Eccentric Mistle Thrush

Late evening update (see added ringing recoveries)

Heysham Obs
Same again apart from a Mistle Thrush which seemed to be enjoying sitting on the edge of a windswept harbour wall, in the middle of a group of Kittiwake, observing the feeding activities at the 'Shag' waterfall

Shag: apparently a definite reduction as a reasonably careful search saw no more than 12 birds, unless they have found a new obscure roost in the harbour.

Kittiwake: about 30; 18 in the harbour and c12 on the outfalls

Little Gull: 10 close inshore on the inner end of Heysham 2 outfall and an ad flying out along the north harbour wall late pm

Twite 4 on the mound including at least one & presumably four ringed birds (blue over yellow from winter 2002/3)

Two interesting ringing recoveries received today:

Lesser Redpoll
T805244 6M 28.04.06 Heysham Obs
Caught by another ringer 21.10.06 Castlemorton Common (Hereford & Worcester) 224 km.

Lapwing
DK05936 Pullus 15.05.00 Heysham PS non-operational land
Read in field 1.10.06 Sunderland Point 6kmS

Didnt notice any Meds but didnt stop along the favoured section of NHW

Elsewhere
Lune Valley
Almost dark but could just make out the 8 Whoopers plus another more distant swan spp and 3 even more distant swan/farmyard geese. All in the floodplain fields between Hornby and Melling

Pine Lake etc.
The whole Dockacres complex was given a quick visit and there were fewer birds than at any time since late August with Pochard down to single figures and only two Goosander remotely resembling anything of note. Best was a calling Meadow Pipit by Borwick Waters!

Cockersands area
1st W Little Gull over fields (briefly), 7 Bewick's Swans Jeremy Lane, Spotted Redshank & Greenshank Conder area

quieter weather, fewer birds

Late evening update

Heysham Obs
Reports from today include: (a maximum of) 10 Little Gulls on outfalls (5 1st W), 25-30 Kittiwakes around the general area, 15-16 Shag in the harbour and Ad & 1st W Med Gull on the NH wall. NO sign of the Guillemot in the inner harbour [see yesterdays posting for picture (added today) showing what you missed!]


Thanks very much to Sean Gray for these pictures taken yesterday (usual north harbour wall 1st W Med Gull)

In addition, there were four Twite on the mound, all colour-marked, comprising birds ringed at this location as follows: a winter 2002/3 individual which has lost its site ring, another winter 2002/3 individual, a winter 2004/5 individual and one ringed in autumn 2005. Thanks for the info, Gavin.

Middleton Industrial Est wetlands - 8-10am
3 mute, 9 coot, (only) 1 moorhen, 2 little grebe (fence & Tim Butler ponds), 3 goldeneye (pair + lone male), 8 tufted, 14 teal, 4 mallard, 6 snipe.

Elsewhere
The Lune valley Whooper Swan flock just north of Loyne Bridge, Gressingham (often viewable from high point layby on A683 nearer Melling) appeared to have reached 9 but birds obscured behind hedge.

There were 7 Bewick's Swan with 90+ Mutes along Jeremy Lane (S of Glasson)

Med Gull P96 on Lancaster City Football ground! See 7th January for ringing details.

Leighton Moss could be described as 'pretty dead' (see LDBWS website); the escaped Ferruginous Duck was still present, there was one Bittern sighting and the Pochard numbers were very low (are they back at Pine Lake?)

More of the same

Heysham Obs
Not much time to do any seawatching today; just a quick round of the usual sites

Little Gull: 13 around the outfalls (5 1st W) and 3 other adults flying out of the Bay during 10-15 mins of seawatching. Probably a small passage all day.



Interesting pose by a 1st W Little Gull as it tries to scratch its head in flight. Thanks Simon.

Kittiwake: c18 in the harbour pre-IOM passenger ferry. c25 behind the ferry. c16 on the outfalls. A high proportion of the off-passage birds are 1st W. Please check for rings on any perched on quay edges - it should be possible to read them (Brit rings = two letters followed by 5 numbers)

Shag: very difficult but 17 counted at one point

Guillemot: right in the corner of the harbour by the Shag waterfall





Thanks very much to Sean Gray for this picture



Twite: 4 on the mound feeding station

Med Gull: just the 1st W seen patrolling the N H wall

Elsewhere
The Ferruginous Duck on the public hide is still bearing the same lime-green ring albeit faded, making it look translucent and yellowish on occasion. Therefore just the one escape!

Ad Med Gull seen with the Lune valley 'swarms' of BHG/CG - this time near Crook of Lune

European White-fronted Goose still with the feral Greylag flock at Aldcliffe, but mobile. Adult Little Gull on the Lune estuary near the pylons.

Dead Little Auk found on the tideline by Holgates caravan site (yesterday?) - not sure which county! Also at least two dead Razorbill in the inner Bay this last few days.

Blast from the past - Guillemot IN the harbour!

Heysham Obs
The wind was a little too far to the south for Heysham seawatching so the coverage was a routine check of the usual nooks and crannies.

Guillemot in the PS intake area near the "Shag waterfall" - this used to be a regular occurrence with up to 6-7 birds. Indeed, some were trapped, ringed and released as they ended up in the underground reservoir supplying the coolant water for the PS........and included one of the northern nominate form.

In the same area were 16+ Shag, 12 Kittiwake

Ad & 1st W Little Gull on Heysham 2 outfall with another Ad making its way out of the Bay during a short seawatch. c12 Kittiwake on the outfall.

1st W Razorbill in the harbour mouth, just off the end of the wooden jetty

Ad and 1st W Med Gulls along the north harbour wall

Elsewhere
2 Bewick's Swan Jeremy Lane, 2 Jack Snipe reported from nearby Conder Green, drake Ferruginous Duck still at Leighton but no further info on the shade of yellow/'fading' green. 2 Stonechat Silverdale Moss

Routine winter seawatching in a westerly gale

HEYSHAM OBS
The afternoon tide produced the goods in the gale-force westerlies, especially displaced Little Gulls

North harbour wall
Morning seawatch 0950-1020
Kittiwake 35 out (including flock of 27)
Little Gull 3 ads out

Afternoon seawatch 1350-1500hrs
SIXTY ONE Little Gull (just 4 x 1st W) either out or milling around in Half Moon Bay
65-70 Kittiwake
1 Fulmar
2 1st W Razorbill on sea just off wall
Ad & 1st W Med Gulls patrolling the seawall

A check just before dusk produced another Razorbill off the NH wall

Harbour area
c25 Kittiwake behind a freight ferry
18+ Shag in the PS intake area of the harbour
7 Kittiwake in the PS intake area of the harbour with the Shag
3 Twite on the mound feeding site

Outfalls
Checked morning only and the 'usual' Ad & 1st W Little Gulls plus c8 Kittiwake were present

Penrod Way (road between Heysham Head and Harbour)
3 Linnet

ELSEWHERE
Stone Jetty
5 adult Little Gull during a brief visit at lunchtime

Leighton Moss
The mystery deepens over the drake Ferruginous Duck where the lime-green-ringed male has been replaced by a yellow-ringed male (after a gap of 3 weeks); both were on the right leg. It would be useful to know whether this is a 'watery' yellow which could indicate the green having faded or an obviously different colour.

Heysham Obs
c19 Shag in the harbour


Ad Little Gull. Product of a cold vigil alongside the picturesque Heysham 2 outfall today. Thanks Simon

Ad & !st W Little Gull Heysham 2 outfall - checked at long range from Ocean Edge
16 or so Kittiwake behind the IOM ferry, 5 1st W Kittiwake in the SW corner of the harbour
1st W Med along the north harbour wall

Elsewhere
(Presumed) escape drake Ferruginous Duck on the Public Mere at Leighton Moss and a puzzle over the ring as this was described as yellow, whereas surely the same bird last autumn (up until about Christmas) sported a green ring

The sudden disappearance of the Pochard from Pine Lake is assuming a degree of permanence with just 17 on there this morning (and only c100 at Leighton Moss, therefore a departure out of the area of 150+ birds). Nothing of interest on Pine Lake.

Ad Med Gull on the floodplain between Melling and Hornby along with 8 unexpected Shelduck but no sign of the Whooper Swans in flooded conditions

Routine "lunch hour(ish)" coverage

Heysham Obs



Thanks to Cliff Raby for these pictures of the heliport roost taken this afternoon

Ad & 1st W Little Gulls Stage 2 outfall

1st W Med Gull NH wall

19 Shag in the harbour or scattered around nearby. NB This lot do not seem to like roosting on the wooden jetty apart from one individual - otherwise all the birds thereon have tended to be Cormorants

Kittiwake 5 1st W in the harbour SW corner but only 10 or so behind the IOm ferry

Eider: 2 male and female on the sea in the harbour entrance

Seawatch 1125-1155: zilch. Even just 5 years ago, Red-throated Diver & Guillemot would have been a good bet for a half hour slot on the incoming tide - all of us still "need" both of these for the year.

Elsewhere: nothing new, but 4 Scaup still off north Morecambe and the 2 Bewick's Swans on Jeremy Lane.

The annual Observatory report for 2006 is well on its way and should be out by the last week of January. It will be available from Leighton Moss shop or (at cost price) from Heysham Nature reserve office.

8th January - Same again plus one more Little Gull

Heysham Obs

TWO adult and one first winter Little Gull Heysham 2 outfalls late morning.
Thanks for the pics, Simon.



Ad & 1st W Med Gulls north wall

At least 17 Shag in the harbour & one roosting on the wooden jetty

Bit late for the IOM ferry but at least 10 Kittiwakes behind as it was turning in the harbour & 2-3 in the SW corner.

Local area:
nothing new of interest on pagers etc.

7th January - Sabbatical

Nothing much happened today in this area - everyone appears to be 'birded out' with the most prolific local lister resorting to shopping in Ambleside!

Heysham Obs
Ad & 1st W Little Gull Heysham 2 outfall

Ad & 1st W Med Gull north harbour wall

Brief scan of harbour produced 19 Shag

Broadway
The elusive Med Gull P96 may have disassociated itself from its usual haunt, Lancaster City Football ground (peruse the league table), as it was on the rocks by the Broadway Hotel in late afternoon. This bird has an interesting ringing history:

Poland FM11199 (Darvic red P96 (formerly P70)
Ringed Skoki Duze, Wroclawek, Poland AdF 19/5/01
Seen Battery car park, Morecambe 31/1/03
Retrapped and reringed: Skoki Duze 19/5/03
Seen Morecambe Stone jetty (with 5HR) 8/3-18/3/04
Seen urban Lancaster, mainly Marsh estate area winter 2004/5
Seen urban Lancaster, mainly Marsh estate area autumn 2005-11/3/06
Seen urban Lancaster, mainly Marsh Estate area about 25/7/06-mid Nov
Seen Morecambe Broadway area of promenade 7/1/07

This bird was paired up with the famous Morecambe winter resident 5HR (now presumed dead) and nested at Skoki-Duze in 2003. As it was similarly paired up with 5HR whilst at Morecambe in spring 2004, it was expected to nest at Skoki-Duze again. However this did not happen and presumably they nested together at an unknown site. There was no evidence of these two operating as a pair in the 2005 breeding season and 5HR was not seen after bonfire night 2005!

Lune valley
8 Whooper Swan still in the floodplain fields between Hornby and Melling - view distantly from high point layby on A683.

A cursory glance for the Mandarin at Hatlex proved a negative experience.

6th January - Acanthisised

Heysham Obs

Twite Heysham north harbour wall mound taken today by Gavin Thomas. Thanks Gavin.

A flock of 9 Linnet on Middleton Industrial Estate around the de-activated Tim Butler rubble-recycling mounds (because they double up as Great-crested Newt hibernacula!). Three Twite were showing very well to visiting birders on the north harbour wall mound and they represented birds ringed at this site in 2002/3 winter, 2004/5 winter and autumn 2005

The Shag flock in the harbour reached 20 mid-afternoon with one bird preferring to feed along the north harbour wall = 21 altogether.

Ad & 1st W Med Gulls north wall

Ad & 1st W Little Gulls Heysham Stage 2 outfall

Up to 12 Kittiwakes around the outfalls/harbour. Thanks for the picture, Rosie.

Local area:

Most of the interest was a result of a thorough grilling of the Lune Estuary: adult Scandinavian Herring Gull opposite the Golden Ball early morning, the European White-fronted Goose was located on Aldcliffe, the single Whooper Swan was still present on Aldcliffe, Spotted Redshank & Greenshank at Conder Pool, 2 Bewick's Swans off Glasson and 1st W male & female Scaup on the Glasson basin. A ringed Little Owl was found dead near Lancaster Quay. Details (thanks to Bob Danson for these):

Little Owl EL54366 was ringed as a pulli 2/2 in nest box 299 at Muffys Platt near Pilling Lane Preesall SD369489 on the 16/06/2006.