Sean's wintry vigil

Heysham Obs
Please note that as of yesterday permitted access land belonging to British Energy/EDF is officially closed due to snow and ice. This includes the Nature reserve paths, the "dog walk track"/landscape strip and the Nature Park. Anyone ignoring the notices or taped stiles etc. does so at their own risk. It is unlikely to be opened in the immediate future unless the medium term weather forecast is wrong

This does not mean that the coastal sites, which provide most of the birds at this time of year, are not accessible and we would be very grateful for any records - starting with today! Thanks very much & take care.

Sean's sightings from half moon bay & north harbour wall. Thanks Sean
Managed to get to Heysham this morning despite the snow and general chaos on the roads. A very snowy start to the day on site, with the low tide just before 9am. 12 Curlew feeding on the beach, with 90 Oystercatcher resting on the sand not moving in the snow. Small numbers of Eider, GC Grebe and RB Merganser were on the water, while a lone Wigeon drifted by. Only one flock of 100 PF Geese flew N to S mid morning, with two flocks of Knot (30 south, 25 in to roost on the harbour wall).

Fieldfare (30 + 24), Skylark (2 + 5), Twite (4 + 5, plus 20 at the feeding station area), Linnet (1), Meadow Pipit (3, 1 with a tail missing - must be from the local Spar or Merlins), Reed Bunting (3) all moving round between the fields behind half-moon bay and beach areas.

Several Snipe were raised by dog walkers, 3 Ringed Plover close in on the snow covered beach, 30 Turnstone huddled together with 130 Redshank before high tide (14:30), while 18 Lapwing moved between beach, fields and the helipad. Oystercatcher reached approx 2000 birds today during high tide, with only 25 Knot in amoungst them, this despite a height of 9.5m for the tide.

The afternoon did bring in some sunshine, which brought a lovely view over to the Lake District with all the snow over there. A quick stroll to the point after my surveys led to me locating the usual 2 adult Med Gulls, near the fishermen, 20 Twite on the mound and unusually for here a Dunnock and a few Fieldfare . PS. Finally caught up with the Purple Sandpiper, a lone agent on the seaward section of the jetty, no Turnstone with it though.

North Harbour Wall morning
Twite - 7
Dunnock - 1
Robin - 1
All on feeding station.

Brilliant Jack Snipe

Heysham Obs
Missed, as usual, THE perfect Jack Snipe photo op. - feeding out in the open next to Common Snipe, sun behind observer. A happy slap (after I had been talked through how to do one) produced a blur. Please note that Ocean Edge is closed for the usual one month a year and anyone accessing the site MUST, as usual, ask permission at reception which will probably be open

Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Grey Plover - 1
Med Gull - adult
Wigeon - 148
Gadwall - male and female
Jack Snipe - 2 forced out by the tide OE saltmarsh - one giving superb prolonged views
Snipe - 3 with above
Twite - 2 OE saltmarsh
Reed Bunting - one OE saltmarsh
Ringed Plover - 17, including Snettisham-ringed (and subsequently breeding there) female

Reserve
Water Rail - one still at least
Snipe - 5 flushed

Elsewhere
Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone Jetty on Bubbles groyne on incoming tide

Pinks wander into our airspace

Heysham Obs
Pink-footed Geese are usually on the (migratory) move when seen over the recording area. However 1000+ seen today were clearly the Lune birds having a bit of a wander over the eastern airspace as they tend to do after the turn of the year. More snow difficulties likely at home this week from Tuesday onwards, so please try and keep the daily sightings going in the meantime. Thanks (Pete).

Middleton IE 0900-0930
The above, which appeared to land along the bypass in 6 separate flocks, plus 69 high to the south

North Harbour Wall
Twite - 9 only on the feeding area - lot of disturbance today, 25 later in the afternoon after the tide
Med Gull - 2 adults around harbour mouth, later along north wall (including Czech-ringed bird)
A careful check was made for Purple Sand on the incoming tide but could only find 4 Turnstone on the wooden jetty. Where are they (& the rest of the Turnstone)?

Heliport
Reed Bunting - 3 around southern end of grassed area

Elsewhere
Short-eared Owl still Bank End area. 6 Bewick's Swan in transit Jeremy Lane area. LOADS of duck on Pine lake but a quick check revealed nothing unusual. 4 Snow and 3 Barnacle Geese still Aldcliffe (per pager).

Middleton in detail but no coastal reports received

Heysham Obs
Info yesterday suggesting 40 Twite at the feeder earlier in the day. Thanks to Malcolm for all sightings received so far.

Middleton IE
Jack Snipe - one flushed
Lesser Redpoll - good winter record
Bullfinch 2
Reed Bunting - 4
Redwing - 40+
Fieldfare - 25 (on sea buckthorn)
Pink-footed Goose - 71 SE, 22S
Mute Swan - 1
Moorhen - 6
No open water

Mammals
One Weasel Middleton IE

Stunning dot on the winter atlas map

Heysham Obs
Very brief visit late afternoon, with Malcolm covering Middleton IE in the morning. Several targeters around, seemingly limited to Twite & Med Gulls on the north wall. By far the most significant sighting was a DUNNOCK by the entrance gate of the old sandworks - a quite mega winter record for SD36V (indeed anywhere in SD36!!)

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2 adults (per first-time-visiting birders - thanks)
Twite - 16 - all Heysham ringed, all this autumn apart from 5 which had 2008/9 rings on (i.e. adults!)
Dunnock - one by the entrance gate to the old sandworks
Goldfinch - two unringed birds on the seed

Middleton IE
Mute Swan 2, Moorhen 1, Snipe 1, Woodcock 1, 20 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 95 Pink-footed Geese north

Elsewhere
3 Scaup north Morecambe, 13 Whooper Melling, Common Sandpiper/Spotted Redshank Conder, 2 Brambling Brookhouse (see Jean R posting on LDBWS). Short-eared Owl Bank End

Today's stuff

Heysham Obs
North wall
Twite – c12
Pink-footed Goose – flock of c500 NNW over the bay this morning

Northern boundary of recording area
Stonechat – female on the rocks just north of Heysham Head

Elsewhere
“Masses” of duck on Pine Lake. 5 adult Whooper Swan Melling including ringed bird also present last winter. 4 Snow Geese, 3 Barnacle Geese and Dark-bellied Brent Aldcliffe as viewed from south end of Golden Ball Road. Also c500 Pink-footed Geese, but very hard to count with many hidden from view. Chiffchaff (collybita) High Bentham Sewage works. Blackcap Hornby – very rare in winter east of the M6.

Same minor displacement

Heysham Obs
The impression that yesterdays vigils gave a relatively poor return for coastal/inshore/offshore stuff was born out by the usual 20 minutes or so north harbour wall circuit this morning

North wall/wooden jetty/harbour/offshore
Nothing offshore, no small waders on the wooden jetty (certain as can be), no Meds hanging around the anglers, nothing in the harbour, nothing on the mound

Med Gull - ad sat on Fisher's roof
Twite - just 7 on the seed, flew off before could check for rings

Middleton IE
Woodcock 1, Snipe 1, Fieldfare 11

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Stonechat - still along the foreshore by the saltmarsh
Rock Pipit - still by the saltmarsh
Wigeon - 146 Red Nab
Bar-tailed Godwit - 67
Shelduck - 165

Elsewhere
4 Snow Geese still Aldcliffe

Two vigils and a happy wanderer

Heysham Obs
Excellent coverage today of the coastal areas with two separate work-related sessions either side of the harbour and a 'man & terrier' linking the two and walking the rest of the coast!

Heysham Nature reserve & area
Chiffchaff - heard calling along the top path
Redwing - 2 by dipping pond
Bullfinch - male dog walk track

Ocean Edge saltmarsh & mudflats
Dunlin - 153 - a high count for midwinter (86 of these roosting at high tide on Red Nab - unusual in winter)
Stonechat - male along the tideline
Rock Pipit - one at high tide

Pink-footed Geese
22 + 47 SE

Red Nab vigil on dropping tide
Med Gull - large adult which flew off towards the Lune Estuary
Wigeon - increase to 148
Golden Plover - singleton roosting on the rocks
Black-tailed Godwit - two flew in from the south on dropping tide - previously very rare/absent in winter
Skylark - 5 'in-off' at 1103 hrs heading NW to SE. Since the disappearance of the small wintering flock on Ocean Edge two winters ago, very rare here other than on early spring and mid-autumn 'vis mig' & 2-3 breeding pairs hanging in at Middleton IE
Knot - just 470 in roost

North harbour wall/heliport/Half-moon Bay
Med Gull - 2 usual adults attending the post-angler 'clean-up', one the Czech-ringed bird
Whooper Swan - 4 south at c1100hrs
Golden Plover - flock of 35 north (very unusual for here)
Knot - maximum of 3,000 heliport
Red-breasted Merganser - one IN harbour
Twite - none and no food left when I arrived mid-afternoon (rabbits). 4 in transit at Half-moon bay, headed towards the mound area early afternoon
Black Redstart - no sign in 6 hours of foreshore coverage

Elsewhere
Nothing new Pine Lake. 6 adult Whooper Melling including one with yellow darvic on left leg, also 200 (exactly) Greylag, 18 Pink-footed Geese and 161 Canada Geese. Aldcliffe geese included a Dark-bellied Brent Goose plus the 4 Snow Geese but no mention of any Barnacle Geese

More minor displacement

Heysham Obs
Heysham Nature reserve
As a well-meaning volunteer, salted the dog-walk path entrance and received a muttered "about time" to follow the berating for not doing anything about it two days ago! [Comment deleted - there are too many dog/walker rants on birding sites and many of the dog walkers are great people]. Reserve very quiet with no obvious sign of Chiffchaff.

Middleton IE
This is going through a good cold-weather spell for Malcolm with:
Pink-footed Goose - 70+180 south, 90 north (probably offshoots of the 3000+ flying about over the Lune Estuary at this time ( see Aldcliffe blog)
Woodcock - 1 (flushed)
Pheasant - 1
Snipe - 7
Fieldfare - 19
Redwing - 15
Mute Swan - 2

North harbour wall mid afternoon
Dead with just the one adult Med Gull seen

Elsewhere
See Aldcliffe site - extra Barnacle Goose with the PFGs. 1-2 Cetti's Warbler Leighton causeway by grit trays

More Woodcock and now a pair of Stonechat

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE
12 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 3 Woodcock seen in flight (not flushed), 6 Moorhen, one Coot, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Snipe & pair of Stonechat

North harbour wall very brief visit late afternoon
Med Gull - ad
Twite - 12 (7 ringed autumn 2009 & 5 with 2008/9 rings; one with split dark blue/white over the site ring, two with site ring over yellow/pale blue and two with the site ring over white/dark blue)

Elsewhere
4 Snow Geese & 3 Barnacle Geese Aldcliffe, but only c6 Pink-footed Geese. One of the Greylag with very white band just above the bill. No sign of any Whooper Swan Melling (all Mutes) - significant number of grey geese, mainly if not all Greylag, at Melling - out of identification range in late afternoon light (& Canadas)