A mixed bag in the drizzle

Today's forecast was for light showers. Unfortunately, just one light shower, but it lasted all day. Light breeze from SSE.

First Alan's ringing report from yesterday morning from Middleton Nature Reserve:

John and I set nets on both east and west sides this morning. Conditions were good with no breeze. 55 birds were captured and processed:

Wren 5 + 1 retrap

Robin 4

Sedge Warbler 2 + 1 retrap

Lesser Whitethroat 5 + 1 retrap

Common Whitethroat 10

Blackcap 3 + 1 retrap

Chiffchaff 1 + 1 retrap

Willow Warbler 6

Blue Tit 4

Great Tit 1

Greenfinch 1

Goldfinch 7

Reed Bunting 1

c25 Swallows passed through the site but none were caught. No Grey Wagtails were caught or seen/heard.

South shore

Pete checked Red Nab this morning.

Mediterranean gull 22 - 24

Sandwich Tern 5

Most of the above flew off south as the tide reached the rocks, unfortunately not to the beach out from saltmarsh, where three large dogs were being exercised.

I was a bit late on the scene, but probably didn't miss much, if the beach out from the saltmarsh had been cleared (MD)

Rock Pipits 4 together on the tide line of the beach between Red Nab and Ocean Edge foreshore.

Wheatear 7

Lapwing 8

Redshank 150 on the saltmarsh 

Common Sandpiper 3 together 

Three Common Sandpiper
 Making these the largest "flock" of this species recorded in the Observatory area!

Originally near the rocky outcrop on the east side of the saltmarsh,
then flew to this small island.

Heysham skear - low water 18:15

Great Crested Grebe 6

Eider 20

Little Egret 7

Grey Heron 1

Mediterranean gull 1 - again on the northern side. It had an island all to itself and seemed quite content (who wouldn't be!). It seemed to be finding plenty of food, in this clip it catches a small crab.

Earlier this week Howard sent me these splendid Great Crested Grebe pictures. These were taken from the northern side of the Observatory area, but probably were two of the six seen this evening. Either way they are great pictures and definitely worth opening the images to appreciate the detail.

Great Crested Grebe 

Juvenile Great Crested Grebe 

More movement - both ways!

Very light SSE breeze initially, then moved more due south. Mainly overcast with the odd sunny spell in the morning, light showers started by evening.

So far, just my morning check of the south shore just before high water (MD).

Not quite true now, there was a ringing session on Middleton this morning, 31 warblers caught, I'll post details tomorrow.

Mediterranean gull 6 (4 on Red Nab plus 2 on beach out from the saltmarsh)

Wheatear 5 minimum, probably 9 (2 on Red Nab, 2 on foreshore and 1 on saltmarsh, all seemed to be moving through quickly, but on return 4 together on foreshore, probably new birds)

This morning's Wheatear were moving through quickly,
but plenty enough time to grab a quick snack

Rock Pipits 3 minimum 

Sandwich Tern 23 - 15 of them in this clip, the others were resting in ones and twos with the gulls.

There were lots of small waders feeding on the mud out from the saltmarsh 

Ringed Plover 48

Dunlin 36

Plus larger flocks further towards Potts corner.

Dunlin moulting to winter plumage.
The beaches that have not been covered for a while become rich feeding grounds
after the first tide to cover them. Every speck on this image is a potential source of food 

This clip demonstrates the different feeding techniques of these two species.

Swallow 19 - they didn't start moving south till 10:30, the 19 were in 30 minutes. They were flying low over the mud picking flies of it as they went. Some did a few circuits before continuing south. A couple were doing circuits around this Dunlin as it hopped away (The Dunlin were either feeding or preening. All the preening birds were on one leg and opted to hop, until they started feeding again).

Insects:

As I was on the beach there were several "small" white and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies flying north with the light breeze. Also two dragonflies. One large one probably an Emperor the other an immature/female darter sp.

On return to the saltmarsh, the Sea Aster had held a lot of the butterflies. The small white ones revealed themselves to be Small Whites. There were 8 on a small patch of Aster, with 2 Small Tortoiseshell, plus another 4 and 2 respectively coming in off Red Nab.

Small White on saltmarsh Sea Aster

There were also plenty of butterflies on the Buddleia in the nature park.

Red Admiral 11

Brimstone 3 (2 male 1 female)

Large White 1

Small White 1

The only dragonfly was a Migrant Hawker.

Finally, this is another juvenile bird being encouraged to fend for itself. I don't know, and probably don't want to know, what this Carrion Crow was pulling apart, but it wasn't for sharing it with the juvenile.

Movement increasing

Very light breeze mainly from the south. Mainly overcast, with light showers from mid morning.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Jean:

Warblers on the move this morning. 35 birds caught between 7am-10am and 31 of these were warblers. 

Sedge Warbler 7, 

Whitethroat 7, 

Willow Warbler 7, 

Blackcap 4, 

Garden Warbler 2, 

Chiffchaff 2, 

Reed Warbler 1 retrap, 

Lesser Whitethroat 1. 

Non-warblers included 2 Wrens, 1 Robin and 1 juv Dunnock. 

Almost all birds were this year’s apart from 2 adult Whitethroats.  

Swallows: 2 heard pre 7am (possibly ex roost?)Vis: Grey Wagtail (1).

South shore

Three checks today

First just a quick check of Red Nab and foreshore (MD)

Foreshore:

Grey Wagtail 2 together before heading off east

Wheatear 2

Rock Pipit 3

Red Nab

Mediterranean gull at least 8

Sandwich Tern 1

The Sandwich Tern is preening on the rock. There are five meds in this clip, although you only get a brief glimpse of one of them on far left at the start of the clip.

Kevin had a check at lunchtime:

Ocean Edge foreshore:

Wheatear 3

Rock Pipit 2

In the scrub near the lighthouse:

Two Willow Warblers.

I went down in the evening to check the beach near the wooden jetty (MD)

Mediterranean gull minimum 10 - the sun chose this point to make its only appearance of the day, making it impossible to tell if the distant gulls were meds or Black-Headed gulls. The gulls tonight were just stood on the beach, not feeding. I don't think it was the lack of opportunity, I just think they had already eaten enough (the timing of these tides allows them a morning and evening feeding opportunity). The white ringed bird was present again this evening. I was wrong yesterday thinking it was a new bird for the area. It was seen once last year, and that was the first record for this bird: 

Ringed as an adult 11/05/2019 at Total Antwerp Belgium.

Sand Martin 2 south

Swallow at least 13 feeding in Power Station grounds, 10+ south between Red Nab and small anemometer. A late evening check of the potential roost site at Middleton found 11 (6 + 5) birds still moving west, but no obvious roost.

Just some clips from today showing two common feeding behaviours of the large gulls.

First a very serene looking Lesser-Blacked back with a crab, I'll spare you the dismemberment. Or, you may wish to check out the other birds in the clip including a Sandwich Tern and Mediterranean gulls. The green ringed Med is the long staying German bird.

This Herring gull is opening a mussel, by dropping it on to the harbour wall. I once watched a Time Team episode where the "expert" declared, on finding a mussel shell on top of a rocky sea cliff: "the only way this shell got up here is by being carried up here by humans"......Really!

Unfortunately for the young gulls, they are a long way down the pecking order. This Carrion Crow was next up. they will soon learn to open their own mussels.

At last! The sand mason worms start providing

West light wind all day. Mainly overcast with light showers.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Wildfowl unchanged except an additional male has joined the "no swimming" pond birds (now 8). He has joined the female with the three young (bet he got an earful).

House Martin 2 feeding over main pond.

Two small mixed tit flocks seen.

Very few butterflies, just. Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood.

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly 2

There were three rocks on the edge of the main pond marked with both fresh and old droppings consisting of broken crayfish shells. I am satisfied that they are Otter spraints, they are supposed to smell "oily", so I had a go. I suppose it could have been described as oily, the best I can say for it was that it didn't smell like what it looked like (thankfully MD) 

South shore 

Wheatear 2 ( one on foreshore plus one on Red Nab)

Rock Pipit 3 

Mediterranean gulls 20+ on beach between wooden jetty and No.1 outflow - no juvenile 

This is what today's title refers to, two things have changed.

1. For the first time, that I've witnessed, this year the meds were catching the sand mason worms all over the dry beach.

2. The worms that they were catching were much larger than the ones they have been catching up to now.

There were two colour ringed birds amongst them, one a regular and long staying green ringed German bird, the other a new white ringed bird. Details awaited.

This clip shows three things. The white ringed bird, how easy it was finding sand mason worms today and how much longer these worms are compared to the others I've shown being caught this autumn. 

When the meds are feeding like this each tries to defend their own patch of beach. Black-Headed gulls are also feeding, but they try and muscle in on other birds. 

Just a still of a sand mason worm being extracted from its tube

I suspect that when the worms are easily available like this, it relates to their breeding cycle, i.e. the worm has to at least partially leave the safety of its tube to deposit milt, presumably into an adjacent tube, or perhaps just onto the beach as lugworm do.

Gannet bonus

The wind was fresh but mainly from WNW, although it shifted slightly to west in the evening. Largely overcast with rain showers easing during the day and a bit of evening sunshine.

Heysham skear

We are back to neap tides, so the tide didn't go out far enough to uncover the outer skear.

Great Crested Grebe 2 (1 + 1)

Eider 4

Little Egret 4

Oystercatcher <500

Turnstone >100

Redshank c50

Ringed Plover c30

Curlew c30

The shrimps are getting bigger now, not quite as big as you see in fishmongers, but getting there. The west wind colours the shallow water providing feeding opportunities for the shrimps, which in turn provides a feeding opportunity for the birds. All these birds, apart from the Oystercatcher, are after shrimps in their own way. The Little Egret is most successful, but will need lots of them. Whereas one will be a decent snack for a Redshank. One of the Redshank catches one towards the end of this clip. Too valuable a prize to lose, so it runs to the mud on the right, before eating it.

South shore

This felt like a bonus walk, the sun was shining, the wind had freshened and shifted to the west.

Plenty of insects around the nature park

Butterflies:

Brimstone 1 male

Red Admiral 2

Painted Lady 1

Large White 2

Green-Veined White 1 (very worn)

Speckled Wood 

Common Blue 

Dragonflies 

Common Darter 2

One of two female Common Darter catching the evening sun on the wooden fence.

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab.

Kittiwake 1 2nd calendar year 

Pete advises that this will be the same one that I photographed on 8th August 
as - "there won’t be another with moult so retarded"
It does look a bit of a state, even the top of its feet appear to be peeling.

It was clearly itching to get into adult plumage.

Mediterranean gulls 5 - at least 4 adult/3cy plus I juvenile on the sea out from the harbour mouth.

Gannet 2 - when I reached the roundhead the wind was at its peak for the day and pretty much due west, but I couldn't see anything moving. Then at 17:45, one swept out from the north wall gained height and shot off south, directly over my head, unfortunately it caught me by surprise and my camera wasn't set ideally for a bird so close, still, better than average record shots for here (MD).

So encouraged, I hung around as long as my rumbling stomach would allow. But no more passage birds seen. Unfortunately the second bird was the "sickly" bird first seen on Saturday. It was hunkered down in a hollow on the sea wall between the outflows. Easy to see from the wooden jetty area, but hidden from view from anyone passing above. At least it seemed comfortable, but the prognosis isn't good.

Location of the sickly Gannet between the outflows 

Just a bit of movement

There was a bit of north in the wind today, mainly WNW. Light showers with the occasional sun.

South shore

First an update from Saturday when Richard reported a "sickly" looking Gannet resting in the harbour.

Today:

Rock Pipits 5 (2 on Red Nab 1 + 2 on the foreshore - the 2 could have been passage)

Wheatear 4 at least - at 09:00 there was 1 near lighthouse, 1 + 2 on foreshore. The lighthouse bird appeared to have moved on, but Kevin also saw one here at lunchtime.

This morning's Wheatear near the lighthouse 

Whimbrel 3

Mediterranean gull 10 (1 juvenile)

The beach near the wooden jetty was checked as it became exposed at 09:00. Initially only 4 adult/3cy and a juvenile turned up. None seemed to be catching any sand mason worms, although the juvenile was still at the "try everything" stage.

By 09:30 numbers had grown to 9 adult/3cy plus 1 juvenile. By this time the tide was quite a distance out but the gulls were still paddling but at least here catching some worms. There are three Black-Headed gulls and three Mediterranean gulls in this clip. Watch the med on the right, it catches a sand mason worm early in this clip.

Surprisingly, there was just a single Starling near the lighthouse, and that looked like it wanted to be a Black-Headed gull.

Starling with Black-Headed gull

Kevin checked out the Buddleia in the nature park:

Small Tortoiseshell 

Red Admiral 

Comma

Plus also in the area - Common Blue and Meadow Brown

Middleton Nature Reserve 

First some bad news, I was wrong yesterday assuming that the Tim Butler cygnets would be around. Janet advises that one has been missing a while and the remaining one had recently been killed by a dog. The incident was witnessed and has been reported.

Wildfowl as yesterday 

Insects

Not large numbers, but a reasonable variety.

Dragonflies:

Brown Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 3

Common Darter 5

Butterflies in order of abundance:

Gatekeeper 

Speckled Wood 

Meadow Brown

Large White 2

Red Admiral 1

Painted Lady 1

Finally this bird was a puzzle. There was a Jay and a Carrion crow calling. Then this bird flew off in silence. It looks like a moulting Raven, but suppose it could be a carrion crow with a tail moult going on. Ravens do normally call as they fly off (MD).

First diving duck returns

A fresh west breeze mainly overcast with light showers.

Not a lot today.

Just a quick sweep by Pete from Ocean Edge 90 minutes before high water, located:

Mediterranean gull 10 (3 juvenile)

Heysham skear - low water 11:20

Great Crested Grebe 5 (2 + 1 + 1 on the water plus 1 flying south)

Eider only 4 today

Little Egret 13

No sign of any Mediterranean gulls. Waders similar to yesterday, minus the off passage flock of Redshank.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the three main ponds in the afternoon 

Mute Swan pair plus 9 cygnets on main pond, pair on Tim Butler, the 2 cygnets not seen but they would have been somewhere nearby. 

Mallard 5

Gadwall 7 - female plus 3 young and a male with 2 female/immature 

The male Gadwall, in the foreground of this clip,  is still in eclipse.

This is one of the female/immature Gadwall having a bath

Tufted duck 1 male.

Male Tufted duck, in at least, partial eclipse.
It was being very secretive.

Little grebe 1 adult on Tim Butler 

No dragonflies seen and the only butterflies were a few, Meadow Brown, 1 Gatekeeper, 2 Large White and a Peacock.

The Lion lies down with the.......mussel

The westerlies continues. Overcast for most of the day with light showers in the afternoon.

The only records so far are from my check of Heysham skear at low water (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 5 (2 + 3)

Eider 34

Little Egret 15

Grey Heron 1

Oystercatcher c500 on the middle skear - outer skear not checked

Curlew c50

Redshank c150 - including a presumed off passage flock c100 in an area where they do not routinely feed.

Turnstone c50

Juvenile Turnstone 

Ringed Plover 25

Mediterranean gull 1 - This looks like the same bird that I posted yesterday flying to the harbour mouth from the north. I can't recall ever seeing one on the skear before, hopefully the start of a new trend, there appeared to be plenty to eat. This first clip it was on the water on the north side of the skear. It seemed to find something to eat both times that it landed. It then flew to the skear.

It started feeding as soon as it landed on the skear, and certainly found a couple of morsels to eat. 

Today's title refers to Lion's Mane Jellyfish. There were several stranded on the beach, but this small one had dropped lucky and ended up being stranded in a small pool, just large enough for it to retain its form.

Lion's Mane jellyfish stranded in a shallow pool
It was pulsating, you can see the resultant indents in the surrounding mud

I've not had an active but captive Lion's Mane before, so I thought  I'd see how it reacted to a piece of broken mussel. This wasn't easy, mussel in left hand and camera in right, binoculars held between teeth! So I missed the actual encounter. No matter, the interesting thing happened afterwards. As soon as it "realised" that it was in contact with food, the pulsating stopped.

I know very little about jellyfish behaviour, but it makes sense to not swim away from an area that has just provided a meal. Jellyfish can't really dictate where they go, the pulsating will just allow it to rise higher in the water. So stopping pulsating would cause it to drop lower in the water. Or, perhaps, the energy used to pulsate is redirected to the tentacles to retrieve the food. They don't have to move quickly as any prey should be paralysed. Either way it started pulsating again and it definitely took hold of the mussel.

It hadn't long to wait, the incoming tide was only a few minutes away. I would have waited and recorded its release, but the tide would have silted the area up leaving visibility too poor to see anything. Hopefully it will be lucky, but the prevailing west winds will make it difficult. Just another reminder, these do sting, both the short red and long white tentacles have stinging cells. They will not harm you, but the sting isn't pleasant (I have been stung several times whilst  shrimping in the dark).

Hawker treble

A stong SW wind all day, mainly sunny.

South shore

Both myself (MD) and Kevin checked the sea for any wind blown stuff, but they either didn't arrive or were too distant for binoculars.

Wheatear 1 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab and foreshoe

Mediterranean gull - at least 15 at low water. Minimum 11 adult/3cy on beach next to wooden jetty, 3 juvenile on seaward end of No.1 outflow and 1 adult/3cy out from the harbour mouth.

Later they were more spread around. This bird came from the noth side and settled just out from the harbour.

I like this clip, there was at least one Mediterranean gull resting with the Black-Headed gulls in the lea of No.2 outflow (just right of centre on the clip). Everything was relaxed, then a new BHG arrived and moved on another that was, "sat in my spot on this beach"......... A behaviour previously only witnessed in humans!

Sheltered from the wind it was very warm. There were lots of insects in the nature park behind Red Nab.

Kevin took this nice shot of a Painted Lady.

Painted Lady 

There were also:

Red Admiral 3

Peacock 1

Comma 1

Large White 2

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Common Blue

Speckled Wood 

Gatekeeper 

Plus a trio of Hawker Dragonflies 

Migrant Hawker 3

Brown Hawker 1

Southern Hawker 1

Male Southern Hawker

I have received a very interesting comment regarding Wednesday's post of the mass exodus of the Oystercatchers. My thanks to "Throbshire", sorry I don't know any other identity. 

I can offer you a possible solution to your exodus question. At about 10.00 on Wednesday my wife and I saw a big bird of prey heading towards Walney, roughly on a line from Heysham Sunny Slopes. Too distant to be 100% sure, but thought it was probably an Osprey at the time

So, this seems to be the final piece of the puzzle, just as the tide was moving the Oystercatcher from the outer  skeer, a large raptor, probably an Osprey drove them all to the south side. I do like it when evidence emerges to support a theory. Although evidence to disprove a theory is also good, much better than not knowing. (MD)

Gadwall returning

The fresh breeze started in the south before moving SW.  Some cloud, but the sunny periods increased during the day.

First, a request. Janet lost her wedding ring whilst checking Middleton Nature Reserve, possibly on the road where the old brick building used to be. It's a long shot, but if anyone does find it please either contact Janet directly or myself (MD).

Heysham skear - low water 09:20

Great Crested Grebe 3

Eider 26, they appear to be in family groups, the males, still in eclipse. The gull in this clip is diving for crabs, it seems optimistic to find one below of a bunch of Eider.

Little Egret at least 18

Grey Heron 1

Oystercatcher c500 on middle skear, fewer than of late, but the outer skear was also exposed, more on that later.

Turnstone c60

Curlew c50

Redshank c40

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Ringed Plover c20 where they normally feed on the inner skear plus 15, presumed off passage on middle skear.

Dunlin 1

One of the reasons I went down today was to try and understand what caused the mass exodus of Oystercatcher yesterday (hoping a large raptor would show up!). The outer skear was exposed, but not checked in detail, but this shot shows two things. First, it is still nicely covered in mussels (it's the area beyond the first channel, running across the image). Second, it wasn't densely packed with Oystercatchers, but it is a large area.

The outer skear is the dark band on top of this image.
It is larger than it looks, at least 0.5km further to the main channel.

Nevertheless, these last few tides will have been the first time it will have been available for feeding for two weeks, so presumably more food there than the middle skear. The timing of the oystercatcher flying past the roundhead yesterday coincides with when the tide covered the outer skear, so clearly a factor. But it didn't happen today, and it didn't happen on Tuesday when the LDBWS were on the south wall. I can only guess that something else occurred at the same time yesterday, probably a large raptor, causing the already moving birds to continue to the south side. (MD)

Just another skear related snippet. These spring tides drain quickly, leaving lots of standing water on the skear, this inevitably finds its way to the sea, and once a channel is formed the water gushes out, removing any loose sediment. This is what has happened on this shot.

The mud has been swept away in this channel, leaving the tubes of tube worms exposed.

 These are not Honeycomb worms, more likely Sand Mason worms.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick look round mid afternoon 

The wildfowl was as per Tuesday except for 9 additional Gadwall, so 13 in total with the female and her young. This clip starts withe the female and her three young, she wasn't overly welcoming. Next is an eclipsed male, the rest all appear to be female/immature.

The insects were similar to Tuesday too, except fewer butterflies, plus four Migrant Hawker Dragonflies.

Migrant Hawkers