Little happening

Heysham Obs
Didnt have chance to check the bushes for Greenish Warbler, so the only birding comprised:

Outfalls area via harbour
Nothing other than a distant Ad Med Gull on the foreshore

Moths
Copper Underwing new for the year

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill, several Little Egret and an Osprey in the Leighton Moss area

Whinchat surprise

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls
2nd W Med Gull & adult Little Gull & adult Sandwich Tern on the foreshore & 5 Wheatear and a 1st W Whinchat (definite c/f recent 'chattering' on the LDBWS site!) on the rocks. 8-10 Wheatear Heysham Head (thanks Malcolm)

North wall not covered at all

Middleton IE
A short ringing session before the northerly wind suddenly increased at c0900 included 6 Common and 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Reed Bunting but just the one Sedge Warbler. Quite a few flocks of Linnet & Goldfinch & several ringed.

Moths

A new moth for the year in the hut trap was Ypsolopha scabrella

Elsewhere

Belgian-ringed Ad Med Gull 36W off north Morecambe again [please do not send this bird in, it is fully documented (see for e.g. Heysham Obs & LDBWS ringing reports)]. 2nd W Med Lune Estuary. 3 Spoonbill and c18 Little Egret Leighton Moss area.

Robin time

Heysham Obs
A calm morning allowed the CES (Constant Effort Site) nets to be set below the old Obs Tower 0600-1000. There were plenty of migrant Robins ticking around the nature reserve and the autumnal feel was enhanced by most of the calling phylloscs appearing to be Chiffchaff. 7 Robins were trapped and ringed along with 3 Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler

No known coverage of the foreshore areas

Moths
Better, with higher quality year ticks than the previous night in the form of Red Underwing and the seemingly declining Tawny-speckled Pug. Local species included Bordered Beauty

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill still at Leighton Moss

Little Gull reappears

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
2 x 2nd W Med Gull in the morning, one of these plus the Czech-ringed adult Med in the afternoon. No sign of any Black Guillemot since the male was back to its old solitary routine chasing Feral Pigeon (and perhaps, by default, Turnstone) on the outer section of the wooden jetty on 14th August.

Outfalls/Red nab
Adult Little Gull in the morning at least. An afternoon high tide count at Red Nab saw a routine 5 Sandwich Tern but a juvenile Kittiwake was new in. Common Sandpiper also seen.

Moths
Square-spot Rustic and Rosy Rustic rather belatedly new for the year in the hut moth trap. Also the first of the autumn brood of Common Marbled Carpet. Riveting stuff.

Elsewhere
Two separate checks of the Lune Estuary early and mid-morning produced a combined total of 3 adult and two 2nd W Med Gulls. The adult Yellow-legged Gull was also off Glasson quay. 3 Spoonbill and 18 Little Egret at Leighton Moss. The only tern in the area away from Heysham was a Sandwich at Teal Bay!

Meds and a lost tree rat

Heysham Obs
Red Nab per-high tide
Unringed adult and juv Med Gulls

North harbour wall just after high tide
Czech-ringed adult and two 2nd W Med Gulls

Mammals
Grey Squirrel along the north harbour wall

Elsewhere
3 Med Gulls at Bank End (nr Cockerham) high tide roost and 3 Green Sandpiper in the Aldcliffe area

Dire seawatching

Heysham Obs
I know it is deceptive, but the line of wind generators really do look like an extension of that other nuisance, Walney Island, with respect to seabirds entering the Bay. About 1.5 hours over the last 4 days or so has, apart from a surprising flock of Common Scoter, not produced a single seabird (inc. tern!). It is difficult enough to get them to "turn round" or be blown round against the preferred direction without this windfarm. Stick to spring seawatching unless there is a period of howling onshore gales which do not go round to the NW!

North wall
No sign Black Guillemots. Ad & one 2nd W Med Gulls.

Reserve
Quite a few Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler scattered around but probably none of these exceeding single figures.

Butterfly census
Highlighted by 4 Gatekeeper and a fresh Painted Lady

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill and up to 18 Little Egret Leighton Moss area. 2 2nd W and one adult Med Gull north Fylde coast.

Black Guillemots still absent

Heysham Observatory
North harbour wall
Two adult (one Czech-ringed with 5 old primaries) and 2 2nd winter Med Gulls. Note the second winters are in the final stages of moult with the outer primaries in stage 3/4, giving the birds a very blunt-ended appearance c/p adults at rest.

Meds. can be awkward at this time of year. If there is any doubt as to the stage of wing moult in resting 'adult-like' birds with 'black wing-tips' i.e. whether the black-tipped outer primaries are old unmoulted feathers = 2nd S moulting to 3rd=ad winter or as described above = 1st summer moulting to 2nd W, the bare parts can be quite helpful. The legs on 2nd W/2nd S birds are dark reddish brown and this can sometimes remain as an obvious feature as late as the 3rd W = otherwise adult plumage, allowing 3rd W to be identified (and the feature checked on ringed known 3rd W). 2nd W birds also have quite 'washed-out' orangy-red bills but these are usually indistinguishable from adults once 2nd summer plumage is attained.

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Very unproductive with just one Sandwich Tern and a high class of holidaymaker this week snaffling all the Daily Mirror from the caravan park shop. Surely the Ad Little Gull was not a one-day bird?

Elsewhere
Quite a few Med Gull in coastal areas on and south of the Lune Estuary as wet fields disperse birds which are 'usually' on Heysham outfalls (numbers there well down)? 3 Spoonbill and 'a lot' of Little Egret EM Pools.

A few migrants

Heysham Obs
Completely caught out by calm passerine migrant weather and no birders arrived prior to 0900hrs! Quite a few Willow Warbler calling from the bushes (10-15), two Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat together in the brambles opposite the office and 5+ Wheatear on the coastal bits

Outfalls/Red Nab
4 Sandwich Tern and a 2nd W Med Gull

North harbour/heliport
2 2nd W Med Gulls and at least one adult but no sign of any Black Guillemot in a 20min visit just after HT.

Moths
The first (2) Sallow enhancing the autumnal feel

Another picturesque shot of Monday's Scalloped Hook-tip (Reuben Neville)

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill & 16 Little Egret Leighton area. Up to 340 Dunlin at Sunderland just 'contained' a juv Knot with a Black-tailed Godwit nearby i.e. no sign of yesterdays Curlew Sand & Little Stint.

Meds back on patrol. Belated first adult Little Gull

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Czech-ringed adult and two 2nd W (still growing outer primaries) Med Gull on the railings along the north wall just after high tide showing down to about 2 metres!

Sea
A flock of 21 Common Scoter was very unexpected - flying out

Wooden jetty
Male Black Guillemot chasing Turnstone and Feral Pigeons on top of the jetty! No sign of female in 10 mins observation

Outfalls
Adult Little Gull new in. Two Sandwich Tern but no Meds amongst 350 BH Gulls

Elsewhere
Moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper and adult Little Stint with c350 Dunlin Sunderland before being flushed by fisherman and flying towards Overton out of sight. 3 Spoonbill and up to 18 Little Egret Leighton Moss area

New moth species

Heysham Bird Observatory
Wooden jetty/harbour/heliport area
Both Black Guillemots on the sea below the wooden jetty
Ad Med Gull roosting on the heliport at HT, another Ad on the sea off the north harbour wall

Seawatching
A dark morph adult Arctic Skua was distantly making its way out of the Bay during a quick check on the WeBS count

Red Nab area
2nd S moulting to ad W Med Gull

Moths
Scalloped Hook-tip in the trap this morning. This birch feeder was recorded yesterday at Lord's Lot Bog and, unless recent records contradict, represent the 4th and 5th for VC60 (northern 2/3 of Lancashire). Definitely not accidental transport of yesterday's individual! Small Wainscot new for the year


.
Scalloped Hook-tip. Thanks Reuben

Elsewhere
Three Spoonbill & 14 Little Egret Leighton area. Ad winter Spotted Redshank & Greenshank on the Strathmore groyne off Morecambe at HT, Belgian-ringed Ad Med Gull nearby