Ferry and Shag routine

Ben my Chree
2 x adult Med Gulls, one prob Czech bird, the other flew in then out

Shag - off the Head at high tide, entered harbour at 1200hrs and fished alongside inner north wall

Rock Pipit - 2 north wall end

Christmas Day treat

Heysham Head rocks - high water (MD)
Shag
10:38. It landed on water, just out from the rocks on the south end (Throbshaw Point). It came from the north, but it could have just come from north end of the Head. It started feeding immediately.

10:50. It flew off south last seen on water out from the heliport. I didn't see it catch anything, presumably why it left. But, it is worth chevking on similar height tide tomorrow - high water tomorrow 11:08.

24th DEcember
Ad Med and 5 ad Kitt behind ben/dredger in harbour mouth

Kittiwakes ferried in

20-22 Kittiwake behind IOM ferry approaching Heysham Port but yet again no Meds.
The Czech ringed veteran has been seemingly absent for the last month

Skeer and low tide channels - scoped from Knowlys road
Shag 1 - fairly close to the largest rock on skeer.
GCG 10 scattered around

MNR
No change in duck numbers, but Coot seems to have gone, but Little grebe still around

Shag obliged.... weather didn't!

Shag 1 feeding in first channel area (see yesterday's post) at 14:00, after which the heavens opened and visibility not good enough. Tomorrow's tide is a suitable height, but weather not promising. After that, diminishing low water heright will force it elsewhere, possibly to main chnnel (MD).

Great-Crested grebe 4
Red-Brested Merganser 2
Eider 2


Fieldfare flock of 20 on Imperial Road

Shag located feeding

Heysham skeer - low water
Shag - The cormorant were all resting on sandbars. Only one bird was feeding in the first channel area, saw it dive a couple of times and it's leaping dive Indicated shag. When tide stopped ebbing, it stopped feeding and rested on water, still in first channel area. Most views were just its head bobbing over waves, but I eventually managed a couple of record shots. (MD)

(The original pictures are slightly sharper than when posted, and are diagnostic)

Feeding here on last of ebb on these mid range tides must be on pin whiting, if so, these will be here at same time for similar height tides. This suggests that there may be a repeat performance tomorrow, 14:000 onwards. The first channel is about 250m west of the largest triangular rock on the skeer (conger rock). This will be on the skeer's SW water edge approaching low water tomorrow.

Great- Crested grebe 6
No RBM or Eider

Middleton Nature Reservep
No ducks on the main pond, but 40 on the "no swimming" pond:
Gadwall 27
Tufted 2 (male)
Shoveler 1 (male)
Teal 10

West side of road to re-cycling centre - this is the eastern boundary of the recording area.

Great White Egret 1 - in field in the afternoon.

Little change

Ocean Edge salt marsh 
Rock pipit 1
Song thrush 2 together - new arrivals
Reed Bunting 2

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Mute 9 adult plue 7 juv - 4 new adult
Coot 1
Moorhen 14
Gadwall 34
Tufted 4 (3 male)
Wigeon 1 female
Teal 4
Little grebe 1

Redwing - numbers dwindling, but still plenty feeding

Unremarkable low tide channel

Low tide channel from Knowlys & out on skeer!
Wigeon 3
Great-crest - 6
RBM - 3
Eider - 4

Redwing have been hanging about far more than usual with the proliferation of berries:

Thanks Janet

Middleton Nature Reserve - two main ponds

Gadwall 32

Tufted 2 male

Shoveler 1 male

Wigeon 1 female

Coot 1

Moorhen 12

Little grebe 1

Tuesday

10:45 - Bird landing, unfortunately out of sight, on rocks in front of north wall roundhead was, almost certainty, an adult or near adult Shag (MD)

Wigeon 175

Rock Pipit 1

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just the two main ponds checked:

Gadwall 30

Tufted 2 (male on "no swimming" female on main pond)

Wigeon 1

Teal 6

Coot 1

Redwing - several flitting around

Sunday webs

Nothing of specific interest on coastal  WeBs but 10.3k Knot on the heliport were spectacular

Belated ringing totals for November saw (new ringed) 64 Greenfinch, 40 Goldfinch, 24 Blackbird and a few bits and bobs including a Firecrest

Middleton Webs
Mute Swan 12, Moorhen 14, Coot 1, Gadwall 35, Wigeon 1, Shoveler 2, Mallard 6, Teal 8, Water Rail 2+, Snipe 7 (& 2 Pheasant, c20 each of Blackbird and Redwing)

Rock Pipit 3 - lighthouse area, one visiting 2019 2nd brood nest hole
Meadow Pipit 1 - near waterfall

Large numbers of Pinkfeet over Heysham after dark

Shag - repeat performance

Shag - Ad or near ad  in harbour mouth again 1345 before moving into harbour.
Little Gull and Guillemot flying S offshore


Middleton Nature Reserve 
Gadwall 27
Wigeon 1
Teal 3
Tufted 1 (m)
Shoveler (m&f)
Coot 1

Still plenty of Redwing feeding