean:

Vis 0700-1000

Pink-footed Goose 1868 north

Canada Goose 4 south

Raven 3 arrived from NE and flew S

Bullfinch 3 south

Goldfinch 40 SW

Meadow Pipit 18 south

Grey Wagtail 3 south

Mistle Thrush 1 SW

Chaffinch 31 south

Pied Wagtail 15 SE

Skylark 1 south

Linnet 2 south

Tree Sparrow 3 south

Ringing

Sadly no Yellow-browed Warbler 😢

New birds:

Wren 5

Robin 3

Chiffchaff 7

Song Thrush 1

Dunnock 3

Greenfinch 11

Goldfinch 9

Chaffinch 4

Goldcrest 1

Long-tailed Tit 1

Retraps:

Great Tit 1

Wren 1

Robin 1

Dunnock 2

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from John:

Three nets set this morning, a little breezy and this increased during the morning. Although some birds were attracted by mp3 players to the nets, there was no other obvious overhead movement apart from groups of Pinkfeet travelling north.

Birds caught included a Grey Wagtail, which was originally colour ringed here last September, two new Cettis Warblers and a Tree Sparrow. Just 22 birds were caught and they comprised :

Goldcrest            x 4

Grey Wagtail       x 4

Meadow Pipit      x 4

Cettis Warblers  x 2

Blue Tit             x 2

and singles of ; Reed Bunting, Wren, Pied Wagtail, Long-tailed Tit, Tree Sparrow and Robin

I had a walk around early afternoon and I don't think I've ever seen/heard so little in a walk around the reserve (MD)

Mute pair plus 7 cygnet 

Gadwall 6

Moorhen 4

Heron 1

No warblers seen or heard

And not much else really. This is quite a nice clip of a Long-Tailed Tit

South shore - high water 17:30 (MD)

I went to see if there were any interesting waders on the shore, but the wind had dried the mud, so just a small group of Knot and Dunlin along the waterline 

Shelduck 47

No Linnet on or around the saltmarsh again, but there was a flock of 32 Goldfinch on the foreshore, they set off south once, but circled back again.

Rock Pipit 1 on saltmarsh 

Skylark 1 on the foreshore, close to previous sightings. Not so windy today so it was happy to rest on the rubble. I don't normally post clips when nothing happens, but thought this one was quite engaging. It clearly knew I was there, but wasn't overly fussed.

Just out of the recording area - Potts Corner

Report from Mark Jones (although these birds were seen from just south of the recording area, most, if not all will have passed through/over it)

Big passage of pied wagtails and meadow pipits heading south, lots of pink footed geese heading north this morning too. 

Also had a stonechat passing through this morning.

Finally, Jean spotted this Fly Agaric on Heysham Nature Reserve (alongside the top path just past the kissing gate)

Fly Agaric

This is what today's title refers to. My first memory of being interested in nature, is me (Malcolm) as a young boy, walking through the bluebell woods in Lancaster (every wood seemed to be called "the bluebell wood"), with my i-spy Fungi book in hand, searching for one of these. They have to be the archetypical "Toadstool". I never did find one, so I'll check out this one tomorrow, it should be opened further.

A blast from the past!
For those of you from post decimalisation 1/- is one shilling, 5 pence now.

Nice day, shame about the birds

The west wind continues, high clouds with plenty of sunshine.

Heysham skear - low water 10:40 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 3

Red-breasted Merganser 7

Eider 5

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year feeding

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Ringed Plover 26

Knot 6

South shore - high water 16:20 (MD)

I went to check the wadders being concentrated by the rising tide. It was strangely quiet on the saltmarsh, just 1 Rock Pipit, no Linnet or starlings. It was soon obvious why. The male Kestrel had been hunting and had caught a small rodent.

Small enough to be swallowed in one, this clip, is a bit shaky but you can just make out it swallowing the rodent.

After its meal it just wanted to rest a while, but this Magpie wasn't for letting it.

Shelduck 53

There were lots of waders on the mud out from the saltmarsh, but I could only find the regular species:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 26

Grey Plover c150

Knot c500

Dunlin 1,000+

This is part of the group that ended up just in front of the saltmarsh.

This is another flock of Dunlin joining them

Some of the Grey Plover are still in partial summer plumage

A few more Meds today

Fresh west wind all day, overcast with some showers but some sunny spells in the afternoon.

Report from Pete:

Mediterranean gulls 14 on Red Nab, including 1cy and 2cy until flushed by a dog

Red-Throated Diver one raised off sea and flew out

Pintail flock of 6 flew high to south

South shore (MD)

I managed two checks today, morning low water and afternoon high water.

Mediterranean gulls 8 adult on the beach near the wooden jetty this morning, the only ringed bird being metal ringed only.

Adult Mediterranean gull 

1st calendar year - 1 flew out past the wooden jetty in the morning. At least 2 in the afternoon, 1 patrolling the sea wall and 1 on Red Nab

1st calendar year Mediterranean gull along the sea wall

1st calendar year Mediterranean gull on Red Nab

2nd calendar year 1 on Red Nab at high water

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull 

Eider 1 male in harbour mouth

Shelduck 2

Rock Pipits 4

Skylark I resting behind Ocean Edge foreshore (both visits)

Skylark 

Linnet 25 on saltmarsh 

Kestrel 1 male over saltmarsh 

Male Kestrel 

The reason I went this morning, was to see if the colour ringed Grey Wagtail was still about. Sure enough it was on the newt pond in the Nature Park again. This time feeding and finding plenty to eat. This picture is a still from early in the clip below. It has some form of insect larvae.

Not the most exotic of records, it was ringed at 09:00 Thursday morning at Heysham Nature Reserve. So it has traveled 800m south in two days. But even this information is of value, it will be interesting to see if it hangs around.

Jean advises that we’ve ringed 110 Grey Wagtails so far this year since 15/8. All young birds, no adults so far.

Pete has just received another sighting for this more traveled bird ringed in 2019

This shot from winter 2021, see history below

Footnote: As from Monday, the car park at Half Moon Bay is changing from free to "pay at the machine". I expect the surrounding lanes will become congested with parked cars

A splash of colour on a grey day!

Strong SE wind in the morning moved to SW by afternoon and W by evening. Thick low cloud in the morning inevitably gave way to heavy rain which continued till evening.

Only a fool would venture out today.......so, only my stuff (MD)

South Shore

I managed to walk along the wall and half way back before the rain started. The tide was fully out and I wasn't expecting to see much, and indeed I didn't see much. But it was a bit better than expected.

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Kingfisher 1  - it actually flew out from the freshwater culvert in the sloping wall on Red Nab. It had a small fish, so it must have caught it in there. The water reaches there in large diameter pipes, no chance of it fishing in them (no perch (pun not intended, but I like it!)). So it must have fished in the pool just below the pipes. So either a freshwater fish or at least one that tolerates freshwater. Unfortunately I can't tell the fish species from my shots, but not a round body of a goby. 

After it had swallowed the fish it flew over to a rock along the freshwater stream. It didn't try to fish again while I watched it, but it seems to be well fed.

Pink-Footed Goose a solitary bird heading south, initially it was very high but lost height and appeared to land on the mud between here and Fylde. Presumably it had become detached from its skein and needed a rest. When a hundred Pinkfoot go over calling they are unmistakable, but one silent bird wasn't initially obvious.

Solitary Pinkfoot - you can tell it's a slow news day!

Mediterranean gulls 4 adult on the seaward end of the beach near wooden jetty.

Eider 2 feeding around the end of the wooden jetty. The tide was a long way out so the crabs in the deeper water here will become accessible. This is the last upright of the jetty.

As the tide was so far out, I took the opportunity to take this clip of No.1 outflow. This outflow attracts more gulls etc to its seaward end than No.2 outflow does. This is why. Towards the end of the outflow there are two sharp, high, drop offs. The effect of this is that the water becomes turbulent again and any sunken bits of food are brought to the surface, even when the water is quite deep. No.2 outflow has a very shallow drop off, so does not provide such a redistribution of food bits (the fish take advantage here, probably why the recent Osprey was feeding there). There are some distant Black-Headed gulls in this clip, more than were feeding along the outflow.

Grey Wagtail 1 colour ringed bird on the newt pond. Unfortunately it was tipping down by this time and all my optics were stashed, so I failed to get the full combination. But a reminder to check all Grey Wagtails, there have been a lot colour ringed, both this and in previous years.

Quite a lot going on today

The morning north light wind drifted to NE by the afternoon. High cloud with some sunny spells

South Shore

Report from Pete:

Little Stint 1 juvenile with 250-300 small waders inshore off south end Ocean edge then flushed by Sparrowhawk and landed south of Potts corner - only about half the flock grilled in time.  

Mediterranean gulls 5 outfalls and area (2 2cy, 3 ad)

Late common whitethroat in brambles sw corner Heysham harbour

Barnacle Geese 2 south (they are barely annual here)

I had a quick look at high water (MD)

Only the closest Red Nab rocks still exposed

Sandwich Tern 2 (adult with juvenile)

Adult with juvenile Sandwich Tern

Also on the rocks:

Ringed Plover 30 - this one got a rude awakening 

Dunlin 12

Redshank 10

Turnstone 5

Rock pipit 3 - this one was acrobatically catching flies lifted by the rising tide.

On the, largely covered, saltmarsh:

Linnet 17

Common Snipe 1

Wigeon 2

Mediterranean gull 1 - sat on the water with Black-Headed gulls, this clip shows the Med, then location 

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Summary from Pete:

Four grounded redwing flew inland 0703, later two more.

A small goldcrest arrival, a few Chiffchaffs

Tree Sparrow migrant flock of  9 south

Detail report from Jean:

Ringing today

New birds:

Wren 1

Robin 1

Goldcrest 1

Great Tit 1

Blue Tit 1

Goldfinch 2

Grey Wagtail 2

Greenfinch 2

Chiffchaff 1

Treecreeper 1

Long-tailed Tit 1

Retraps: 

3 Robins, one of which was first ringed in 2017. It was looking its age, very tatty looking because it was moulting wing, head and tail feathers. The longevity record for Robins is 8 years so the Heysham one is getting there! 

2 Goldcrests, one ringed at Middleton NR as a youngster last October, the other first ringed at Heysham in 2019.

2 recent Blue Tits.

Just 2 Pied Wagtails to add to Pete's vis above

Heysham skear - low water 08:45 (MD)

Eider 11

Wigeon 7 south

Pink-Footed goose 33 high north 09:10 + 30 high south 10:00

Little Egret 11

Great Crested Grebe 11

Red-breasted Merganser 21 - 19 ended up in the NE corner of skear which is their favoured feeding area on the rising tide. There are 16 in this clip.

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year. It had been feeding in the NE corner, then someone walked along the far bank.  The walker was totally oblivious to the Shag, but this clip shows the Shag's reaction, not spooked, but it wasn't prepared to lose sight of the potential threat. It also provides a good size comparison to the equally wary Eider.

After the walker had moved on, it returned to feeding

Waders : Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Ringed Plover 13

Knot 35 + 4 south

Half Moon Bay towards high water (Kevin Singleton)

Swallow 2 heading north

Rock Pipit 2

Rock Pipit

Jay 1 over Tranmere Crescent 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Mute Swan pair plus 7 cygnets on main pond plus another adult on Tim Butler pond

Heron 1 - this was interesting, the Heron normally feeds near the peninsula on the north side. But today it was in the water where the swans are regularly fed. There was no one around (I don't count!), but the swans were still feeding. What the Heron has obviously "worked out" is that the same food that attracts the swans also attracts the fish, which in turn attracts the Heron! Unfortunately a visitor arrived before it could catch anything.

Heron at the swan feeding point on the main pond.

Mallard 7

Gadwall 7 on "no swimming" pond plus 1 on Tim Butler pond

Moorhen 7

Coot 1

Little grebe 2 on "no swimming" pond

Insects:

Common Darter 7 (4males)

Migrant Hawker 5 (4males)

Speckled Wood 4

Red Admiral 1

Common Field Grasshopper - not heard any calling for a while, but they are still around. This one has quite an rufous end to its abdomen.

Common Field Grasshopper 

It's not easy to see in the above shot, a bit easier when it moves. In this short clip, its abdomen is throbbing, I know almost nothing about grasshoppers but guess it's part of the getting warm process (MD)