Sunday, 12 August 2018

Another report writing day!

Quick check of outfalls early stages incoming tide saw about 20 Med gull but only two juvs

Little gull - adult seaward end Heysham one

Only 6 swallow in roost this pm

Med gull LCG re-read this evening (thsnks Richard)

Saturday, 11 August 2018

Good number of warblers again

Ringing at Middleton saw over 50 new warblers as follows:  Whitethroat (18), Lesser Whitethroat (7), Blackcap (7), Willow Warbler (10), Cetti's Warbler (1), Sedge Warbler (5), Reed Warbler (3) plus two Jays in the net at the same time!  Once again, tit flocks notable by their absence

Elsewhere there were about 24 Med Gulls this evening but rain stopped play.  A Red darvic adult on Red Nab in am

Little Gull - ad this am
Sanderling - summer adult Red Nab with c700 Dunlin and many more of the latter down the tideline to the south
Rock Pipit - two Half Moon Bay beach

Friday, 10 August 2018

A work day

Nothing of real novelty seen on the incoming tide this am with very few Meds left at 0915.  This evening there were 32 between Heysham one and the wooden jetty (12 2cy, 2 Juv, rest ad or 3cy)

Whimbrel - at least two
No sign putative 2cy yellow legged gull
Little egret - 7.
Fewer Dunlin red nab but c3k in total

Thursday, 9 August 2018

24 Meds this evening ( two juvs)

What seems to be a 2cy yellow-legged gull this am

Dunlin - 1450 red nab
Whimbrel - 3
Redshank - 470 heliport

More tomorrow

Wednesday, 8 August 2018

Dunlin fest but seagulls nosedive

sandwich tern - ad red nab
Dunlin -c3700 - 1600 of these on red nab
Med gull - just 9 including German ringed ad
Whimbrel - 3
Little gull - ad

At least two adult plus one immature Little grebe at MNR. No sign of Green sandpiper today.

Forgot to add single Bk t godwit for yesterday

Tuesday fare

momentous day with a north east bound Great White egret a new species for me at Heysham (c0805)

Next best a Tree Pipit

About 15 Meds a massive reduction

C1500 Dunlin Red Nab

Shag still about

Fewer birds on Ringing sessions with only Whitethroat in numbers (11 ringed)


Monday, 6 August 2018

Two coots

Coot - now two on Middleton
Little grebe - youngster still being fed
Green sandpiper - usual place Tim butler pond

Sunday, 5 August 2018

Anything but a Med

No-one mentioned Med Gulls today but there were plenty of other odds and ends

Ringing saw coverage of Middleton with 6 nets and Heysham office with 3 nets and about equal numbers of new birds at each site, with 114 new ones.  Highlights:

Cetti's Warbler - new juveniles were ringed in both the western and central marshes along with a different brood "1J" i.e. very recently out of the nest in the central marsh - nice CES captures in central marsh nets
Other warblers - 57 new ones ringed between the two sites:  Reed (5), Sedge (7), Lesser White (7), White (20), Garden  (1), Chiff (1), Willow (13) and Blackcap (3)
Tree Pipit - one ringed western marsh - the only one encountered
Great-spotted Woodpecker - juvenile ringed

Rock Pipit - at least two along half-moon bay shore
Shag - 2CY feeding in harbour 

Saturday, 4 August 2018

Green sand reappears

Med numbers seem to be about half what they were - similarly Black-headed

About 21 Meds but very few adults today (12 2CY)

Green Sandpiper - Tim Butler pond

Whimbrel - Red Nab

Canada Goose - A group of 26 Canada Geese flew SW along the shoreline off Heysham Village Bay, followed shortly afterwards by c.30 south over Knowlys Road, Heysham, plus another 6 on the edge of the low tide channel of Royds Avenue this am (per Pete Crooks)

Friday, 3 August 2018

Large white headed gulls

Reidentified as 2CY Lesser Black-backed Gull but a large one! Quite a striking 2CY white-headed large gull in the Red Nab roost seemed to tick the boxes for Yellow-legged Gull.  Several record shots taken - more will be added tomorrow.  Impressions of the striking tail pattern are hinted at in some of the shots but unfortunately it flew off south on its own soon after another birder was put on to it - definitely on the move as it didn't drop in with the secondary roost off Ocean Edge saltmarsh.  NB bill is all-dark - trick of the light in pic below


Little Gull - ad
Med Gull - much reduced numbers with only 11 located on incoming tide but at least 20 later on after the tide, including at least one, probably two unread 2CY
Grey Plover - 210 on mudflats S of Ocean Edge
Willow Warbler - two at the new migrant hotspot where PF was yesterday!