Another good seawatch........and an opportunity to participate!

A light SE wind in the morning, becoming lighter and more varied after lunch. Largely overcast but dry.

Early check from Stone Jetty - Nick Godden

Just a short visit 6.25-7.20

Common scoter 11
Arctic tern 67 in one flock
Sandwich tern c. 40
Arctic skua 1 dark morph in

Seawatch report from Pete:

Heysham sea totals 0725-1015 intermittent: 

46 outbound sandwich tern, 

c50 Common scoter, 

5 Red Throated Diver - including a flock of 3 2cy

9 Manx Shearwater - including a flock of 7

2 Gannet

2 dark morph Arctic Skua - flying out distantly and landed out of sight on the sea and presumably floated in (possibly one of these the one seen by Nick)

8 Guillemot, 

3 Canada goose, 

35 swallow, 

65 ringed plover high to north.  

This Saturday there is an opportunity to join in with a LDBWS seawatch from Heysham Head. With expert guides. Open to non LDBWS members - see link below.

https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/meeting/sat-6th-may-07-30-ldbws-field-meeting-heysham-head-morning-migrants/

I had a walk along the south shore 08:30 - 10:00 (MD)

Linnet 8

Wheatear 20 at least - I saw 11 on Ocean Edge grass/foreshore - but they must have been moving through quickly today, when Jean checked at 11:00 there was only 1, but at 14:45 there were another 10 seen by Kevin.

Male Wheatear

Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on Red Nab plus 3 bickering around the lighthouse 

Whimbrel 2 - both feeding along the wrack line, this one at the base of the foreshore rocks.

and this one along the base of the sloping sea wall

Shelduck 11 resting on mud

No sign of any Kittiwake today

Turnstone c100 roosting on wooden jetty

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Ringing at Middleton today 05.30 to 10.45. Good conditions this morning with light SE'ish wind although fairly heavy cloud cover all round.

Blackbird 2

Sedge Warbler 7

Common Whitethroat 2

Lesser Whitethroat 6 + 1 retrap

Garden Warbler 2

Willow Warbler 3 retraps

Lesser Redpoll 2

Blackcap 2

Great Tit 1

Greenfinch 1

Chiffchaff 1

Wren 1

Long-tailed Tit1

Dunnock 1

Tree Pipit 1

Blue tit 1 retrap

Extended seawatch pays dividends

A light west wind freshened in the afternoon. Mainly sunny after an overcast start.

Report from Pete Crooks:

A 5 hour sea-watch (7.15 am – 12.15 pm) – I hadn’t expected to stay that long, but every time I thought about going something would appear to maintain my interest.

7 Arctic Skua – 1 dark morph flew out at 7.21 am.
– 1 dark morph flew in, landed on the sea beyond the two buoys and floated in from 8.15 am.
– 1 light morph flew in, gaining height at 8.32 am.
– 2 dark morph flew in together, relatively close inshore and flew off over Heysham Head at 10.27 am. Presumably the same 2 dark morph then flew back from the direction of Heysham Head at 10.43 am, landed on the sea near the two buoys and gradually flew short distances / floated out on the ebbing tide.
– 2 (1 dark morph and 1 light morph) flew in together and continued past Heysham Head at 11.38 am.

2 Velvet Scoter – flew in at 8.27 am – seen while trying to keep track of the morning’s second Arctic Skua as it floated in.

480 Common Scoter – mostly flying out between 7.15 and 10.00 am, including groups of 25, 100, 89, 35, 40 and several groups of 10-20.

100+ Kittiwake – groups of 3, 38 and 35 flew into the Bay, while a group of c.100 flew out at 11.54 am. This latter group probably included an earlier very distant group of c.40 flying part way out then landing on the sea.

20 Arctic Tern – groups of 3, 15 and 2 flying in

Gannet – 2 flew across the mouth of the Bay
Manx Shearwater – 3 flew across the mouth of the Bay at 11.25 am, during a brief deterioration in visibility
Guillemot – 2 floated in separately, but no auks seen in flight
Red-throated Diver – 1 flew in, 3 flew out
Sandwich Tern – 9 regularly flying back and forth closer inshore than most of the other species
Gadwall – 4 flew in at 9.15 am – a Heysham sea-watch first for me!
House Martin – 3 flew in over the sea – the morning’s only hirundines.
Whimbrel – 2 flew in
Rock Pipit – 1 along the sea-wall
Grey Seal – 1 offshore

Pete C (with Tom Walkington from 9.30 am onwards)

I had a walk along the south shore towards 09:30 high water (MD)

Some of the adult Kittiwake flying in. A 2nd calendar year was on their pipe in the harbour

Carrion Crow 15 flew in off at Ocean edge.

Some of the Carrion Crows coming in off the sea

Wheatear 14 (11 along foreshore plus 3 near lighthouse)

Linnet 15

Rock Pipit 4 (1 on Red Nab, 3 between lighthouse and waterfall).

Dunnock -  It was singing near the waterfall, not far from where a pair of Linnet are nesting, this is a new bird here this spring.

Shelduck 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 27 near Red Nab

Curlew 11 out

Whimbrel 3 out

Whimbrel 

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year. This clip shows it flying to its roost on the wooden jetty. But it came to rest somewhere out of sight, not where I normally see Shag resting on the jetty (the clip ends at an empty section of jetty where I was expecting it to land).

2nd calendar year Shag

Heysham Nature Reserve

Janet has got her camera back

The Common Scoter had moved on from Middleton this morning.

Heysham skear - low water 16:25 (MD)

There was very little on the sea and nothing passing over.

Eider c40

Great Crested Grebe 2

Even less variety of waders, just:

Oystercatcher c2,500

Whimbrel 23

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

There were lots of Herring gulls. There were 600+ feeding on the seed mussels plus others waiting on the sea. This is a typical scene.

I noticed something this evening, which is probably contributing to the spread of the Honeycomb worm beds. The gulls were choosing to browse on the seed mussels that were forming on top of of the honeycomb worm beds. The mussels will be easier to dislodge from the sand based substrate. Left untouched the mussels would almost certainly regain the areas currently occupied by the honeycomb worms, they may still, but the gulls are favouring the growth of the honeycomb worm beds.

Tight packed seed mussels forming on the skear bottom, where the gulls are not currently feeding

Miserable weather, but still plenty of interest

A south wind, quite fresh at times. The rain started just after 07:00 and continued till early evening

Report from Pete Crooks:

Heysham North Harbour Wall – A 30 minute sea-watch (6.50 – 7.20 am) in light drizzle turning to steady rain:

4 Sandwich Tern – on black & yellow buoy

1 Gannet – flew in

6 Swallow – flew NE offshore

1 Rock Pipit on sea wall

Possibly some slight overlap with Nick Godden's seawatch from the Stone Jetty:

6.15-8.20. A bit of seabird movement which stopped soon after the rain set in, and a few grounded passerines

Red-throated diver 15 in
Shelduck 16 in
Common scoter 58
Red-breasted merganser 6
Gadwall 2
Sandwich tern 24
Common tern 2
Arctic tern 5
Dunlin 8
Whimbrel 16
Turnstone 2
Swallow 21 NE
Wheatear 10
Willow warbler 2
Blackcap 1 f

I had a walk along the south shore (MD). The forecast "light rain" had just started and predictably there were more Wheatears than usual grounded.

Wheatear 20 minimum - there were 12 along Ocean Edge foreshore, then as I walked along the sea wall there was a "light" cloudburst! Kevin Eave's weather station recorded it at 12mm/hr. When I arrived at the small patch of scrub near the lighthouse it was full of soaked birds, including at least 8 more wheatear.

By this time we were back to light rain and the birds set about getting themselves dry and taking an opportunity to feed before continuing north.

Also around this small area were:

Warblers 3 - at least 2 and probably all 3 Willow Warbler

Rock Pipit 3

Robin 1

Wren 1 

Presumably at least one of the Rock Pipits and likely the Wren and Robin were residents trying to see off the new comers.

This is a wet Willow Warbler doing its best to get dry in the rain.

Rock Pipit and Wheatears

In total there were 5 Rock Pipits. 1 above waterfall and 1 on Red Nab.

Shelduck 23 resting on mud out from the foreshore 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 28 near Red Nab

Whimbrel 1 in

It was still only 09:15, and I knew I wouldn't be getting out again today, so I decided to call in for a quick check of the two main ponds at Middleton. 

Mute Swan - breeding pair plus 5 x 2nd calendar year 

Shelduck 2

Greylag Goose 2

Greylag Geese on the main pond

Mallard 2 males plus a female, still with 9 chicks.

Common Scoter 1 female - whether she was brought down by the very heavy shower or she arrived overnight can't be known, but I suspect the continuing rain and associated absence of visitors was the reason that she, and the Greylag were still around. We had one here last April, but as far as I know these are the only two inshore records for this species in the recording area. 

Female Common Scoter, with rainwater running off the duck's back.

Unlike last year's bird however, today's bird was feeding.

In common with last year's bird, she was constantly head bobbing, I wondered then if it was related to her drinking freshwater for the first time in months? She was certainly having sips of water.

The Scoter was still there, and still head bobbing, when I checked in passing this evening at 20:10 (isn't it nice having light evenings!)

Coot 2

Moorhen 2

Swallow 5

House Martin 2

Both the above feeding low over the main pond.

Cetti's warbler 2 singing

Jo Bailey posted a comment on yesterday's post (it was Jo who took the clip of the Grasshopper Warbler - thanks). Comments are always welcomed, but unless you include a contact email of phone number, there is no mechanism to reply. Jo wondered where the ringing takes place at Middleton. The answer is in the central marshes. But these areas are not accessible to visitors, as unnecessary disturbance can ruin a session. (Malcolm)

Something for everyone

A light predominantly SE breeze in the morning switched to the NW by lunchtime. A couple of light morning showers.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from John:

Three nets set at Middleton this morning, and although only seventeen birds were caught over a four-hour period, they comprised a nice selection :

Lesser Redpoll        x3

Willow Warbler       x2

Sedge Warbler        x2 including one, which was first ringed as a young bird in 2020.

Bullfinch                   x2 

Blackcap                   x2

Garden Warbler        x1

Cettis Warbler         x1

Lesser Whitethroat    x1

Grasshopper Warbler  x1

Robin                             x1

Dunnock                        x1

Report from Pete:

Sea Heysham 0700-0850:

Red-Throated Diver 1

Manx Shearwater 2

Guillemot 2

Common scoter 1

Arctic tern 1

Sandwich tern 17

Swallow 52

House martin 2

Whimbrel 10

Goosander 1 male.  

All inbound - vis poor with eg main scoter line not visible. 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 40 on mud by Red Nab at high water

I had a walk along the south shore 07:30 -09:00 (MD). 

Shelduck 12 - 8 east and 4 in

Eider 2 males, one on harbour mouth and one in.

I managed 8 Whimbrel and 2 Sandwich Tern, but probably already included in Pete's count.

Wheatear 4

Linnet 4 (all males)

Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on Red Nab, 2 near lighthouse and 1 above the waterfall.

Rock Pipit above the lighthouse nest hole

Talking of nest sites, the female Carrion Crow is now sitting on their nest on the wooden jetty. We do not normally reveal the precise location of nest sites, but it would be a keen egg collector indeed to scale the wooden jetty (there is no longer a connection to shore).

Female Carrion crow on nest, visible from the lighthouse.
 The male was resting further along the jetty

No sign of any Kittiwakes today

Kevin Eaves heard singing male:

Sedge Warbler in the scrub directly behind Red Nab

Lesser Whitethroat in the Nature Park

Angela Gillion relocated the singing Grasshopper Warbler near the go kart track (see post 27/04/23 for location). And was clearly delighted when she also managed to see him.

A nice clip, particularly with a mobile phone.

Another decent seawatch - and at a more civilised time!

A light north breeze in the morning. It freshened and moved to the west in the afternoon. Overcast till the sun broke through for a while in the early evening.

Seawatch report from Pete:

Quite a decent sample from hey north wall 0800-0900: 

Arctic Skua 1dark morph

Arctic tern 60 in dribs and drabs (largest flock just 14)

Common tern 1

Sandwich tern 76

Razorbill 1

Guillemot 3

Red-Throated Diver 3

Gannet 3

Whimbrel 10

Common scoter 22

two lots of two Harbour porpoise (one pair mid range, one close)

Heysham Head mid morning (MD)

Sandwich Terns still moving through - another 12 seen.

Eider 3 on the sea

Shelduck 2 east

Bar-Tailed Godwit 9

Whimbrel 1

Carrion Crow 11 NE

Swallow 3 north

Rock Pipit 5 at least. I checked the shore all along the Head. There appeared to be 4 birds holding territory plus at least one other that was constantly being moved on.

This Rock Pipit flew off with this sea slater

Wheatear 1 - it was too large for a Rock Pipit to see off, but it wasn't welcomed on this ones patch.

Linnet 10

Greenfinch 3

South shore - early evening (MD)

Wheatear 6 near the saltmarsh 

Wheatears with the sun behind them

Rock Pipit 2 (Red Nab and Lighthouse)

Linnet 8

Greenfinch 2

Shelduck 20 resting 

Common Scoter 9 out

Curlew 4

Whimbrel 2

Black-Tailed Godwit 3 in summer plumage

Black-Tailed Godwit

They had been feeding on the mud out from the foreshore, but then found a pool of freshwater from the runoff at Red Nab. They had a drink and a wash......

.......before heading off to the SE towards the Lune estuary 

 

Decent seawatch for early starters

A fresh SE wind. Overcast all day, but it managed to remain dry.

Report from Pete:

Seawatch totals on and off 0610-0910: 

Sandwich tern 32 out, 6 blogging

Common tern one out

Common scoter 132 at least out, fewer more distant inbound ignored but possibly some still in bay 

Gannet 5 adults in virtually together 0910, 

Red-Throated Diver one in sp in

Swallow min 15 in

Sand martin one in

Linnet 3 in

In addition Nick Godden during a more continuous watch from Stone Jetty 0645-0915 had four flocks totalling 36 Arctic tern and a light morph Arctic Skua (plus two extra red throats) 

I had a mid morning walk along the south shore (MD)

Canada Goose 5 north

Canada Geese - is this the beginning of their moult migration?

Wheatear 4

Linnet just 2 each on saltmarsh and Red Nab, 5 in off and 2 males between lighthouse and waterfall 

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab plus 2 near lighthouse 

Whimbrel 2 - this one providing a nice view of its striking crown and eye stripes.

This Curlew was nearby, so I took a clip for comparison.

Kittiwake 3 x 2nd calendar year still in the harbour

Kittiwake looking cosy on "their pipe"

This Song Thrush was gathering food and taking it back to the nest in the Nature Park 

Heysham Barrows

Kevin Singleton took this clip of a Grasshopper Warbler singing near the old go kart track. The clip is to capture the reeling, the bird, as typical, is not visible.

This shot shows the location, close to this sign

First Whinchat

A light east wind till mid morning, it then freshened slightly and moved to the west. Sunshine for most of the day.

Vis and seawatch report from Pete:

Male Whinchat north wall - first record this year

Tree Pipit 2

Wheatear 4

Arctic tern 15 in a high flock north

Sandwich Tern 18 blogging

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

The weather forecast for last night and this morning suggested that some migrant passage might occur. It was not to be however. Five nets were set but only 15 birds were caught. Passage species - four Blackcaps and two Willow Warblers only were ringed.

Dunnock 1

Robin 1

Blackbird 2

Song Thrush 1 + 1 retrap

Common Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 4

Chiffchaff 1 retrap

Willow Warbler 2

Jay 1

Virtually no movement overhead was perceived (no hirundines seen) and few birds moving in the vegetation near the offices. Eleven Carrion Crows milling around the transmission towers.

Heysham skear - low water 10:30 (MD)

Just three of the Sandwich Terns remained. 

But these quickly moved off, east then north. You can just hear them calling in this clip.

Eider 33

Red-breasted Merganser 11

Great Crested Grebe 6

Little Egret 5

Waders:

Oystercatcher c500

Redshank c20 (it's hard getting an accurate count even of low numbers as the birds are very mobile)

Turnstone c60

Curlew 1

Whimbrel 2

We're back to neap tides now, which means the water doesn't go out far enough to expose the seed mussel beds. There were still a lot of Herring gulls around waiting in hope. There were 150 waiting in vain on the sea.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Jannet)

Cetti's Warbler singing

Grasshopper Warbler singing 

Large Red Damselfly

Peacock

Comma

Also, Large White, Brimstone, Orange Tip and Speckled wood

South shore - high water 16:15 (MD)

Wheatear 6 on Ocean Edge foreshore (not the same as Pete's birds)

As well as not going out far, neap tides do not come in very far, so I had a walk out onto the shore south of the saltmarsh.

Ringed Plover 2 together.

Ringed Plover

There were very few waders along the waterline, 60 Oystercatcher and c30 Curlew that flew further south. Plus these 6 Bar-Tailed Godwit. These are not after worms but catching small invertebrates in the shallow water. 

Shelduck 7 - three separate pairs resting plus a single bird.

Sleeping Shelduck and a Curlew

Waders passing by

Extremely light NE breeze till mid morning then it freshened and shifted to the NW. mainly sunny.

Pete and Jean did an early check:

0730 on this am: 

55 Eider 

12 Great Crested Grebe

6 Red-breasted Merganser just north of Heysham head.  

c300 Black-Headed gull north/feeding by skear

35 2cy Knot 

22 Grey Plover off wooden jetty 

Best was drake Goosander north and single very distant Sandwich Tern out.

I went down to check the skear at low water (MD). Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested grebe as above.

Curlew 2

Whimbrel 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 43 - there were 6 feeding along the beach shoreline then 37 flew in and rested on the skear.

Some of the Bar-Tailed Godwit coming in

They just rested on the skear till moved on by the tide. Several in summer plumage. These are just some of them.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

At this point, the sea was flat calm, these were the last to leave the skear.

They then joined the birds feeding along the shoreline.

The only other waders were Oystercatcher, Redshank and Turnstone.

It was strange with the clear blue sky and the flat blue sea. There was no way of knowing where the sea ended and the sky started. These are a line of Eider. The line on the water in the foreground at the beginning of the clip is just droppings landing.

South shore (MD)

Just a quick check from the saltmarsh to Red Nab towards high water. No sign of the Brent goose today.

Something lifted, or perhaps it was just time to lift, c80 Curlew from the shore to the south of the saltmarsh. They didn't land again and just continued north.

Linnet 14

Wheatear 7 - there are 6 in this location clip.

Rock Pipit 2 - 1 on foreshore and a displaying male on Red Nab.

Janet saw this "small white" butterfly at Half Moon Bay. She is still without her camera so took this shot with here mobile. It probably is a Small White, with the bright light masking the wing markings. (MD)