Migrants in the mist

A decent day which could have been even better with a dawn start.  Arrival about 0900 saw quite a few long-winged Blackbirds, prompting a couple of mist nets

These produced an amazing (for here in spring) ten migrant Robin as well as 14 more predictable Goldcrest and a few migrant female Chaffinch.  A single Siskin was unusual and a couple of Chiffchaff include a bird with pollen on its forehead

In the meantime coastal coverage produced 178 Meadow Pipit grounded on Ocean Edge and 55 on the heliport in the murk with single Wheatear at Red Nab.

Twite - one North
Sand Martin - one North over sea
Meadow Pipit - c50 on vis mig in addition to grounded birds
Pied Wagtail - c20 on vis mig but only about 5 grounded
Pale-bellied Brent - 25 incoming tide but no sign dropping tide
Chiffchaff - at least three
Goldcrest - 20-25 at least
Blackbird - 20-30 Moneyclose lane and reserve
Linnet - one North
Siskin - one ringed
Wheatear - Male Red Nab
Eider - c400 low tide
Great crested Grebe - 2
Green Woodpecker - usual noisy mobile status

Moths comprised: common plume, Hebrew character, Common Quaker, clouded drab, early grey, shoulder stripe

Some of the 400 Eider

Rockits and Mipits

A low key day with outbreaks of drizzle. Headline news: a rat caused mayhem in the wader roost on the old heliport. There were few birds of note:

NEAR NAZE
2 Rock Pipits

HEYSHAM NR
A Chiffchaff was new in but passed through quickly
An elderly Chaffinch was recaught - 6 years old. Most Chaffinches only live 3 years (according to BTO Birdfacts) although a truly  ancient Chaffinch of 13 years 11 months was caught elsewhere in the country in 2011.

MIDDLETON NR
4 singing Cetti’s Warblers. This species in this quantity would have been the headline news a few years ago but now you can hear them on every visit all year round.

Green Woodpecker - 1 called from the golf course.

VIS
Meadow Pipit - 15 flew north.

Our very own Half Moon Bay will feature on TV tomorrow when the new drama The Bay begins on ITV. Don’t miss it!

Meadow Pipits on the move

HEYSHAM NR
Meadow Pipits on the move, unfortunately not in huge numbers. In fact only 16 were seen but it’s a start !
Also 1 Pied Wagtail.
An unringed Goldcrest appeared.

OCEAN EDGE TO OUTFALLS
5 Meadow pipit north (singles)
1 Skylark on foreshore
2 juv Kittiwake on No.2 outflow
1 ad Kittiwake in harbour

17 Pale-bellied Brent on Red Nab, but when they flew off at 10:20, there was also the "regular" three. So 20 In total. 

KNOWLYS ROAD HORSE PADDOCK
Wheatear - 1

Kittiwakes on the move

Kittiwake - 159 in in only about 45 mins on and off seawatching plus at least 8 inshore outfalls/harbour
Little Gull - just two sightings of single adult
Meadow pipit - at least 10 North
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - peak of 32 (mid pm off Knowlys on tideline)

Cutting edge birding

Great effort by Malcolm this morning and pics to boot in a SW F9 and driving horizontal rain

Little Gull - 3 Ad outfalls in am, ad blogging off Knowlys road am.  At least 9 ad and one 2cy at 1540, with six plus at seaward end and four half way along hey two. There were still a minimum of 9 birds on or near outflows at 17:15.
Kittiwake - at least two adults and two 2CY around
Shag - presumably the usual elusive 3CY harbour mouth

Pale- bellied Brent geese - 10 on rocks near play area early on, then just 3 later. A flock of 25-27, presumed pb, flew past south wall roundhead 17:20. Either to Red Nab or Pott's Corner.

Not quite wild enough!

Thanks to Ian and Nick for seawatch data

Kittiwake - about 72 seen, including three or four blogging around harbour/outfalls
Fulmar - two possibly three
Eider - an increase perceived
Pale bellied Brent Goose - 31 on tideline North of Heysham Head including the two Canadian Arctic-ringed birds
Shag - subadult harbour mouth briefly

A matter of degree

Good job I wasn’t twenty minutes later with a Heysham Head seawatch as I managed the last bit of westerly before it swung round and closed the door

Velvet Scoter - female flew out beyond the Eider line and landed on the rough sea and couldn’t be relocated after logging the inbound seabirds immediately afterwards
Kittiwake - c270 in long strung out line and two more compact ‘balls’ - mainly adults
Little Gull - loose gang of 16 in - quite distant
Gannet - two ad in
Eider - c290
Pale bellied Brent Goose - flock of 27 on tideline and three close inshore north of Heysham head

Middleton Nature reserve
Mute 3 pair
Tufted 2
Gadwall 5 (4 male)
Water Rail 1
Cetti's warbler 1 singing
Green woodpecker 1

Lots of wind and Little, else...

The strong westerlies continue

Little gull 1 adult on seaward end of No.1 outflow at low tide in morning

Pale-bellied Brent just 3 today, presumably the regular birds, out from children's play area. Today's tide of 8.2m not high enough to flush them to Red Nab at high water.

Kittiwake - there doesn't seem to be a lot of food coming through the outflows, but just enough to hold a few kittiwake. There was one adult and a juvenile at low water in morning on No.2 outflow. Two adult and a juvenile on rising tide in afternoon.

Pictures below are actually some of yesterday's birds, same location.

Adult (with Blackpool tower in background)

Ocean Edge salt marsh
Rock pipit 1
Skylark 1
Reed bunting 1

Gannets

A few bits today but perhaps surprisingly no Kittiwake flocks

Gannet - three out
Common Scoter - pair out
Kittiwake - two ad and two 2Cy inshore around outfalls/harbour
Pale bellied Brent - simple today - the three long stayers feeding close inshore by play area, 22 feeding along waters edge on detached weed in the tide.  All of them later on Red Nab including all three ringed birds

The yellow ringed one was ringed in Iceland in 2008 and has been returning to the Walney area for many winters.  It has lost a darvic ring off the right leg, hence confusion but the ‘T’ on the yellow ring was read yesterday (thanks Colin and Malcolm)

Brent frustration

At least 31 Pale bellied Brent today but all eyes were on the yellow ringed bird.  Failure to cooperate was an understatement!

Rock pipit by heliport

Knot V4 read on heliport seawall

Hebrew character in moth trap