Another novelty!

Heysham Obs
Judging by the noise(s), at least one Lapwing was nocturnally present on the 'plateau' this evening - a large area of suitable mown flower-rich grassland in the centre of Heysham NR. This follows 3-4 birds feeding on the short grass by the office during the first of the cold spells this winter - it is 'warmed' by the sunlight for most of the day

Moth
One Winter Moth in the trap - the last moth of the year?

Frosty Again

Heysham
Ringing session by the hut produced plenty of retrapped birds and new birds as follows:
Blue Tit - 1
Blackbird  - 1
Goldfinch - 1
Chaffinch - 1
Greenfinch - 5

North Harbour Wall
Twite - 15 on feed, seen on brief visit towards midday (together with arriving fishermen)

Moths
Just one Winter Moth

ajd

December Moths living up to their name at last

Heysham
North Harbour Wall
Twite - 46 birds feeding in a fairly orderly flock.  All ringed, except c6, with green/white or red/white colours.

Moths
December Moth - 4 - this is almost equal to the total of all-time previous records from here and coincides with a very unexpected emergence during the last two mild nights producing e.g. 22 at Millhouses (Wray), including two mating pairs last night (trap not set previous evening) and 'several' at mid-Lancs sites.  Given that it "normally" appears in late October throughout November but, in the last few years, over by early December, we assumed that the pre-cold weather emergence had comprised the full complement of this year's moths.  Wrong!   Also at Millhouses, a fresh Yellow-line Quaker was unexpected and must have just 'missed' the mild emergence period in early-mid November  
Winter Moth - 5
ajd

Moth-fest!!!!!

Heysham Obs
Back to dull, warm westerlies with not a trace of snow left on the reserve.  A very quick response to the change in fortunes produced  2 Mottled Umber, 4 Winter Moth and 2-3 'mossies' in the moth trap.  This follows last night's trawling the narrow road at Mealbank, nr Wray, the best site I know for moths during the winter months, and seeing a temperature rise of sixteen degrees from the previous evening's 'driving on gears' and single Winter Moth and Scarce Umber

North wall
2 x adult Med Gull

Ocean Edge
Black-tailed Godwit - 4 - first for a bit

Short ringing session

Heysham Obs
The feeder nets were set for a short time as the snow melted before our eyes.  Average weights were about 2-4 grams more than usual and the catch saw several retrap tit species & a local Robin, but all the rest of the birds were unringed: single Brambling, 5 Greenfinch, 2 Chaffinch & a Dunnock.  Despite rapidly improving conditions, the nets were taken down after 1.5hrs to allow plenty of time for any birds which might have been put off visiting the feeders to feed.  In this respect, there were plenty of net-familiarised tits feeding & avoiding capture and all the small number of finches appeared to be unringed birds, as has been the pattern all autumn.

North wall
Twite - at least 50 on the seed but intermittent with a lot of disturbance nearby
Med Gull - 2 x Ad & 1CY patrolling the north wall - the 1CY likes perching on lampposts

Wooden Jetty
Purple Sandpiper - one

Minor displacement megas

Please can observers get out as much as you can around the British Energy/EDF-owned area in this weather so we can try and bolster the BTO challenge species list before the end of the year.  Thanks.  

Heysham Obs
This is the best weather for trying to increase the BTO challenge list as quite a few birds are in places they shouldn't be.  Also good for atlas records from otherwise rather limited suitable habitat (or even dry land in any form!).  Pity we cant count fly-overs (Goosander).  Real shame I couldnt complement Sean's vigil by grilling the nature reserve/inland parts of the BTO area

Woodcock - absolute mega for the mound and therefore SD36V was one observed being flushed by a dog, then flying inland towards Heysham NR
Purple Sandpiper - again just the single on the wooden jetty (& 32 Turnstone)
Skylark - 2 on the waste ground in SD35Z by the wooden jetty - great record!!
Med Gull - two adults and the recently elusive (but surely now wintering) 1CY seen around the harbour mouth
Goosander - flock of 5 high to the south over the harbour mouth
Linnet - one around harbour mouth briefly
Siskin - one flew south as seen at harbour mouth
Kingfisher - one or more was recorded in SD46A, 45E and 35Z
Twite - max of just 11, but an angler's dog in place
Pink-footed Goose - flock of 35 SW
Tufted Duck - a narrow miss for the BTO challenge with a pair remaining on the sea on the north side of the harbour before flying into the bay - a good SD36V record
Bar-tailed Godwit - impressive low tide count of 750 to the south of the harbour
Grey Plover - impressive (for this time of year and the numbers actually to the north of the harbour) was c120 duirng the incoming tide period
Lapwing - 4 on the 'sun-warmed' grass by the NR office (obvious signs of stress)

Late news:  a female/imm Pheasant within SD46A crossing the Heysham end of the bypass last FRIDAY

A Quiet Day

No news for today - pity as there is a lot of cold-weather displacement at the moment & implicitly, no serious searches made for Sunday's Long-tailed Ducks.  May be some time to look tomorrow, before the sea conditions become rough & unhelpful.

Twite update
On 5th Deecmber, two Heysham-ringed birds seen and photograhed at Grange-over-Sands, one ringed this autumn and one ringed during the last winter period.  Preliminary info. suggests that there was also a Machrihanish-ringed bird and one from Askam-in-Furness in the same flock.  Clearly this flock needs further grilling - this is a complete novelty in terms of location and direction of movement

It begs the question of whether there are any at a site between the two with previous 'history' = Bolton-le-Sands saltmarsh?

Wader Day

Heysham
Water Rail disturbed on edge of marsh by the alder copse. Two woodcock flushed, one at the back of the marsh on the main reserve and the other in the shelter belt in the Nature Park. Two snipe feeding on the grassland by the office late afternoon.

Chainsaw Day at Heysham

North Harbour Wall
The following taken from local Bird Club website:
Red-breasted Merganser - 2
Long Tailed Duck - 2 (1 male & 1 female/immature)
Mediterranean Gulls - 3 (2 adult & 1 first winter)
Twite - 26. Feed replenished at 09.00 when only 2 seen but no time to wait for return of flock.

From Pete/Malcolm
Middleton Nature Reserve
Moorhen - 1
Woodcock - 2
Reed Bunting - 1
Ocean Edge
Jack Snipe - 1
Reed Bunting - 4
Red Nab
Red-breasted Merganser - 5
Wigeon - 71

Mammals
Roe Deer - 3 seen together mid-morning on Heysham Nature Reserve below class room bank opposite Pagoda path. (ajd)

Dabbling displacement

Please could others keep the website up to date Sunday to Tuesday inclusive, please.  Thanks.

Heysham Obs
Nice additions to the BTO Business Challenge (seriously deficient in common ducks as Middleton ponds dont count!)

Red Nab
Gadwall - pair with Wigeon
Teal - 2 on Red Nab, 3 on sea off Ocean Edge (all males)
Med Gull - one adult

Wooden jetty
Purple Sandpiper - 1

Harbour
Med Gull - one adult

North wall
c60 Twite, but only 15 seen on the ground (4 unringed and one with pale blue over split yellow/blue - the oldest bird we are aware of at the moment)

Moneyclose Lane traffic lights area/NE corner reserve
Waxwing - 2 on top of willow at about 1220hrs