Three Meds together!

Heysham Obs
..........along the north harbour wall - presumably the Ad Med from the outfalls area following a freight ferry in and joining the regular Ad & 2nd W. At least 6 Twite and and least 12 Linnet around the sandworks entrance. No passenger ferry at lunchtime & nothing else behind the freight ferry.

Elsewhere
Female Snow Bunting at Cross of Greet but disturbed by traffic & not seen in the afternoon (different from the Ringstones bird last back end). Later a male Hen Harrier. Ad Med P96 on Lancaster football pitch. Pale-bellied Brent Goose off Morecambe west end in Sunny Slopes. Two European White-fronted Geese with Pinkfeet at Pilling Lane Ends area

Yet another unexpected SD36V passerine sighting

Heysham Obs
.................this time a completely unprecedented midwinter flock of c20 Linnet which joined c8 Twite on the north harbour wall sandplant area during the afternoon.

Single Ad Kittiwake behind the IOM ferry (up to 50 odd this time last year!)

At least one Purple Sandpiper on rocks under the wooden jetty

Adult Med Gull (not sure which one) briefly behind the IOM ferry as it approached the wooden jetty (but not following into the harbour), later both adults behind an afternoon ferry. The north wall Meds have not been easy since new year & the 2nd W not reported today.

Elsewhere
Nothing of interest Pine Lake. Purple Sandpiper at the end of the Stone Jetty at least 0820-1400hrs then flew south. Pale-bellied Brent Goose visible at low tide from the end of Royd's Avenue looking out on to the skeers

Purple Sands still present at the harbour mouth

Heysham Obs
North wall/harbour area
Purple Sandpiper - 2 commuting across the harbour mouth feeding on skeer below the seawalls
Med Gull - Ad & 2nd W but neither particularly easy
Twite - 9 in the morning, 10 in the afternoon (2 ringed birds with light blue (Hey site code) over black/white (3 winters ago)
Eider - male offshore

Elsewhere
Ad Med Gull Morecambe Broadway
Chiffchaff by Jackson hide Leighton Moss
Purple Sandpiper end of Morecambe Stone Jetty at lunchtime before flying towards the Battery ex-sewage outfall pipe

Another winter mega for SD36V

Heysham Obs
After discovering that yesterdays male Stonechat was on the north harbour wall mound (there are some gorse bushes!), today saw the turn of a Skylark. This is unheard of in winter, other than during snow & CWMs - maybe its a couple of days early. Just missed the incoming IOM ferry c/f Kittiwake. We have no idea where yesterdays Black Redstart might be as the sighting was bang in the middle of a well-watched area, not a minor displacement from unwatched strictly private land as previously assumed (the main lorry park). 5 Linnet by the sandworks

North harbour wall
Med Gull: 2nd winter seen in the morning but none seen at lunchtime
Purple Sandpiper: Two feeding together below the north harbour wall at lunchtime - right at the harbour mouth end
Skylark: One on the mound at lunchtime!
Twite - Four on the mound in the morning, two (one ringed - Heysham site ring light blue over ??) lunchtime which flew towards the south harbour wall

South harbour wall/gate "38"
Two Twite and the Dunnock still in rather adventurous residence, receiving a SD35Z stamp!

Elsewhere
Light-bellied Brent Goose off the Sunny Slopes the only report received of any interest from year listers. Purple Sandpiper off the end of the Stone Jetty during the low tide period but elusive amongst large rocks (much easier to see at Heysham, providing not under the wooden jetty!)

Under our noses for a month?!

Heysham Obs
Happy New Year

The excuse is that large chunks of the harbour are not accessible. An experienced observer with a different routine - walking down the footpath next to the lorry park - allied to inactivity therein - dug out a male Black Redstart. It was sat on the perimeter fence (no further details). Logic suggests that this was the bird seen in November nearer the harbour mouth which was never properly searched for away from the Centrica Storage Yard/Mound area.

IOM ferry
Two Ad Kittiwake and the 2nd W Med Gull followed it into port at lunchtime

North harbour wall
Male Eider new in. Stonechat in the area (detail later) & at least 1 Twite.

More detail possible later

Elsewhere
Disappointing with nothing startling. Water Pipit seen from at least one hide at Leighton and 3 Common Crossbill at Thrushgill. plantation

As you were

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Ad & 2nd W Med Gull but no sign of any Purple Sandpiper

Ocean Edge
1+ Twite heard on the saltmarsh

Passage
180 Pink-footed Geese south c1130hrs

Reserve
Kingfisher flew from Obs T. pond towards NR marsh late afternoon

Middleton IE
Waterbirds included: 34 Snipe. 19 Teal, 5 Tufted Duck, female Pochard, 3 Goldeneye

Elsewhere
Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone jetty early morning
No sign Ruddy Duck Pine Lake
Greenshank and Spotted Redshank Conder Pool/estuary
Scaup - at least 2 on Glasson basin
Water Pipit elusively on Jackson
Chiffchaff by Jackson hide
Hawfinches Woodwell and Sizergh castle grounds
Bewick's Swan - two on the Lune near Glasson

Best of luck to everyone trying for a New Year's Day list. Giving it a miss for the first time for 15 or so years & concentrating on the 8 hr 10km square survey for SD66 before the weather/roads get tricky. Presumably Heysham records will feature tomorrow on people's day lists, please text them to me if you are not putting them on this or the LDBWS site. Some Twite food has been put out by the sandworks entrance

usual fare

Heysham Obs
North wall/harbour
Ad & 2nd W Med Gull
Dunnock by Gate "38" (35Z)

Passage
c50 Pink-footed Goose S early morning
c65 PFG S later in morning

Red Nab
Twite - 6 & presumably same flock along south harbour wall
Kingfisher
Wigeon - 75

Elsewhere
Light-bellied Brent Goose still by Regent Road groyne
Purple Sandpiper Stone jetty
Ad Med Gull Broadway area
See Fylde site for quite a few birds in/next to the overlap area with LDBWS

Short-lived seabird weather

Heysham Obs
Two lots of 30 mins seawatching; lunchtime and mid-afternoon. The latter half-hour, despite more promising conditions, produced zilch. No ferry at lunchtime to spice things up

Heysham North harbour wall/offshore
Kittiwake: 24 - 16 floating in on the water and 6+1+1 'in'
Little Gull: Ad gradually being blown into the bay
Red-throated Diver - one 'out'

No Meds or Purp Sands seen

Middleton IE
Teal 60, Goldeneye 5, Tufted Duck 4, Pochard 1, Mute Swan 2 but only 4 Coot have returned post-freeze & no Little Grebe

Elsewhere

Pale-bellied Brent Goose still at the Sunny Slopes groyne with 16 Reed Bunting nearby on the Regent Road groyne. Nothing of interest on Pine Lake. Two Greenshank and Spotted Redshank in the Conder area. Lots of wildfowl again on the Warton floods - surely a case here for a HLS scheme to retain these as wet meadows?

Wet Wet Wet

Heysham Obs
South harbour/outfalls area
Purple Sandpiper x2 inner end of Heysham One outfall, below sea wall, 1145 hrs (incoming tide).
Pink-footed Goose 54 SW 1015 hrs.
Twite 4, Goldfinch 5 and 1 Meadow Pipit SHW above harbour.
Great-crested Grebe 1 in harbour.
Cormorant 1 at intake (no Shag for several days).

North harbour wall
Same Pinkfeet - different observer!
2nd W Med Gull
Single Meadow Pipit on mound
Definitely no Purp S in careful check

Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Snipe - 6 flushed by tide
Jack Snipe - 2 on tide edge
Kingfisher

IOM ferry c1200hrs
2 x adult and one x 1st W Kittiwake but no Little Gull seen within viewing range of the north harbour wall. The Kitts made their way out of the Bay

Moth trap
One Chestnut - a very common 'hibernating' (unless its mild) species in well wooded areas but rare at Heysham

Elsewhere

Pale-bellied brent Goose still by Regent Road groyne on incoming tide. Drake Ruddy Duck (& several Goosander) feeding next to the watersport centre in NW corner Pine Lake but again no sign of hybrid Ferruginous x Pochard which disappeared this time last winter. Ad Med Gull on field next to Lancaster football ground (pres P96?).

Dull and dreary

Heysham Obs
IOM ferry
2 adult and 2 1st W Kittiwake and ad Little Gull in the wake but all but 1 1st W Kittiwake peeled off quickly & headed out of the Bay

North harbour wall at HT
2nd W Med Gull

Elsewhere
Canadian-ringed juv Pale-bellied Brent Goose still Regent Road groyne-Sunny Slopes but mobile - last seen Sunny Slopes end. 7+ Reed Bunting around Battery and Regent Road groynes
Purple Sand. at the Stone Jetty - only one seen today?
Med Gull 36W Broadway and P96 back on Lancaster City Football ground!
Water Pipit Jacksons hide, Leighton Moss
Nothing at all of interest on Pine Lake but Coot with whitish undertail AND whitish ends to the flight feathers - obviously a bit of leucism - beware!