Where's the Ibis roosting?

A dry day after a wet start. The light SW wind continues.

Nature Park(JP)

Janet put a few peanut chips on a some of the posts near the white barrier, and soon attracted the birds.

Blackbird and Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Imperial Rd (MD)

Cetti's warbler 2 - one singing near the pond by the roundabout and another by the pond near the recycling centre.

Raven 1

Buzzard 1

Kestrel 1 male

Male Kestrel, very rufous around his face and throat,
 presumably stained by his last meal.

South sea wall (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 49 (45+4) arrived from the north side and settled on Red Nab. 

Pink-Footed goose 1 on the sea

Wigeon 340

Wigeon drifting in along the channel next to No.2 outflow

Shag 1 immature flew out of the harbour when the Manxman left, unfortunately on the far side of the ferry so I couldn't see where it headed.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 14 flew south from the north side

Some of the Godwit

Glossy Ibis several observers saw it in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. But Shaun checked in the evening to see which way it moved off to roost. There were 10 Little Egret also feeding there then. At 16:07 the Ibis flew off to the west, and was last seen heading towards Middleton Nature Reserve. Shaun couldn't quite follow it all the way in to the recording area air space, but it almost certainly did. Shaun checked the harbour and it hadn't reached that far, so somewhere in between? We shall endeavour to find out.

Slavonian Grebe on the water and gutweed thin on the ground.

Just one mid morning shower, otherwise dry. A light SW wind.

Slavonian Grebe 1 reported "off Heysham" on the incoming tide at 13:00 - more details awaited.

North shore (MD)

We're back to neap tides, so low water was only 2.9m, barely enough to uncover the inner skear. So I had a walk out at low water, which at 10:00 nicely coincided with the only shower of the day (and it was a heavy one!). Fortunately it stopped by the time I'd reached the skear corner. There is no gutweed at all near the corner. The only available weed for the Brent geese on this side is close to the promenade near the play area. 

Pale-bellied Brent goose 45 at least. These are some of them arriving.

There were already some feeding here, and they were joined by another three, which proved to be the two adult Canadian ringed birds and a first winter.

They would rather not feed this close to the promenade, last year when there was much more gutweed everywhere they never ventured so close, whereas the year before they ended up even closer to the promenade.

Even so, there wasn't a lot of gutweed where they were feeding today, they will soon have to move in closer or find another location.

Shelduck 7 south

Wigeon 17 north

Eider 14 feeding

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male

Great Crested Grebe 1

Waders:

Oystercatcher c500

Curlew 20

Knot 250

Turnstone 2

This "lazy fox" on the Barrows couldn't even be bothered to watch Janet.
(Shame there wasn't a "quick brown dog to jump over it"!

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

Just a short potter around

Coot

Tufted Duck (drake) and Moorhen

South shore (MD)

Just a walk along the sea wall towards the afternoon high water.

Pale-bellied Brent on Red Nab - similar numbers to the north side this morning, the good thing about neap tides for them is that they are not high enough to flush them off Red Nab

Shag 1 immature on the wooden jetty. Even at this range they are recognisable, but not often so mobile. The Shag is bottom centre at the start of this clip.

Pink-Footed goose 1 probably injured and Eider 1 dozing, drifted along the sea wall with the tide.

Rock Pipit 2 - Red Nab and lighthouse 

Rock Pipit next to the lighthouse 

Song Thrush 1 practicing its singing in the Nature Park

Just out of the recording area

The Glossy Ibis is still showing well in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Canadian Brents return and the Ibis still about, but occasionally elusive

 Mainly dry in the morning but rain for most of the afternoon. A south wind moved from SE to SW.

South shore 

Shag 2 in the harbour area. There was one on the wooden jetty when I checked (MD). But Mike Stocker and June located 2 a little later.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 46 (thanks to June for the accurate count). These included the red/blue ringed birds that have been seen here each winter since 2019. I thought that they had two first winter birds with them, but there is only one in this clip. Perhaps the other is just out of frame, or I may have been mistaken, I was, literally, focusing on the rings. The letters are VT and VD, I always remember that VD is the male (D for dad). So the first winter bird is with dad at the start of this clip.

This is the male stretching his wings.

Very impressive wings as they have carried them many miles since they were ringed, as a pair of breeding adults, in the Canadian arctic in 2014. Their data is now in the Irish colour ringing scheme database, but it is currently only showing the early history, even so it does provide a nice graphic of the distance they travel twice each year!

Bear in mind this line just shows the shortest distance between the two areas. The reality will likely 
be much further. It's a long way to fly to find your way back to Red Nab!

Rock Pipit 4 - one on Red Nab, two together along the sea wall and one from the lighthouse area flew to the wooden jetty.

This in one of the two along the sea wall.

This is probably the first post entry for a slug, but it is a bit of a puzzle. It's a Leopard Slug,
no puzzle there, but it was right on the end of the sea wall and dead. Possibly some
bird or other had found it somewhere decided it wasn't to its taste and dropped it again.
But it seems strange to be dead with no sign of injury, more likely, it had got there itself
then the salty sea spray dehydrated it.

Just out of the recording area - Middleton Parish Hall.

The Glossy Ibis is still around but was more mobile today.

When Mike and June checked it was briefly showing well in the horse paddock behind the Hall, then disappeared behind the houses. When Janet checked it took her a good while to be able to get clear views, and even then only by looking through gaps in fencing.

Green Sandpiper was in the field closer to Middleton Rd. Located by Mike and seen by others later.

Eventually Janet managed some excellent shots through the fence.

In this shot you can see water droplets slewing off its bill tip

First Med for ages, two Shag and the Ibis still about

A sunny dry morning after heavy overnight rain, more overcast by afternoon. The SW wind eased and shifted to east.

South shore 

Shaun, Dave, Julie - Report from Shaun:

Pale-bellied Brent goose - Highest count we got was 35 (on three occasions). Amazing how they can hide! One looked to be Dark-bellied.

Shag 2 - 1 dark with bright yellow bill (as per recent photos) was in the Harbour near the platforms, then flew to the entrance. Waited for ferry to come in and noticed another Shag roosting on the wooden pier. A juvenile (brown and pale faced!). The first then flew to pier and tried to land next to juv, but missed and landed on the sea, near to a Pink-footed Goose. 

Female Red-breasted Merganser also in Harbour. 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult - Picked up coming in with the ferry, but it didn't get past jetty and headed back out. 

Kittiwake 1 1st winter also behind the ferry.

Also from Nick Godden in the morning:

35 Pale-bellied Brent plus 1 Dark-bellied Brent goose

11 Kittiwake flying out

I have been struggling a bit with sciatica and for the last two months, the only walks I have been managing have been along the south sea wall. But the sciatica is much improved of late, so I treat myself to a New Year walk out onto the shore beyond the saltmarsh. I learned two things, one that I am still not 100%, but more importantly I reinforced my sense of "this is where I belong". Surrounded by nothing but sea, mud and birds! It made for a happy start of the New Year. (Malcolm)

There were thousands of waders on the waterline, I only attempted to count those closest to Ocean Edge.

Curlew 200

Oystercatcher 150

Bar-Tailed Godwit 180

Grey Plover 20

Knot 2,000

Dunlin 200

In order of abundance: Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plover and Bar-Tailed Godwit

These are some of the Godwits in the water then Knot and Dunlin on the mud. The mud looks blue as the heavy overnight rain had made it wet, flat and smooth (apart from the Lugworm casts) and it was reflecting the blue sky, just as the sea does.

Several Common Gulls were amongst the waders and would chase any that found something that it couldn't immediately swallow. In this instance one pounces on a discarded small crab.

The tide pushed this feeding party of Knot right past me. They are finding tiny molluscs.

Meanwhile, the longer legged Godwit just relaxed as the tide rose around them.

Eventually the Godwits had to move on. That's the saltmarsh behind them

Other waders:

Lapwing 13 on saltmarsh 

Turnstone 5 on saltmarsh 

Redshank 100+ on Red Nab

This shot from the shore shows some of the Brent geese arriving from the north side,  with the wooden jetty and outflows behind.

Shelduck 90

Shelduck 

Linnet 4 and Goldfinch 2 on saltmarsh 

Just out of the recording area. Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen by several observers today, still feeding in the horse paddock behind the hall. Edward Wilkinson took these excellent shots of it, looking a lot happier in today's sunshine.

Have a Happy New Year!

Glossy Ibis for the New Year?.......albeit slightly beyond the recording area

A day of two halves, pleasant and sunny for most of the morning, rain for most of the afternoon. A SE wind.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 22 off Knowlys Road, 11 adults, 11 juvs, but none with colour rings - ref Pete Crooks. 

Later in the tide there were at least 12-13 on Red Nab, but none were seen flying from the north side.

Also along the south sea wall 

Immature Shag on platform in harbour - by Clay Garland

It turned up just after midday, and disappeared again after a few minutes

Pink-footed goose 45 low to the south, 59 high to the north. These are the southbound birds.

Red-breasted Merganser 2 - there was a female type near the wooden jetty and a male feeding in the harbour. This is the female/immature

This is the feeding male

Wigeon c300

Curlew 120+ in smallish groups heading for the mud on the south side.

One of the larger groups of Curlew

Redshank c150 - this in one of two groups looking for a roost.

Rock Pipit 1

Near Naze (MD)

Just a quick look in passing late afternoon, a heavy downpour had just eased.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1  - it and the Oystercatchers were becoming agitated, you can hear the Godwit call out in this clip.

The agitation wasn't at the noise of my windscreen wipers, but at the immanent arrival of a small flock of Knot.

Not one colour coded!

Just out of the recording area - Middleton Parish Hall - thanks to Howard and Beth for putting this out.

Glossy Ibis 1 - in the horse paddock just behind the hall. When Howard checked the light wasn't great, but he still managed these excellent shots:

It moved to field closer to Middleton Rd while the owner fed his horse

It then moved back to the paddock

It was in the same location when I checked late afternoon (MD). By that time it was lashing down! This clip includes one of three Little Egret also feeding in the paddock.

This is a location shot, the arrow points to the Ibis

A bit of a dampener

Quite a fresh south to SW wind. Heavy showers for most of the day.

South Shore (MD)

A mid morning walk along the south wall on the rising tide. It rained constantly!

Pale-bellied Brent goose 21 - there had been 14 feeding on the rocks, then something spooked them and the waders and they flew further east, now 21 so perhaps another 7 coming in had lifted them. Although they don't normally.

Wigeon c200

And that was it really, no sign of the Shag in the harbour.

These shots by Janet in the Nature Park yesterday 
Long-Tailed Tit enjoying suet left by the visitors 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just called in for a quick check of the two main ponds.

Main Pond:

Mute pair plus 7 immature 

Mallard 12

Gadwall 1 male

Tufted Duck 1 male

Coot 6

Moorhen 4

This is the Tufted sorting himself out, before a Coot (just out of frame) moves him on. A Mallard and a  Moorhen glide past too. The soft grunting are the immature Mute Swans "begging".

No Swimming Pond

Mallard 2

Gadwall 20

Grey Heron 1

This short clip is a Gadwall duck and drake with a Mallard duck and drake.

Another couple of shots by Janet yesterday 
Gadwall flying to the "no swimming" pond

A passing check of Imperial Rd at the same time as yesterday failed to see a single Jackdaw!

Gulls needed to be ferried in!

A fresh SW wind. Not many showers, but when they arrived they were heavy and included hail.

South shore 

Pale-bellied Brent goose c35 flew towards Red Nab. Later just 18 remained before flying off to the south.

All the Brent arrived together, these are just some of them

Wigeon c200

At least 5 observers checked the outflows but there were no gulls of note, but Pete and Jean managed to check behind the incoming lunchtime ferry.

Kittiwake c40 all adult 

Little gull 1 probably 2 adults

Even after this arrival, none were seen on the outflows

Ringed Plover 28 plus Dunlin 2 resting on Ocean Edge grass

Ringed Plover flying out from the saltmarsh no doubt heading for Ocean Edge grass.

Common Snipe 5 flushed by tide from the saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 2 - saltmarsh and Red Nab

Red Nab Rock Pipit

Harbour Porpoise also on Red Nab, and as Janet says, it makes for a sad picture.
None of its scars look fatal, although there is some damage around its mouth,
and it does look a bit thin.

These are the conditions along the sea wall at 11:00

Bullfinch 1 male by the white barrier in the Nature Park

Imperial Rd

Jackdaw 140+ gathering on the field to the east of the road. This is just one of two groups, also present are Starlings and a couple of Carrion Crows.

Brents toing and froing

Very heavy overnight rain eased to heavy showers during the day. Driven by a strong SW wind

South shore (JP, MD)

Pale Bellied Brent goose 21 at least, but they were difficult keeping track of.

I saw this group of 15 heading towards Red Nab

Janet was nearer Red Nab and she saw the 15 and another group of 6 arrive.

Not easy to count, but there are 15 here, there are 4 in the leading group

This is the second group, 2 adult with at least 2 of the others first winter 

Janet also saw a group of 12 flying west away from Red Nab. Which should leave 9, but there were still 15 on Red Nab before the tide moved them on.

Brent geese and Oystercatchers on Red Nab

Shelduck 4 south

Shelduck 

Wigeon c150

Wigeon coming in to land at Red Nab

Rock Pipit at least 1

Peregrine Falcon 1

Peregrine Falcom zipping past Red Nab

This dead Harbour Porpoise was being washed in by the tide, it will end
up on Red Nab. The body looked fresh, but the scarring seemed old.
Possibly not the direct cause of death.

Bullfinch 4 near the white barrier in the Nature Park

North shore (HS)

A couple of nice shots from Howard today 

Colour coded Knot 
Ringed at Porsanger Norway 21/05/19. It has subsequently been seen at Heysham in February 2020, then the Netherlands September 2020, before returning to Heysham December 2020. Last seen back in Norway May 2021 before Howard's sighting today.

This Knot has a cockle clamped to its toe. It will hurt!
It's unlikely the cockle will relax its grip until it is under water or in wet mud.

Wet, but not a complete washout

Constant rain throughout the morning, driven by a freshening SE wind. By afternoon the rain was more showery and the wind shifted to SW

South shore (MD)

A morning walk along the sea wall on the rising tide.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 16 - a group of 3 arrived and left separately.

Pink-Footed goose 51 - one flock flying low through the driving rain to the SE. They had a small "duck" in tow. 

Wigeon 200+

Red-breasted Merganser 3 - a pair on Red Nab plus a male in the harbour.

Male Red-breasted Merganser in the harbour 

Kittiwake - a single adult was seen on both outflows and inside the harbour, but probably just one mobile bird.

Shag 1 immature in the harbour. This clip begins with it between two Cormorants.

The Cormorants headed back to the wooden jetty, but the Shag just milled around in the middle of the harbour. It made no attempt to feed, so presumably it was already full. It is likely that it and the Cormorants had been feeding at the waterfall.

Rock Pipit 2 - sea wall and lighthouse 

We are back to spring tides now and Howard managed to read three colour coded Knot on the Near Naze yesterday. These are two of them.

Unfortunately, before Howard could check all the Knot someone disturbed them, just to get some in flight shots!

I was saving this next clip for a rainy day, and today is as good as any. Again, it is one prepared by Howard earlier this month on the Near Naze. It shows how the flag is free to move on the Knot's leg with the wave action. In this case the bird was ringed in Ireland.