A wonderful bird is the Pelican..........

A mainly dry day apart from an early shower and a heavy downpour around lunchtime. Quite a fresh south to SW wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

White Pelican 1 juvenile (escapee from Blackpool zoo - the zoo was notified). Not certain who was the first to spot it, but Dan Haywood put it out and Dian Smith reported it on LDBWS. It was around all day although by evening it was seen to fly to the south before returning.

It was close to the feeding area when I checked this morning (MD)

The male mute normally delights in seeing off any intruders, but he needed a bit of moral support today!

The Pelican was seen catching and eating a female Tufted Duck. The regular Coot and Mallard were conspicuous by their absence......and who could blame them!

In the evening Janet arrived just in time to see it fly off to the south, but then return to the main pond.

There was also a male Tufted Duck and female Gadwall on the "no swimming" pond.

South shore (MD)

I went down at lunchtime to check Red Nab and the shoreline, unfortunately the heavens opened!

Mediterranean gulls 3 adult plus 1 x 2nd calendar year.

Common Sandpiper 1

Only Oystercatcher and Curlew seen along the waterline

Wheatear 1

Rock Pipit 2

Jay 1 in Nature Park 

Buzzard 1 calling fro trees along the dog walk path.

I had a more pleasant stroll along the wall in the evening sunshine 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult patrolling the wall

Oystercatcher 300+ 

Curlew c150 in small groups flying to north side

Whimbrel 2 at least also flying to north

Redshank 75

Turnstone 4

Nature Park 

Common Darter male and female seen

Red Admiral 4

Speckled Wood 6

Gatekeeper 3

Common Blue 1 male

Worn and frayed Common Blue

This young rabbit didn't have, what should be natural, preservation instincts........

........so I chased it off........for its own good of course

Just out of the recording area - Potts Corner

Curlew Sandpiper in partial summer plumage 

Another regular returns

The east wind freshened all day. Overcast, but the rain managed to hold off.

South Shore 

Red Nab and foreshore - A check towards high water (PM, MD)

Mediterranean Gulls 10 on Red Nab and outflow area. Including 2 juvenile. There were three darvic ringed birds, a 2cy with a dark ring (which was too distant to read) a white ringed adult (previously read) and a new for this year yellow ringed adult.

Ringed as a nestling in 2019 in Germany. It was seen at Heysham later in 2019 and again
in 2022 (probably 2020 and 2021 as well, as yellow ringed bird was seen those years, but not read).
In 2021it was seen on breeding grounds in the Czech Republic.
 The only other sighting since here last July was in Fishguard, Wales last November 

Wheatear 2 including 1 juvenile 

Rock Pipit 2

I had a walk out to the tideline (MD). Unfortunately, unlike yesterday it was bereft of waders except for large numbers of Oystercatcher. 1,730 counted in the main resting group plus several smaller groups feeding. This is a quick view of most of the main group, it also provides views of the offshore wind farm Piel Castle and Barrow docks.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4 - were the only other waders on the waterline.

Two of the three feeding Bar-Tailed Godwits

The fourth bird was a bit further away and was trying to rest, until disturbed by the Oystercatcher. It had a comparatively short bill.

It quickly caught up with the other three when it was time to leave.

This young Great Black-Backed gull was looking sorry for itself,
complete with constantly dripping bill!

Jean checked the north side

Great Crested Grebe 6 in the low tide channel

Little Egret 11 feeding on the skear

Not a lot happening today

A freshening east wind. Dry all day with some sunshine.

Heysham skear - low water 07:30 (MD)

Very little on the sea:

Eider 7

Great Crested Grebe 4

Little Egret 13

Oystercatcher c250

Curlew c100

Redshank c100

Turnstone c60

Ringed Plover 3

Red Nab to saltmarsh (MD)

Mediterranean gull 1 - just the metal ringed adult on Red Nab

Greenfinch 1 on Red Nab

Greenfinch, clearly been eating red fruit/berries

Swallow 1 south

Rock Pipit 1 foreshore

Wheatear 3 including 1 juvenile 

Juvenile Wheatear

Female/1st winter Wheatear

This one rested on the shore before continuing south

There were plenty of waders feeding along the waterline. I didn't have time to go out for a close look, but managed a count from the foreshore:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 26

Grey Plover 145

Knot 61

Dunlin 210

Plus Oystercatcher and Curlew

These are some shots from Janet taken on Middleton yesterday:

Common Darter were the only dragonflies seen

Speckled Wood

Silver Y moth.     Not certain what's happening here,
but it does appear to be emerging from its pupa. (MD)

Hoverfly (Helophilius pendulus?)

Distant Skua tops the bill

A very light variable north breeze early on freshened and settled to NW. sunshine for most of the day.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

John and I set nets at Middleton this morning. Conditions were fair although the sky cleared much earlier than forecast leaving the centre net on the east side in full sun almost from the start.

Wren 2

Robin 2

Reed Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 6 ( one an adult)

Whitethroat 1 + 1 retrap (adult)

Garden Warbler 2

Blackcap 3

Willow Warbler 1

Blue Tit 1

Jay 1

Janet had a quick look 

Swallow bathing on the wing

Common Toad

I did a quick check of the two main ponds (MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult 8 cygnets 

Coot 3 adult and 3 young

Moorhen 2 adult and 1 young

Immature Moorhen

Mallard 6 female/immature 

Gadwall 1 female/immature 

Tufted duck 2 - male on the "no swimming" pond and the odd looking female on the main pond. This clip provides 360° views of the female. The soft piping calls are the cygnets preening.

Grey Heron resting with a Jay flying past just below it

Report from Pete:

Arctic Skua 1 dark morph miles offshore towards pylon chasing half a dozen feeding Sandwich Terns

Three other Sandwich Tern out

Mediterranean Gulls 7 - 5 on north side and just 2 around outfalls area.

Great Crested Grebe 8 in low tide channel 

Shelduck 12 north

Tree Sparrow 1 Heysham Nature Reserve 

I just had a short walk to No.2 outflow and back (MD)

Rock Pipit 3  - 1 on Red Nab and 2 feeding on the superstructure of the outflow. This is one of them.

This shot is one of Janets of the Dunlin yesterday. One of these is colour ringed, unfortunately not enough visible to identify it.

Colour ringed Dunlin

Well.......at least it was dry!

Dry with some sunshine and a light west wind.

South shore

I had a look towards high water (MD)

Sandwich Tern 36 on the beach, all but one flew south early in the rising tide.

Sandwich Terns and Black-Headed Gulls

Mediterranean gull 1 adult - just the metal ringed adult on Red Nab

Little Egret 8 they were feeding in two groups, high up the channels as the tide was reaching them. The returning water prompts the invertebrates (likely shrimps in this case) to come out from the mud where they buried themselves on the ebb tide.

Oystercatcher c500

Curlew c250

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher 

Ringed Plover 3

Redshank 60 on Red Nab

Dunlin 1 on Red Nab

Wheatear 1

Rock Pipit 1

Pete Crooks also checked, these are his additional sightings 

Red Nab (incoming tide)
2 Mediterranean Gull – 1 adult, 1 juvenile
1 Harbour Porpoise – distant, off outfalls / wooden pier 

Ocean Edge (late incoming tide)
3 Grey Plover

Heysham Wooden Pier (high tide)
75 Cormorant – including 1 with a left leg red darvic ring, but too distant to read code
35 Turnstone

Janet had a walk along the wall a little later.

This is the same metal ringed adult Mediterranean gull that was on Red Nab earlier.
It was the only adult Med seen today.

20+ Dunlin coming in to land.......

.........and rest on the sloping sea wall

Oystercatcher and a Redshank 

Cormorant 

Starlings in the Harbour

It rained, hard, all day.......and we have sounds and pictures to prove it!

The rain started early morning and just varied in intensity during the day, but mainly heavy! A light NE breeze in the morning switched to SE by late morning. It freshened and ended up from NW

North wall (MD) 08:30

The sea was flat calm in the gentle NE early breeze. I had expected to see the Sandwich Terns feeding in numbers in the improved conditions but there were just 5 blogging.

South Shore (MD) 09:00 -11:00

Sandwich Tern - there was just a handful out over the sea, I wasn't expecting to see many resting on the shore, but I was wrong! But for whatever reason they were not in large groups today, but scattered all over the shore. The most I counted at one time was, a still impressive, 162.

This is a typical loose group, together with Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Black-Headed gulls.

Mediterranean gull 5 adult on the shore, Red Nab not checked 

Plenty of waders today:

Curlew c150

Bar-Tailed Godwit 34

Oystercatcher 200

Grey Plover 16

Redshank 82

Knot 41

Dunlin c600

Lapwing 4 on saltmarsh 

Common Sandpiper 1 on saltmarsh 

These are some of the Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Rain!

The rain had eased a bit for this clip, which also includes Bar-Tailed Godwit

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Wheatear 5 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab

Chiffchaff 1 on foreshore after a particularly heavy downpour, it dried itself as best it could before it flew off to the north.

Chiffchaff 

Linnet 1 feeding a juvenile by the saltmarsh. Sorry about the shaky nature of this clip (I was trying to maintain balance on loose rocks) but it is worth persevering with. The female is feeding the young with, what I can only describe as a gloop of partially digested seeds.

This is what a "gloop of seeds" looks like

Janet checked Red Nab just after lunch. It was still raining, and the quality of Janet's shots shows it so much more clearly. Worth opening to see the details.

Four of the Wheatear were still around

Wet look Rock Pipit

Impressive Sandwich Tern numbers........followed by Arctic Skuas......then Little Terns!

A fresh SW wind, overcast with showers.

At least three Arctic Skua involved in this mornings sightings.  One chasing terns 0820, two more out close inshore at 0833 and two chasing terns 1009 (Dave Hawkins)

Red Nab to saltmarsh shore

Report from Pete Crooks:

An impressive 288 Sandwich Tern – 268 roosting in a single group on the sands off the south side of Ocean Edge on the rising tide, with another 20 roosting on Red Nab at high tide (10.30 am).

5 Mediterranean Gull – 2 adults and 1 2nd winter at Ocean Edge, 2 adults at Red Nab at high tide, but many of the gulls were hunkered down and obscured among the rocks in the fresh SW wind so perhaps more were present.

2 juvenile Wheatear – Red Nab
1 Rock Pipit – Ocean Edge

I started a bit earlier than Pete and watched from the shore (MD).

As the tide was reaching Red Nab there were Sandwich Tern on the waterline some close inshore, lots on Red Nab many of which were flying over my head towards the saltmarsh. Sandwich Terns can't do anything quietly and their calls were deafening! Sadly all my camera picked up was the wind noise!

These are some of the birds near the waterline 

Some of the Sandwich Terns from Red Nab flying towards the saltmarsh 

But many of the Red Nab Sandwich Terns remained with the gulls.

The ones moved on by the tide, began congregating on the shore. This clip is before Pete arrived to check from the slipway, and is to demonstrate location. Many others joined them throughout the rising tide.

I had thought that the rough sea conditions over the past few days would make it impractical 
for the terns to feed. But this one was returning with a Whitebait. 

It somehow managed to locate its mate and young...fast asleep. Hardly starving!
There must be large shoals of Whitebait around. So, impractical fishing but obviously not impossible.
 Possibly why the tern numbers are increasing. (MD)

Shelduck 11 including 3 juvenile. Note the sea conditions in this clip, I could hear Sandwich Terns calling from out at sea all the while that I was along the tideline.

Curlew 150

Oystercatcher 60

Dunlin 200

Redshank 10

Lapwing 4

Evening check by Alan Physick

c60 sandwich terns on the sand by North wall this evening before being moved by the tide, 

2 Little Tern on the bay feeding - First of the year

Even more Terns

A fresh SSE to SW wind. Some heavy showers, particularly in the morning. A couple of sunny spells in the afternoon.

Red Nab to saltmarsh shore (PM, MD)

Sandwich Tern 125 at least - initially there were 80+ on Red Nab but they quickly moved, with the gulls, to the beach out from the saltmarsh. When Pete arrived a little later their numbers had grown to 125. It wasn't possible to complete a thorough check though, as by this time the SSE wind was driving the rain directly into Pete's scope.

I'd walked out to the edge of the recording area to allow me to walk back with my back to the wind and rain to check the waders. When I returned to the saltmarsh the gull and tern roost was gone, but 66 of the Sandwich Tern flew back in two groups complete with.....

Common Tern 2

Presumably these 66 were from the birds counted by Pete, there were also small groups of Sandwich Terns all along the water line. Not sure what they were doing, but they seemed to be looking for easy snacks.

This is the first group of the 66 terns coming in to land on the beach

When the rain stopped, they flew closer to the waterline and all had a good preen. Both Common Tern are in this clip.

Some even went into the sea for a bath.

Common Tern with Sandwich Terns

Juvenile Sandwich Tern

Mediterranean gulls 8 - 7 on Red Nab and only 1 seen on the beach

Curlew 150

Oystercatcher c200

Bar-Tailed Godwit 5

Dunlin c500

Redshank 20 (saltmarsh)

Lapwing 4 (saltmarsh)

Turnstone 14 (Red Nab)

Loads of birds, and all before breakfast!

A dry and mainly sunny day after an early morning shower. A fresh SW wind

First a ringing report for yesterday by John:

Three nets set at Middleton yesterday morning. Very calm initially but a bit brighter than ideal. 26 birds caught, with 18 of these being young birds.

Willow Warbler    6

Blackcap   6

Garden Warbler   4

Sedge Warbler   3

Chiffchaff   2

Lesser Whitethroat   2

Blue Tit   2

Cetti's Warbler 1

The only retrap was a Willow Warbler ring number JVJ052, which was ringed here in July 2018, and recorded each year since, apart from 2020 . It would have been here or close, even though we didn't encounter it. As Willow Warblers spend their winters in sub-saharan Africa, the estimated minimum distance it would have travelled in migration over this period is 50,000 miles.

Red Nab to saltmarsh shore (MD)

I had very little time today so just had an early morning (6:30 -8:30) walk on the shore out from the saltmarsh towards high water. We are back to neap tides now and much of the shore beyond the saltmarsh remains uncovered at high water.

There were loads of gulls roosting on the shore. I didn't try to count them, but easily as many as Pete counted yesterday, including:

Mediterranean Gulls 30+ - three had darvic rings including one new one - details awaited.

Roosting with the gulls were Sandwich Terns - at least 122

There were 100 on this middle section.........

..........plus another 20 on the beach just in front of me, and another 2 flying at this point. A further 10 on Red Nab, may have been additional.

Two Sandwich Tern in flight and a sense of today's conditions 

Juvenile Sandwich Tern

Adult Sandwich Tern on Red Nab

8 of the 13 Cormorants seen heading SE

Shelduck 15 including 7 juvenile 

Shelduck and Dunlin

There was a good selection and high numbers of waders. The following refers to one group well within the recording area, there were more further south towards the recording area boundary.

Curlew 100+

Oystercatcher c200

Bar-Tailed Godwit c50

Grey Plover c200

Knot 60

Dunlin c250

Ringed Plover 6

Redshank 10 on saltmarsh 

Lapwing 2 on saltmarsh 

These are Grey Plover, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot, with Dunlin and more Grey Plover coming in.

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot

Dunlin

Grey Plover and a Knot

Grey Plover and a Bar-Tailed Godwit