It drizzled it down! But still stuff to smile about.

Drizzly showers early on gave way to constant drizzle. Light south wind.

Fortunately Shaun managed an early morning walk:

Middleton NR 06:45-08:15 

Teal male on Main pond + a pair of Little Grebe's and 2 Grey Heron's. 

pair of Little Grebe's on No Swimming Pond 

Group of 5 Gadwall circling the reserve (4m 1f)

Chiffchaff 10 

Willow Warblers 2

Cetti's Warblers 6 singing (the one at previous Point B wasn't - ref post 1/04/23)

I had a quick look later on (MD), nothing Shaun didn't report, but thought this was worthy of note. Pretty sure this is the same male Teal as yesterday, but no strong light today and his green face markings, were.......green

My only other outing today was a morning check from the saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD).

Wheatear 3

Linnet 9

This made me smile, there were several Wood Pigeon around. This one had more than feeding on its mind. Its "mate" looked at it as if it was peculiar. Definitely not impressed!

This also made me smile, but for a different reason. This Weasel appeared to be digging a nest hole, presumably a female as males take no part in rearing the young. She knew I was there, but decided that I wasn't a threat (I like it when wildlife ignores me!) even though she was constantly checking for danger from other directions.

Weasel

I left her to it and when I walked back she was still around but the hole was now large enough to disappear down.

Not so much a burrow, more an access hole to the underside of the rubble
I'll keep an eye on it (MD)

Plenty of Butterflies again, and Brent still around

A light SE wind moved to the west in the afternoon. Sunshine for most of the day.

Pete and Jean managed a short seawatch:

0800-0900: 

Red Throated Diver 1

Kittiwake 16 in one flock

Sandwich Tern 1

Lesser Redpoll 3

Linnet 15

Sand Martin 1

Just 1 Meadow Pipit!

130 Common Gull Outfalls/channel

I didn't have much time today, just two very brief morning checks (MD)

Saltmarsh to Red Nab

Linnet 18

Wheatear 6

Female/1st winter Wheatear

Pale-bellied Brent goose 4 on Red Nab

Little Egret 4 on Red Nab.

Small Tortoiseshell 2 in the grass before Red Nab

Nature Park 

Chiffchaff 3

Willow Warbler 1 

Not much of a shot, but it's the first Willow Warbler I've seen this year.

Jay 2

One Jay

Two Jay

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a check of the two main ponds.

Mute unchanged

Coot 4, suspect the missing birds to be around but out of sight.

Moorhen 1

Little Grebe 3

Little Grebe in summer plumage 

Mallard 6 males

Tufted Duck 1 male

Teal pair

Female Teal

The male did a nice pirouette, the strong sunshine making his green face markings look blue.

Water Rail 1 calling

Singing Warblers

Chiffchaff 6

Willow,Warbler 1

Cetti's Warbler 2

Later Kevin Eaves had a look and took this nice shot of the Tufted Duck

The Brown Rats around the feeding area are becoming ever more confident, although I'm not certain I share Kevin's view of them looking "cute"!

Brown Rat

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Janet is still without a camera, but she is still managing decent wildlife pictures with her mobile phone.

Comma

One of two Brimstones seen

Also 1 Peacock butterfly 

Little gull best of an otherwise quiet day

A light SE to south wind. Sunshine all day.

Seawatch report from Pete:

Little Gull 1 x 2cy in up centre of bay 0750

two distant Sandwich Tern

one Red-Throated Diver in 

two harbour porpoise

Nothing after 0800 but two northbound Sand Martin seen by Dave Hawkins

South shore mid morning (MD)

Linnet 11 on/around Ocean Edge foreshore plus 3 near lighthouse 

Wheatear 3 along foreshore. These two males were feeding near the slpway.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 4 on Red Nab

Shelduck 2

Little Egret 4 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit only 1 seen or heard, near the lighthouse 

Kittiwake none in the Harbour today but this second calendar year bird was initially on No.1 outflow then moved to No.2

Middleton Nature Reserve 

No sign of the Goosander today - ref Kevin Eaves

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Jean did some ringing, but only 5 birds caught.

Song Thrush 1

Redpoll 4

Heysham skear - low water 17:50 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose - 2 were resting on the middle skear. Don't think they were part of this morning's 4 as these included a first winter bird. You can't hear it in this clip, but the adult was aware of me and gave a soft honk, prompting the youngster to stand up. I left them to it and they quickly settled again.

Eider c65

Red-breasted Merganser 7

The waders were a bit different today, no Knot or Dunlin, and surprisingly no Turnstone, perhaps they were on the outer skear. More Curlew than of late 30+, Redshank c150 and the omnipresent Oystercatcher c2,000. And just 1 Bar-Tailed Godwit flew in by itself.

Bar-Tailed Godwit with the South Lakes behind

Butterflies were seen in several locations:

Peacock 1 in Nature Park, Brimstone 1 male through my garden (MD)

Brimstone and Small Tortoiseshell on dog walking strip (Janet)

Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock on Middleton Nature Reserve (Kevin Eaves)

Osprey and Skuas

Another dry and largely sunny day. A light east wind drifting to NE later.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Ringing this morning in rather 'nothing' conditions predictably produced little except for birds at the feeders. Two Meadow Pipits were trapped from one group of 5 flying north that were followed another group of 7. These were the only birds seen flying over. The session was livened up by two pairs of Ravens bothering each other and a pair of Carrion Crows very noisily throughout the morning around the transmission towers towards the power stations.

Meadow Pipit 2

Wren 1

Dunnock 1 retrap

Robin 2

Chiffchaff 1

Long-tailed Tit 1 retrap

Great Tit 1 + 1 retrap

Chaffinch 1

Greenfinch 4 + 1 retrap

Goldfinch 7 + 2 retraps

Bullfinch 1 retrap

Reed Bunting 1

Pete and Jean made a good check of the coast again.

Report from Jean:

Here are the scores on the doors from this morning's seawatch 0815-0950hrs:

Sandwich Tern 40 in and 2 remained on the red buoy, later increasing to 5

Kittiwake 70 in, most distantly but a close flock of 35 whizzed in

Arctic Skua 6 (a flock of 4 dark morph and 1 light morph, and 1 dark morph on its own)

Osprey 1 in at 0830hrs

Common Scoter 5 in

Red-throated Diver 1 in

Pink-footed Goose 20 north

Carrion Crow 13 north in small groups, one of which included a hybrid Carrion x Hooded Crow

3 cetaceans seen, or at least their fins and a bit of their bodies as they breached. Possibly Harbour Porpoise.

No small passerines or hirundines seen. Still no gannets.

Harbour

2 x 2CY Kittiwakes were on the pipe in the inner harbour

A pair of Rock Pipits were at the harbour with the female checking out nest holes (at least that's what it looked like) and the male standing guard. A possible third one was feeding on the sea wall at the seaward end of the harbour. 2 more on Red Nab.

A Dunnock and a Linnet were singing in the brambles.

Red Nab (or should that be Green Nab as the rocks are coated in gutweed)

7 Pale-bellied Brents

6 Little Egrets

A Goldcrest called - no doubt a migrant.

Greenfinches were singing and displaying on the landward side indicating a breeding record. 

10 Linnets were active in the gorse area and also going onto the foreshore and back, one or two were singing.

Wooden jetty

Female Eider was asleep at the base of the wooden jetty. Only 8 cormorants on the top of the wooden jetty.

South shore

3 Wheatear

I checked the south shore, but saw nothing not covered by Jean above (MD). These are some of my shots.

Pale-bellied Brent geese arriving at Red Nab

4 of the 6 Little Egret on Red Nab, this is the most for a while

Second calendar year Kittiwakes on their pipe in the harbour

Five Sandwich Tern on No.8 buoy

I could see an angling boat was just about to pass, I hoped it might lift one or two.

No reaction, although the boat was further away from the buoy than it looks.

Jean took this shot of the white flowering plant growing in many of the crevices along the sea wall. It's one of those times when you realise that you don't know what something is, even though you've seen it so many times. Jean checked and came up with Scurvy Grass. Looks right to me (MD).

Scurvy Grass, unless someone can advise otherwise 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a quick check of the two main ponds to see if the female Goosander is hanging around. She was still on the no swimming pond. There has been increased Cormorant feeding on this pond over winter, the fish stocks must be increasing (originally no fish in this pond, but there has been small Perch seen for a few years now, perhaps they have been joined by another species). It will be interesting to see how long the Goosander remains.

Also

Teal 2

Gadwall 2 (pair)

Mallard 5 male

Little Grebe 2 (one trilling and one feeding)

Cetti's warbler 1 singing 

The only other warbler heard were Chiffchaff 

Sandwich Tern floodgates open

Light but cool NE wind. Warm in the sunshine 

Shaun did a thorough check from early morning:

Heysham Head

Tawny Owl calling - pre dawn

Middleton Nature Reserve 06:30-07:30

Barn Owl 1 hunting over the marshes at dawn. It was quite grey on the upper parts and no ankle straps, so clearly not the bird regularly seen on Imperial Rd and Heysham Moss earlier in the year.

Cetti's Warbler 7 singing. 

Shaun produced this map showing the location of this morning's singing Cetti's warblers.
The western bird (B) is interesting - not heard one singing from here before.
Definitely two singing at Tim Butler.

Also, 2 Willow Warbler and 13 Chiffchaff.

Sand Martin 2

Pair of Raven's.

Female Goosander on No Swimming Pool. 

Heysham Nature Reserve  07:45-09:00

Chiffchaff 6 singing

GSWoodpecker one drumming

pair of Jays. 

Pete and Jean also did a thorough check. Report from Jean:

Here's what we had on our seawatch from 0830-1010hrs (we = Pete, Shaun and me)

Sandwich Tern 104 

Kittiwake 35 

Whooper Swan 7

Common Scoter 7 (2in, 5 out)

Red-throated Diver 1 into Bay

Goosander - 1 female flew past the roundhead and into the Bay

Sand Martin 11

Linnet 15

Meadow Pipit 10

Pied Wagtail 3

Carrion Crow 4 

Black-headed Gulls and Common Gulls flew into the Bay but weren't counted

In the distance about 1000 Pink-footed Geese got up but then landed again

Grounded: 1 Wheatear (female)

pair of Rock Pipits on Red Nab and a pair at the Lighthouse.

Raven - 2 flew over towards the shore then returned a bit later

Red Nab - 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese

I had a look from the shore out from the saltmarsh (MD). I didn't manage to see any of the Sandwich Tern, but Jean said many were quite distant. 

There was a bit of Meadow Pipit movement close to the shoreline 23 north. 

Also lots of Carrion Crows resting on the mud.

Some of the 33 Carrion Crows resting on the mud out from the saltmarsh 

I also managed a view of the Brent, looking back towards Red Nab. They are having a drink from the freshwater run off, as were the gulls. This clip does emphasise what a small goose Brent are, these are only Lesser Black-Backed gulls.

Interestingly lit Little Egret

Heysham skear - low water 16:25 (MD)

Eider 85 (mainly males)

Wigeon 6 (3 each male and female) resting on the sea before continuing north

Great Crested Grebe 3

Red-breasted Merganser 6. These three male were following a female. She flew off, I don't know if she wasn't impressed by any of them or just finding out which one was the "fittest".

Waders, just: Oystercatcher c 2,000, Redshank c150, Turnstone c120, Curlew 5, Knot 2.

Another, bigger, Goosander surprise

A light SE to east wind. Overcast with a few very light showers.

Saltmarsh to Red Nab 08:00-08:30 (MD)

Shelduck 6

Wheatear 3 on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Meadow Pipit 3 over to north

Linnet 2 on foreshore 

Middleton Nature Reserve 08:45 - 10:15 (MD)

I went to check if the female Goosander was still on the "no swimming" pond, but first a check of the main pond located

Goosander 2 - a male and female together. The Coot weren't happy about it, but this one got a mouthful!

I did think this female had a more pronounced pale chin than yesterday's bird.

It was getting busier by this time and they headed off to the east

But the female on the "no swimming" pond was still there. So three Goosander, I think this is an unprecedented inshore record for the recording area.

The "no swimming" pond bird seemed more comfortable and relaxed today

Mute Swan 5 juvenile plus two breeding pairs.

Mallard 6

Teal 2 on Tim Butler pond

Coot 10 - the main pond birds still arguing over territory, but more threats than conflict today.

Cetti's warbler 4 at least singing -the only other warblers heard were Chiffchaff 

Sand Martin 1 NE

This male Bullfinch seemed out of place, resting alone on some light willow scrub
at least 70m from the nearest trees they often frequent

Sparrowhawk 1 high drifting north

Kestrel 2 NE

Roe Deer 1

I bumped into Alan, he was just checking a moth trap, as well as moths there was this nocturnal parasitic wasp. I'll not attempt to identify it, but these shots should be good enough for anyone who wishes too.

As Alan said, it's amazing that the thin waist can support the abdomen 

Heysham Nature Reserve (MD)

Raven 1

Chiffchaff, there was no location on the reserve where you couldn't hear one singing. No other warblers heard though

Roe Deer 2

Peacock butterfly 1

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Small Tortoiseshell 

A week ago I said the Snakes Head Fritillary will be looking splendid by now. And splendid they do look!

Snakes Head Fritillary - the pale flowers probably an indicator of the likely cultivated
origin of this colony, although they have been naturalised here for at least 20 years

North Shore

Red-Throated Diver 1 in the low water channel north of Heysham Head this afternoon - ref Pete.

First Willow Warbler and a Goosander

A lightish SW wind. The rain stopped just after 07:00. After that just a few light showers and plenty of sunny spells.

South Shore 08:30 - 1:00 (MD)

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 2 - first arrivals are easy, but last sighting of spring are only really practical in hindsight, but these could be they.

Meadow Pipit 15 

Skylark 1

alba Wagtail 2

The above all over to the north and none seen past Red Nab

Wheatear 2 on foreshore 

Linnet 5 on foreshore plus 3 near the lighthouse. One of the foreshore birds had a large black seed again. I suspect these washed in on the last set of spring tides. No idea what they are.

Greenfinch 6 at Red Nab, at least 2 of them ringed. They also were foraging the flotsam.

This female seems to have a seed, or nut too big to crack!

Kittiwake 3 x 2nd calendar year on their pipe in the harbour.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Kevin Singleton had a look around early afternoon 

Willow Warbler 1 singing - first record this year

Goosander 1 female on the "no swimming" pond. They are very uncommon in the recording area, particularly inland like this.

I went for a look later in the afternoon (MD) she was still there.

Female Goosander

She was constantly dipping her head below the water and, as you can see in this clip, appearing to wash her mouth out. I've seen diving birds behave like this before on this newt rich pond, and wondered if they had eaten, or attempted to eat, a newt that had left a nasty taste. My camera was being particularly noisy this afternoon (I really shouldn't have dropped it!) so we are silent mode.

I've left the volume on for this short clip. If you can manage to ignore the camera clicks, there is a nice burst of song from a Cetti's Warbler 

Water Rail 1 calling

Sand Martin 5 - I can't blame my camera for this, I'm just not a good enough cameraman to catch a decent inflight shot. This disjointed clip gives a nice flavour of their movement though.

Heysham "skear"- low water13:40 (MD)

Skear is in inverted commas as these very low neap tides barely expose the inner skear.

Eider 34

Little Egret 3

Bar-Tailed Godwit 22 feeding along the shoreline (the Godwit are after lugworms, the Oystercatcher seeking cockles)

Knot 21 - these are some of them resting on the skear edge with Bar-Tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher. One of the Godwits is just starting to acquire summer plumage.

When you see a flock of a thousand Knot they are almost instantly identifiable. But this small group against the light was not immediately obvious. You can't really see much of the birds in this clip, but it does provide a view from the skear and ends with the Sea Cat leaving the harbour.

Other waders: Dunlin 1, Curlew 20+, Turnstone 30+, Redshank 100+, Oystercatcher c2,000.

Subtle movement

A freshening south wind. The rain held off till mid afternoon.

Saltmarsh to Red Nab mid morning (MD)

There was quite a lot going on this morning, but it was subtle.

Shelduck 5

I started on the east side of saltmarsh, only stuff there were 4 Goldfinch flying inland, but I didn't see where they came from.

Thought that was going to be it as nothing else till c50m from Red Nab end of the foreshore, then:

8 Meadow Pipits feeding on the grass. They seemed to be finding plenty to eat.

Meadow Pipits

Rock Pipit 2 together on Red Nab plus two single birds that may have been passage. This is one of them.

Rock Pipit

7 Linnets on foreshore - they also seemed to be finding plenty to eat. This one is just finishing off a large seed.

2+4 more Goldfinch on foreshore then inland.

2 alba Wagtail over (assumed Pied rather than White)

6 Greenfinch near Red Nab, think these were just birds from the Nature Park feeding here.

5 Wheatear 

Two male Wheatear amongst the foreshore rocks

2 female Stonechat initially one either side of the bay just before Red Nab, later, probably the same two, seen together.

Female Stonechats

Heysham Head (MD)

I exercised my daughter's dog here after lunch. Probably what I didn't see was the most interesting. There were no Brent Geese to be seen on the north shore.

I also didn't check below the cliffs so no Rock Pipits seen.

Two displaying Greenfinch

Chiffchaff 2

Jay 2

Both the above in the wooded area.

Rain affected play....

A light south wind. Rain began about 09:00 and continued till after lunch.

Shaun did an early circuit:

Morning. 07:00-08:30. Had a stroll over Heysham Head to the Helipad and back before the rain arrived. 

Stonechat female on HH. 

Pink-footed Goose 140+50 north. 

Walked along base of the cliffs on the way back and had 4 pairs of Rock Pipits! Pretty sure none got back in front of me. 

I checked from Red Nab to saltmarsh after the rain had started (MD)

Blackbird 7 feeding on the short grass near the pond in the Nature Park. Although possibly as much to do with no dogs being around than grounded birds.

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Shelduck 1

Wheatear 5 along the foreshore 

One of the foreshore Wheatears - likely a first winter male

The only bird on the saltmarsh was a Wren (shame, I'd saved a nice Reed Bunting shot from yesterday!)

And that was about it. Apart from, I stopped briefly in passing on Imperial Rd. These two Greylag Goose were flying south towards Middleton Nature Reserve. A clip, taken through a rain covered windscreen. I wouldn't normally post it, but it does demonstrate there is wildlife to be seen here without having to leave your car.

First Blackcap and Whoopers on the move

 Very light variable wind, mainly NE in the morning and SW later in the afternoon, warmer and plenty of sunshine.

North shore

Morning report from Pete:

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 4 (earlier 6)

Eider 77 

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Great Crested Grebe 7

Whooper Swan 32 swans presumed this species seen distantly flying up Leven Estuary (plus later in the afternoon, c50 whooper swans on edge of tide off grange. Middle of bay)

Goldeneye 1 female

I was checking from the skear (MD)

Many of the Eider were males, desperately trying to woo the few remaining females.

The Goldeneye was feeding and was never on the surface for long, this is probably the best clip of it with a couple of Great Crested Grebes

One of the six Pale-bellied Brent feeding out from the play area early on was a first winter.

Canada Goose 3 distant flying east.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Black-Tailed Godwit  - a flock of c40 godwit flew directly overhead unfortunately the sun was behind them, but the calling and behaviour strongly suggests this species

Knot c50

Dunlin 3

Plus Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew 

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

John and I set three nets at Heysham this morning from 09.00. The conditions were not ideal with bright sun and northerly, but light, airstream. Captures were few to start but improved, and did also include a Blackcap at 14.00.

Dunnock 3 retraps

Robin 2 + 2 retraps

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 1 + 1 retrap

Goldcrest 2

Long-tailed Tit 3 retraps

Blue Tit 1 + 1 retrap

Great Tit 2 + 2 retraps

Greenfinch 8 + 1 retrap

Goldfinch 9 + 4 retraps

Bullfinch 2 retraps

Mark Jones had a walk around at lunchtime.

3 singing chiffchaff , 2 reed buntings, 1 bullfinch and a comma main sightings

First Comma of the year

Middleton Nature Reserve (Mark Jones)

Quite busy, heard a water rail, 1 goldcrest, at least 2 little grebe trilling
also 2 cormorant fishing

Immature Cormorant on the main pond

South shore

Report from Kevin Eaves

Kittiwake 3 x 2nd calendar year, 2 on their pipe in the harbour plus one fishing on outflows with a few immature Common Gulls

I just checked from Red Nab to saltmarsh at high water (MD)

Shelduck 3 

Wigeon 6

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab

Wheatear 1 male on foreshore 

Different view of a Wheatear

Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 10 flushed as the tide reached the marsh grass just south of the saltmarsh