Pretty dead

Heysham Obs
Yes, enough of the frosty stuff, lets get a few more waifs and strays in the harbour area. Funny time of year this; some winter periods see Kittiwake and Little Gulls as low profile 'count fodder' but others, such as this last spell, elevate anything, whose occurrence remotely relates to periods of onshore winds, to highlight status

Today was pretty rock bottom on two north harbour wall/harbour mouth/offshore checks, with apologies to 22 Twite on a secret new feeding station (dont tell the pigeons) along with a solitary Goldfinch and the usual Czech-ringed adult Med Gull.

Elsewhere
Predictable sightings of at least one Water Pipit at Leighton Moss otherwise usual Saturday shortage of records. Just outside the area but nearer my house than Heysham = Green-winged Teal at Stocks Reservoir along with a sighting of Great Grey Shrike

Pinks on the move

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
2nd W Mediterranean Gull. There may have been two different 2nd W today and there were certainly two adults - the outfalls bird and the Czech-ringed north harbour wall bird. Also TWO Kingfisher. Twite (see below)



Ocean Edge saltmarsh - morning frost. This held c16 Snipe and a Reed Bunting but the only strictly coastal small finches logged today were 18 Twite near the sandworks entrance along the north harbour wall.

Harbour area
Negative news once again on any Shags and the Black Guillemot was not seen either today. No Purple Sandpipers located but these can be really elusive! Guillemot in the harbour

Vis mig
Flocks of 27 and 61 Pink-footed Geese heading south this early morning

Elsewhere
A sequence of low and intermediate tide counts along Morecambe foreshore revealed Polish-ringed Med Gull P96 on the Battery Groyne just after HT (it has been here before in the days when it was paired to the late 5HR but has latterly spent its time on or around Lancaster Football Club pitch! Obviously frost-displaced. A Little Egret by the Stone Jetty, before being chased off north by a gull was unusual at this site in winter (c1400hrs)

Blasts from the not too distant past

Heysham Obs
The male Black Guillemot (or at least an ad winter with similar habits) reappeared this morning and was found sitting on the wooden jetty mid-morning and then on the water in the harbour entrance at lunchtime. Last seen 4/11/07.

Purple Sandpiper on the rocks below the wooden jetty

11 or so Twite with 10 or so Goldfinch mobile between south and north harbour walls

At least one Water Rail in the Nature reserve marsh

41 Pink-footed Geese south mid -afternoon.

Definitely no Shag in the harbour at lunchtime (low tide) and no sightings of any Meds

Elsewhere
Continuing the theme, the female Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid was on Pine Lake close inshore on the eastern side just before dusk - this bird has been very hard to find this autumn/early winter. Purple Sandpiper by the Stone jetty, then flew to the old Sandylands sewer pipe.

No coverage?

Heysham Obs
Nothing as yet

Elsewhere
Brief flight-only views of the Ringstones Snow Bunting as it flew towards Loftshaw Moss on the east of Slaidburn Road at 0930hrs. Note the usual approach road through Barleybank was like a bobsleigh run this morning

What a struggle!

.......to find something to put on this site

Heysham Obs
Harbour/north wall
After c30 totally fruitless mins in the field, the usual Ad Med Gull was seen following the IOM ferry out of port. No Shags (despite a low tide check), no small passerines, no Purple Sands (see Elsewhere), no 2nd W Med.

Red Nab/Ocean Edge
c20 each of both Linnet and Twite on OE football pitch/saltmarsh respectively. Also 16 Snipe flushed from the saltmarsh

Ad Med Gull Heysham 2 outfall (the usual unringed bird on this side of the harbour) and 89 Shelduck on Red Nab along with the 'usual' Kingfisher.

Elsewhere
TWO Purple Sandpiper in the region of Morecambe Stone Jetty

..........and again

Heysham Obs
Three juv Shag in the harbour, again acting as 2+1. Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls north harbour wall. One Linnet behind the sandplant and a flock of c20 Goldfinch notable there early morning only.

Elsewhere
No reports of the GWE at Leighton Moss for the last few days and it was apparently not in the roost last night (9 Little Egret). Up to 8 Water Rails at Aldcliffe.

Another rapid check of the harbour area

Heysham Obs
Single juv Shag in the harbour and 2nd W Med Gull on the north harbour wall railings is all that today seemed to offer. No finches on the mound and no Purple Sandpiper along the base of the north harbour wall on the skeer [lunchtime visit]

Elsewhere
Snow Bunting seen well away from the road at lunchtime and it was certainly very elusive today. Digipic perusal appears to suggest that it is not a 1st W male but a female. Tail feather shape and structure, however, suggest a 1st winter! More on this soon. NNEW from Leighton Moss area. No sign of the Firecrest in Freeman's Wood.

Teal influx

Heysham Obs
A high count of Teal on Middleton for a mid-winter date

Middleton IE
1 Tufted Duck, 8 Snipe, 1 Pochard, 2 Mute Swan, 8 Coot, 6 Moorhen, 61 Teal. There were also 2 Fieldfare, a scarce bird in the Obs recording area in midwinter and a reflection of the cold(ish) weather "shifting a few thrushes around" [e.g. north Cheshire work site today]

North Harbour Wall
A short whistle-stop at about 0900hrs saw at least 10, probably more, Twite and an ad Med Gull on the beach - no time to check the skeers for Purple Sandpiper or the inner harbour

Elsewhere
Its Saturday, so, perhaps unsurprisingly, Otter at Leighton Lower Hide the only thing of interest on pagers/websites so far. A late check of Cockersands stubble on the way home from work saw: 24 Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipit, 4 Grey Partridge and 2 Reed Bunting.

Slight hint of cold weather displacement?

Heysham Obs
Having just accessed the Walney site & noted a minor thrush arrival, three rather 'tame' unringed Blackbird on the grass round the office may have been new in. More than usual Redshank (c30) and Oystercatcher (c50) were feeding over the high tide period on Ocean Edge south and west fields

Red Nab
3 Teal, displaced from a slightly frozen Middleton IE - usually rare on Red Nab?
Med Gull - adult, then flew towards Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Harbour
At least two, probably three juvenile Shag by the intake
Low double-figures of Twite were mobile between the north and south harbour walls/mound

North harbour wall
Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls in residence over the tide

Elsewhere
Firecrest with 3 mobile Goldcrest in hedges just to the south of Freeman's Wood. Pale-bellied Brent Goose by the Battery groyne. Snow Bunting still on Ringstones Lane. Please approach carefully on the bridle track so you dont flush it unnecessarily. Water Pipit Griesdale hide Leighton Moss (good week coming up for this species). Cetti's Warbler REPORTED via Leighton Moss book (but not put out anywhere else at all?) Lower Hide "in reeds" on 12th.

Another Thursday problem

Heysham Obs
No coverage today

Elsewhere
Snow Bunting still at the Slaidburn Road end of Ringstones Lane mid afternoon