Rain affected play....

A light south wind. Rain began about 09:00 and continued till after lunch.

Shaun did an early circuit:

Morning. 07:00-08:30. Had a stroll over Heysham Head to the Helipad and back before the rain arrived. 

Stonechat female on HH. 

Pink-footed Goose 140+50 north. 

Walked along base of the cliffs on the way back and had 4 pairs of Rock Pipits! Pretty sure none got back in front of me. 

I checked from Red Nab to saltmarsh after the rain had started (MD)

Blackbird 7 feeding on the short grass near the pond in the Nature Park. Although possibly as much to do with no dogs being around than grounded birds.

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Shelduck 1

Wheatear 5 along the foreshore 

One of the foreshore Wheatears - likely a first winter male

The only bird on the saltmarsh was a Wren (shame, I'd saved a nice Reed Bunting shot from yesterday!)

And that was about it. Apart from, I stopped briefly in passing on Imperial Rd. These two Greylag Goose were flying south towards Middleton Nature Reserve. A clip, taken through a rain covered windscreen. I wouldn't normally post it, but it does demonstrate there is wildlife to be seen here without having to leave your car.

First Blackcap and Whoopers on the move

 Very light variable wind, mainly NE in the morning and SW later in the afternoon, warmer and plenty of sunshine.

North shore

Morning report from Pete:

Pale-bellied Brent Goose 4 (earlier 6)

Eider 77 

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Great Crested Grebe 7

Whooper Swan 32 swans presumed this species seen distantly flying up Leven Estuary (plus later in the afternoon, c50 whooper swans on edge of tide off grange. Middle of bay)

Goldeneye 1 female

I was checking from the skear (MD)

Many of the Eider were males, desperately trying to woo the few remaining females.

The Goldeneye was feeding and was never on the surface for long, this is probably the best clip of it with a couple of Great Crested Grebes

One of the six Pale-bellied Brent feeding out from the play area early on was a first winter.

Canada Goose 3 distant flying east.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Black-Tailed Godwit  - a flock of c40 godwit flew directly overhead unfortunately the sun was behind them, but the calling and behaviour strongly suggests this species

Knot c50

Dunlin 3

Plus Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew 

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

John and I set three nets at Heysham this morning from 09.00. The conditions were not ideal with bright sun and northerly, but light, airstream. Captures were few to start but improved, and did also include a Blackcap at 14.00.

Dunnock 3 retraps

Robin 2 + 2 retraps

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 1 + 1 retrap

Goldcrest 2

Long-tailed Tit 3 retraps

Blue Tit 1 + 1 retrap

Great Tit 2 + 2 retraps

Greenfinch 8 + 1 retrap

Goldfinch 9 + 4 retraps

Bullfinch 2 retraps

Mark Jones had a walk around at lunchtime.

3 singing chiffchaff , 2 reed buntings, 1 bullfinch and a comma main sightings

First Comma of the year

Middleton Nature Reserve (Mark Jones)

Quite busy, heard a water rail, 1 goldcrest, at least 2 little grebe trilling
also 2 cormorant fishing

Immature Cormorant on the main pond

South shore

Report from Kevin Eaves

Kittiwake 3 x 2nd calendar year, 2 on their pipe in the harbour plus one fishing on outflows with a few immature Common Gulls

I just checked from Red Nab to saltmarsh at high water (MD)

Shelduck 3 

Wigeon 6

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab

Wheatear 1 male on foreshore 

Different view of a Wheatear

Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh 

Common Snipe 10 flushed as the tide reached the marsh grass just south of the saltmarsh 

Four Cetti's singing

The wind had shifted to the NE and was noticeably colder. Dry with sunny spells.

Just my stuff so far (MD)

Nature Park

Despite the cool wind it felt like spring with many species singing:

Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Song Thrush, Blackbird and Wood Pigeon.

Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming

The only warblers seen or heard were Chiffchaff, at least 3 singing. This was one directly above my head (thankfully my camera was mercifully quiet!).

Red Nab to saltmarsh 

The tide was completely out so not many sea birds, just 2 Shelduck 

Almost no passerines either, just a Rock Pipit on Red Nab and the only bird on the saltmarsh was a single Wren!

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Mute Swan two pair plus 5 immature 

Coot 8 (6, still arguing on the main pond)

The only ducks seen were drakes - 3 Mallard

Little Grebe 1 trilling

Cetti's warbler 4 singing (1 each end of the "no swimming" pond and the central and western marshes.

The only other warblers seen or heard were several Chiffchaff.

Stonechat 2 - a male and a female but not together

Male Stonechat 

This bird was in the same area as the first Stonechat record this spring on the 14/2. There were two that day and one the following day. Then no more till 11/3, we now have a total of at least 76 birds this spring. Compare that to last year's spring tally of 5, which was poor. 16 in 2021 and 6 in 2020, and you can see why this year's passage is described as exceptional!

Not quite just my stuff, Kevin Eaves had a Raven fly over his garden. Being chased by Carrion Crows

Kitts blown in, and Stonechat movement continues

Heavy overnight showers stopped by 07:30, there were sunny spells by the afternoon. A fresh west wind eased and shifted more to SW.

Heysham Skear - low water 08:10 (MD)

Kittiwake 52 flew into the bay at 08:35

They seemed to "disappear", I knew they must have landed on the sea, but it took a surprising amount of time to find where they were, mainly as they were pretty much the same colour as the sea. By this time they had been joined by a Herring Gull and a few Black-Headed gulls.

Just after this clip, at 08:50, they flew out again towards Walney.

There were 10 "ducks" in the far channel and I couldn't make out what they were, the tide was coming in quickly so I couldn't get any closer. Fortunately they were still there when Pete and Jean arrived a little later. Jean realised that they all had their heads tucked in, she watched them till they "awoke". Revealing them to be 

Great Crested grebe 8 - perseverance resolving the puzzle. Presumably migrant birds.

Plus Red-breasted Merganser 2

Eider 12 - these are 6 shooting through the first channel on the rising tide

Definitely time to leave!

Pale-bellied Brent goose 6 - as I was coming off there were these four freshening up and drinking at the edge of one of the freshwater drains. Later Jean saw six.

Report from Pete:

In about three hours seawatching: 

Kittiwake 13 plus 5 plus c30 in, two single adults out and that’s it!!  The c30 were floating in on the sea, rest flying 

Red Nab to Saltmarsh towards high water (MD)

Kittiwake 1 second calendar year feeding on No.2 outflow

Pale-bellied Brent the six from the north side feeding on Red Nab then south

Wigeon 23

Rock Pipit 5 - 1 on Red Nab 4 on saltmarsh (plus 2 fighting on the helipad (ref Jean))

Stonechat 6 at least. So much for my suggestion that yesterday's female may be the last this spring. I saw more today than I see in total most springs! They were along both sides of the saltmarsh and in the flotsam covered corner. Pretty sure 2 moved on, so probably even more earlier.

One of the west side male Stonechats

Female and male Stonechat on the flotsam 

20:30 Pink-Footed geese passing over Meldon Rd (ref Janet)

A bit of a contrast

A dry day with a slightly fresher SW wind. 

South shore (MD)

In contrast to yesterday's fall of migrants, today was almost devoid of them.

Stonechat 2 females on the saltmarsh early on, but had moved on later

May as well have a picture, she could be the last one of this impressive spring passage

No Wheatears or Meadow Pipits

Reed Bunting 1 on saltmarsh 

House Sparrow 2 on saltmarsh (attracted by feeders near saltmarsh)

Rock Pipit 2 - one each saltmarsh and Red Nab

Pink-Footed goose 60 north at 08:20

Pale-bellied Brent goose 13 on Red Nab on the rising tide, then towards Potts Corner. Again, may as well have a clip, as they'll also be off soon.

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 45

Heliport 

Pete checked the waders at high water, only c150 Knot today, but he did manage to read another colour ringed bird.

Heysham Nature Reserve (MD)

It was warm in the sun and Heysham is quite a sheltered reserve so I thought I'd see if any butterflies were around - there wasn't 

Chiffchaff 3

Bullfinch 4

Greenfinch 8+

Goldfinch 10+

Chaffinch 2

Long-Tailed, Blue and Great Tits.

No butterflies but plenty of hoverflies and bees

Lots of these hovering, but could only manage a decent shot of one resting.
Think this is a drone fly, but more than happy to be corrected (MD)

Bumble Bee (Buff Tailed?)

And my favourite flowers are just beginning to bloom.

Snakes Head Fritillary - in another week they will look splendid!

Plenty of Pipits

It rained long and hard from early morning till 09:00. After that more showers in the morning, but a dry, and later, sunny afternoon. The SW wind continues.

South shore (MD).

Same routine as the last two days, a full circuit in the morning followed by a check from Red Nab to the saltmarsh in the afternoon. 

Morning check:

It was still raining when I started, but it was easing off and many grounded birds were starting to move on.

Stonechat 5 - there were 2 males and 2 females in the NE corner of the saltmarsh, possibly including yesterday's 3 birds. The increasing height tides have pushed what was a carpet of flotsam into what is now a cliff. This clip includes a male and female Stonechat, but is really just to show the flotsam. The tides are dropping again now and won't reach this height again till the autumn, so barring storms, this vegetation will rot down and harbour all manner of invertebrates for passing, and resident bills to forage for. It stretches for 100m around the NE corner.

The fifth bird was a female near Red Nab and had clearly had a soaking!

A soaked Stonechat

Wheatear 6

Reed Bunting 1 

Skylark 1

Skylark

Rock Pipits 3 - just 1 each Red Nab, Sea wall and Lighthouse (more later).

Meadow Pipit 62 - thee were 51 grounded on the grass behind the foreshore, but they were starting to move off. Another 11 flew over. This clip is some of the grounded birds getting ready to leave.

Pink-Footed Goose 20 - they initially confused me, as they flew silently, low over the sea in a straight line to the east (fortunately my shots were just good enough to confirm species)

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 45

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

Kittiwake 2 feeding on No.2 outflow

Linnet 2 near lighthouse 

Afternoon check

The sun was out! The four Stonechat were still in the saltmarsh corner, but no sign of the other bird. This is one of the females sorting her feathers out.

This Wren was hanging out to dry too.

Wheatear 7

Rock Pipit 8 between saltmarsh and Red Nab. One flew north from the foreshore display calling as it went

Pale Bellied Brent goose 9  - they arrived at Red Nab early in the ebbing tide and fed close in on the gutweed below the surface.

Mark Jones had a walk along the wall later in the afternoon, but the sun was still shining.

Some of the Wigeon

Redshank 

Female Red-breasted Merganser on Red Nab

Kevin Singleton took these shots from near the cafe

Knot, not disturbed by Kevin

Carrion Crow

Janet took this clip with her phone, of three Rock Pipit together on Half Moon Bay 

So there were at least 13 Rock Pipits today between the saltmarsh and Half Moon Bay

Imperial Rd (MD)

Just a quick drive in while passing.

Chiffchaff 3

Buzzard 2 - this is just a novelty clip, but it does show that you do not need to leave your car to see wildlife. This is one of the resting Buzzard. This is through my car window, I knew the recycling lorry was about to pass, I thought I'd see what the reaction would be......

........nothing!

Song Thrush, also photographed through car window

Footnote: We have received this comment (source unknown but thanks), it refers to the "mysterious fin sighting" - see post 21/03/23.

Sunfish have been known to invite seabirds to remove parasites by laying on their sides. Maybe the gulls were interested for this potential reason.

Not a lot of movement

Quite a fresh SSW to SW wind, mainly dry with long sunny spells.

Report from Jean:

Did a seawatch from Heysham Head graveyard from 0840 - 1040 

I was hoping to see some Gannets but none appeared. The visibility wasn't great, very hazy in the distance but there wasn't much movement in any case. All I saw were:

Red-throated Diver - 1 flying out of the Bay at 0945hrs

Kittiwake - 2 flying into the Bay at 0955hrs

Great Crested Grebe - 1 out

Common Gull - 13 heading into the Bay mainly in twos over the course of the 2 hours

Shelduck - 2 out

Meadow Pipit - just 2 north

Then the usual inshore Herring Gulls and a handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 90 Turnstone flew past heading towards the heliport, as did several hundred Oystercatchers. 

Pete checked from further south:

Bit too clear for seabirds at Heysham this am:  flock 20 kittiwake 

Pete and Jean also checked the Heliport roost. They managed to read three colour ringed Knot from the 650 birds, despite fox trouble again.

"Cute" Fox (not Pete's (or the wader's) description!)

South Shore (MD)

A morning full circuit with just a check of saltmarsh to Red Nab in the afternoon 

Stonechat 3 - 1 male and 2 female. I was surprised to see these in the NE corner of the saltmarsh this morning, as there had been no recent showers to ground anything. I couldn't relocate them on the return trip, but 3 again in the afternoon, and they looked to be the same birds.

Wheatear 8 - there was just 1 near the slipway in the morning, but my visit in the afternoon coincided with what proved to be the only shower of the day and 7 were on the new layer of flotsam on the saltmarsh. Another 1 on Red Nab.

Rock Pipit - 9. 2 saltmarsh, 2 foreshore, 3 Red Nab, 2 near lighthouse 

Rock Pipit and male Wheatear 

Shelduck 2

Wigeon 65

Shag 1 immature, at least, on the wooden jetty (a second candidate kept its head down)

Shag, on left, with Cormorants 

Kittiwake 2 x 2nd calendar year, one on No.2 outflow plus one on their pipe in the harbour. This is the outflow bird.

It managed to find something to eat

This is a 2nd calendar year Common Gull on No.1 outflow

First Gannet, more Stonechats and.......a mysterious fin

The lightish SW continues, heavy showers till mid morning, then just overcast.

Pete managed a seawatch:

Gannet 2 - first records this year

Guillemot 1

Harbour Porpoise 2

Tomorrow should be more productive for seawatching.

Also:

One of our Grey Wagtails, colour ringed 08/09/22 was seen at Earlswood Lakes, near Solihull, Warwickshire today 170km SSE.  Almost certainly on spring passage but could be late wintering departee (see sidebar for scheme details).

South shore (MD)

Two visits again, a check from the saltmarsh to the harbour during the morning showers and just a check from saltmarsh to Red Nab in the fine afternoon.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 2 on Red Nab in the morning

Wigeon 47

Shag 1 immature on wooden jetty

Kittiwake 1 - 2nd calendar year on No.1 outflow (and none in the harbour)

2cy Kittiwake 

Rock Pipits 6 - 2 on Red Nab, 1 along the sea wall, 3 near lighthouse including one on harbour wall above the nest hole.

Meadow Pipits 16 - 4 north past roundhead, then on the walk back from the waterfall after a particularly heavy shower 12 lifted from the scrub near the lighthouse and continued north.

Chiffchaff 2 grounded near the waterfall by the same heavy shower (plus 1 passed through my garden early afternoon)

Wheatear 7 in the morning 4 in the afternoon could have been the same birds.

Stonechat 13 - the morning birds were being grounded by the showers then continuing north when the rain eased. 2 male and 2 female feeding together on saltmarsh before heading off. No more seen till 2 female near the lighthouse. On the return there were 2 individual females on saltmarsh and again both were seen to head off north. So 8 in the morning but none remained when I left.

In contrast, the afternoon birds just wanted to feed and showed no inclination to move on. There were 5 feeding together in the NE corner of the saltmarsh (2 male plus 3 female) they headed in front of me a while before returning to the NE corner.

One of this afternoon's males also had a white rump, but not as pronounced as yesterday's male.

There is plenty of flotsam in the corner and they seemed to be finding plenty to eat.

This is one of the females

Howard took these shots of a fox on the heliport today

This is where the "mysterious fin" comes in. During Pete's morning seawatch, a dark lump on the water was drifting into the bay and periodically sticking up a big fin attracting the attention of gulls - Description wise this could be a Sunfish, but unlikely, apart from being extremely rare, there would be no reason for the gulls to be attracted to it. Possibly a member of the shark family scavenging a floating carcass. This would explain the gulls, but not really the large fin. Tope are the largest of the shark species routinely found in the bay, they can be large, but do not really have a very prominent dorsal fin - the mystery remains (MD)

Janet's camera has packed in! She's sent it to see if it can be repaired, but either way it may be some while before her valued contribution of pictures resumes. Fortunately she will still be out and about and will report what she sees.

Impressive Stonechat passage continues

The light SW wind continues. Heavy rain in the morning eased by late morning.

South shore.

I had a walk from Red Nab to saltmarsh and back again starting at 09:30 (MD). It was misty and raining hard

Wheatear 5 all male

A sodden male Wheatear 

Stonechat 5 - 7. I think I must have been the first person to walk along Ocean Edge foreshore this morning, as there was a succession of individual Stonechats resting behind the rock edges. As I approached each they flew off to NNW. My optics were stashed from the rain, and I couldn't even wear my glasses, but I got close enough to three of the birds to confirm Stonechat, before they flew off. Two others looked to be and behaved the same but were just out of positive identification range. So all the birds had moved on and I didn't see any around the saltmarsh, but on my return I did locate a male and female near the slipway, and they didn't fly off. No others were seen.

This sorry looking male was one of the slipway birds

Rock Pipit 3  - 1 on Red Nab, 2 moving along foreshore 

Raven 1

Raven - just seemed to be blogging

Janet had a walk from Ocean Edge to Harbour and back later in the morning when the rain had eased. Even so, she did well getting these shots as she was dog walking too.

Wheatear 1

Stonechat 8. 4 on Ocean Edge and two fly throughs of two birds seen near the lighthouse.

If you open this shot you can see the fine rain at this time

Three of the Ocean Edge birds

Stonechats near the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit 2 - Red Nab and the lighthouse. This is the lighthouse bird sat directly above last year's nest hole.

Rock Pipit above last year's nest site

Greenfinch 

Wigeon

I couldn't resist another check of Ocean Edge  mid afternoon when the rain had cleared (MD)

Wheatear 4 - 5 so some must have arrived after Janet checked

Stonechat 4 - there was a male and female near the slipway plus an individual female and male which both moved on. So the very minimum tally today was 11, almost certainly 13 and most probably more. This really is an exceptional passage.

Female Stonechat and a Wheatear on Ocean Edge grass (plus another Wheatear zips past)

This Wren was unhappy that a female Stonechat was on its patch!

The male passing through this afternoon was particularly striking with a prominent white rump.

Male Stonechat displaying white rump

This is him, heading off to the NNW

Pete checked the Heliport - no migrants seen. I checked the Horse paddocks, also no migrants.

Dearth no more

A light SW wind was a little cooler than of late, but still mild. Overcast all day.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

Two nets set this morning in the feeder ride at Heysham for just three hours. The wind direction (SW) was not ideal for any passage birds but we hoped that some 'left-overs' from yesterday's movement might still be around. 26 birds in total captured:

Robin 5 (almost certainly movement)

Blackbird 1

Goldcrest 6 + 1 retrap (of a bird previously caught here last Autumn and earlier this March)

Long-tailed Tit 4 retraps

Blue Tit 3 retraps

Great Tit 1 retrap

Greenfinch 3 +1 retrap

Goldfinch 1

South shore

Jonathan had a walk along the sea wall.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 23 on Red Nab

Rock Pipits 4 - 5 including one checking out the nest holes near the lighthouse 

Peregrine Falcon 1 perched within Power Station complex.

Wheatear 2 

I checked from saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD)

Stonechat 2 - male and female together near the slipway 

Male and female Stonechat 

This is the male

Wheatear 6 male and 1 female/immature male (possibly including Jonathan's two).

Likely immature male Wheatear 

Imperial Rd (MD)

Quite a lot of wildfowl active today

Greylag Goose 2 flew from the direction of Middleton Nature Reserve and landed in the field to the east of the road.

Greylag Geese

Teal 12

Mallard 1

Water Rail 1 calling

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Just a very brief check of the two main ponds located:

Cetti's warbler 1 singing by "no swimming" pond

Chiffchaff 10 singing in the Alder trees between the ponds and feeding around the "no swimming" pond.

Chiffchaff 

On Friday I posted a clip of a Little Grebe taking advantage of the "dearth of insect eating birds" by feeding on the insects on the water surface. Today the grebes were diving for their lunch. There were Chiffchaff all around the "no swimming" pond, picking off the midges before they landed on the water.

You can see the insects flying around in these clips.

Janet took this nice shot of Roe Deer 

Female and male Roe Deer