Lots of warblers!

It was fine this morning till an heavy shower began at 08:30 and continued for an hour. More showers began about 11:00 till early afternoon, then mainly fine. A light SE breeze to lunchtime when it shifted to the west and became quite fresh.

A couple of shots by Janet from Heysham Nature Reserve yesterday 

Snakes Head Fritillary

A pair of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

For once I timed it just right (Malcolm). The heavy early rain was just stopping, I had only planned to check the "no swimming" pond, but there were so many warblers singing that I walked around to the main pond, then checked the fence pond from the roadside.

Cetti's warbler 8 - 1 in three of the 4 "no swimming" pond corners (NE, SE and SW), 1 in the middle of the central marsh, 1 near the pumping station at the NE corner of central marsh, 1 in bushes in the middle of the west side of main pond (not a known territory here), 1 in SE corner of main pond and 1 in NW corner of the Fence pond.

Chiffchaff 6 at least

Willow Warbler 6 at least - it's nice to hear them again! The birds in this compilation are Willow Warbler although there are Chiffchaff singing as well (plus a Pheasant calling). They look much more at home in the willows today than on my lawn yesterday!

Willow warbler

No sign of any Goosander again.

Mute Swan adult pair plus 5 immature 

Gadwall 3 - 2 males

Mallard 2 males

Coot 4

Moorhen 2

Gadwall drake and a Moorhen

South shore (Malcolm)

A quick check of the Nature park this morning heard at least one Willow Warbler. No sign in the evening.

I walked down to the waterline again this evening, but for some reason all the waders were much further south today. No point in trying to follow them they just keep on south. My only company were a few south bound Curlew and a flock of 31 Bar-Tailed Godwit south!

Shelduck 2

Pale-bellied Brent goose 7 on Red Nab. Clearly two lots, one of two and one of five.

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen in the morning, not checked later

First Willow warbler, but not quite where expected

A dry sunny day. A very light SE breeze freshened slightly as it moved to the north.

Heysham Nature Reserve (Janet)

Blue Tit, its ring characters clear to see (unfortunately not enough of them)

Jay

Female Bullfinch 

One of several Chiffchaff 

Buck and doe Roe deer

Middleton Nature reserve 

Just a passing check of the "no swimming" pond. No sign of any Goosander today. Three Chiffchaff and two Cetti's warbler singing (Cettis from SE and NE corners of the pond)

Heysham skear - low water 11:50

It was a lovely walk in the sun compared to yesterday's rain (Malcolm).

Little Egret 10 - there are seven feeding in this pool with a female/1st winter Red-breasted Merganser.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 5

1 and 4 Pale-bellied Brent geese either side of conger rock

Eider 105

Red-breasted Merganser 5. This pair decided that it was time to leave, or rather, the female decided that it was time to leave and the male followed.

Female and male Red-breasted Merganser

This female/1st winter was close inshore.

Knot c2000 initially, but this Peregrine did several sorties and cleared them off the skear. They had gone by the time of this clip, the Peregrine was just checking. Not a great clip of the Peregrine, but it does demonstrate the unusual lighting conditions this lunchtime.

Bar-Tailed godwit 36 - this clip ends with them flying over conger rock

Oystercatcher 750

Curlew 25

Redshank 120

Turnstone 80

South shore 

I walked out to the waterline 2 hours before high water (Malcolm). But these neap tides don't rise very high and I was at the waterline before the waders. But it wasn't long before they arrived. These are the godwits and just some of the Knot arriving.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 250

Knot 2,500

Dunlin 200

I checked the Knot for rings and only found three. One was probably the same bird as yesterday with an obscured code on an orange flag. This one has a pale green flag also obscured! But possibly only on one side, unfortunately it was only walking in one direction away from the rising tide. 

A bit frustrating, but I did manage to read the third bird.

Shelduck 1

Wheatear 5 on the saltmarsh 

Three Wheatears

And where was the Willow warbler? In my garden just after lunch (Malcolm). 

Unusually, feeding on the ground on my immaculately manicured lawn! 

First Willow Warbler of the year

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen in the morning, not checked later

Mainly waders, and wet ones at that!

It rained pretty much all day. A light east wind.

Just my stuff so far (Malcolm)

Middleton Nature Reserve 

A quick passing check of the "no swimming" pond saw the female Goosander has returned.

Two Chiffchaff singing and a singing Cetti's warbler in the SW corner of the pond.

Heysham skear - low water 10:45

No geese

Eider 67 - this male was trying to dislodge mussels from a rock.

Red-breasted Merganser 5

Waders similar to yesterday except

Bar-Tailed Godwit 74 - feeding along the waterline on the south side of the skear. One catches a decent sized Lugworm in this clip.

South shore on rising tide in the afternoon 

I went down an hour earlier in the tide than yesterday, there were a lot of waders along the waterline, but not much variety. Mainly Knot, at least 2,500, plus more further south. These neap tides the water only comes in slowly, allowing more time for them to feed. These are just a tiny fraction of the Knot. The next but last bird in this clip sports an orange flag.

Knot with coded orange flag. Unfortunately in this case the code was obscured.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 200

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Don't know where the Dunlin were. There were less than 10 with the Knot

Oystercatcher 60

Redshank 75 closer to the saltmarsh 

Shelduck 9

Pale-bellied Brent goose 5 on Red Nab. They appear to be a family group, 2 adult and 3 first winter.

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen in the morning, not checked later

Little change

Another warm and mainly sunny day with a light ESE wind

South Shore

A couple of shots by Janet in the Nature Park 

Greenfinch

Chiffchaff 

I checked the waterline just beyond the saltmarsh towards afternoon high water (Malcolm). Initially lots of waders but something spooked all but the Oystercatchers and they headed off towards Potts.

Oystercatcher 80

Bar-Tailed Godwit 150

Knot 300

Dunlin 200

Just a fraction of this afternoon's waders before departing to Potts

Two overwintering Small Tortoiseshell managed to find each other on the saltmarsh.
Hopefully the long wait will prove worthwhile.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

No sign of any Goosander today. Plenty of Chiffchaff and Cetti's warbler singing.

Heysham skear - low water 10:00

Third morning in a row I have checked here (Malcolm). Party hoping for something "good" to pass over, but also it is nice and quiet out here when everywhere else is busy.

No sign of any Brent geese today.

Pink-Footed goose a low loose flock of 51 were heading south along the middle of the bay. They looked to have been flushed by the rising tide.

Eider c60 many flying north

Red-breasted Merganser 8

Great Crested Grebe 1

Oystercatcher much fewer today c500

Curlew 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 8. One was feeding along the mud just south of the skear and these seven came in from the south, joining Knot, Redshank and Oystercatcher.

Knot 1,000

Redshank 60

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 30

From Pete:

Red throated diver non breeding plumage off half moon bay

Eider 919 from harbour to teal bay 

A nice day, but nothing new.

A very pleasant sunny morning, some cloud cover later in the afternoon, but dry. A light SE breeze.

A nice shot of a male Eider by the wooden jetty - Kevin Eaves

Heysham skear low water - 08:25 (MD)

Pale-bellied Brent goose 11 - they were just resting on small islands on the western edge of the skear, till moved on by the tide. They then drifted round to the south of the skear. One of them has two white darvic rings. The clip begins with a few Knot coming in to land.

It wasn't possible to read the rings, but it is likely the Icelandic ringed bird seen earlier in the winter.

Pink-Footed goose 30 east.

Pinkfoot passing over, becoming a less frequent event now

Eider were similar numbers to yesterday. Pete managed to count 64 from Heysham Head

Red-breasted Merganser 9

Shag 1 feeding on the south side

There were a few more waders around today.

Oystercatcher 1,500

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3

Curlew 34

Knot 1,000

Redshank 60

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 50

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just the briefest of checks at the "no swimming" pond. Still 1 female Goosander, the male mute having given up trying to chase her off. For now.

Cetti's warbler 2 singing 

Chiffchaff 2

Just out of the recording area

Scaup 1 drake near Teal Bay (where most of the Eider are too) - Pete

 

Glossy Ibis in the horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. This morning at least.

I didn't check today (Malcolm), but took this clip yesterday as its feeding habits have changed. It was feeling, not probing in the water. It catches something at the end of this clip which appears to be a tadpole.

Glossy Ibis with what can only be a tadpole. It has been such an effective feeder in
this terrain. It almost seems like it evolved specifically to live in this horse paddock!
Obviously, it's real skill is locating an area that it is ideally adapted for.

Not really "good", we'll go for reasonable Friday

A day of two halves, a lovely sunny morning with a light SE breeze. It clouded over in the afternoon and the rain, often heavy started about 14:00.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 13 minimum - there were 9 resting on the skear at low water. Janet saw 9 arrive at Red Nab, followed by 2 more. Later 13 were resting on the sea out from Red Nab.

9 Brent arriving at Red Nab

13 Brent resting on the sea out from Red Nab

Wigeon 4 at Red Nab

Also on the skear this morning (Malcolm) - low water 08:00.

Little Egret 3

Eider 88

Female and male Eider

Red-breasted Merganser 10

Female or first winter Red-breasted Merganser

Goosander 1 - in previous years this would be a significant record. But it doesn't feel so this year, there having been so many for so long on Middleton Nature Reserve this spring.

Female or first winter Goosander heading west.

Ringed Plover 3 flew out to the west, they are normally restricted to the inner skear here.

Other waders as recent.

Other stuff along the south sea wall (Janet)

One of two little Egret on Red Nab

One of many Redshank on Red Nab

One of two Rock Pipit at the lighthouse nest site

This Sea Slater was definitely not having a good Friday!
Caught by the sea wall Rock Pipit, but for some reason discarded 

Only to be eaten by an observant Turnstone 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick morning check of the two main ponds (Malcolm)

Goosander 1 female being chased by the male Mute Swan.

Little Grebe 4 at least. 1 seen and heard on the "no swimming" pond plus 3 seen on the main pond.

Pheasant 1 male calling

Swallow, stopped briefly for a drink from the main pond before continuing north

Cetti's warbler 3

Chiffchaff 3

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen in the morning, not checked later

First Swallow passes through

A fresh SE breeze. A few showers and some sunny spells.

Pete and Jean checked out the key areas this morning.

6 rook nests now at the Rookery (see yesterday's post)

shag 1 adult on wooden jetty.

Red-throated Diver 2 distant.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 19 out from the play area on the north side. Later in the afternoon, presumably the same 19 were on Red Nab, but flew off quite early in the ebbing tide and looked to be heading west across the bay, rather than to the north side.

I had a morning walk out onto the shore on the south side (Malcolm). Nothing other than the waders today.

Oystercatcher 60

Curlew 33

Bar-Tailed Godwit 260

Knot 100

Dunlin 300

Sanderling 1

The light was difficult today, when the sun was shining all the waders looked white, it was easier when a cloud passed over the sun. This clip begins in full sun, but then in shade. The Sanderling is pretty much central throughout, at the end I pan out to show the location, not far beyond Red Nab.

Sanderling central. One of the Godwits is moving to summer plumage

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the "no swimming" pond (Malcolm)

Goosander 4 - 1 male. Unfortunately the male Mute Swan has decided to clear the pond.

Just a short while later, all four were flying and headed off to the east.

Male Goosander

Little Grebe 2

Cetti's warbler 2

Stock Dove 1

Jay 1

Swallow 1 male - a rain shower was just easing and the Swallow was feeding above the trees around the pond.

First Swallow of the year

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen in the morning, not checked later

Rookery and Goosander numbers increasing

A fresher and cooler SE wind. A mixture of sunny spells and showers, one in the evening of hail, accompanied by thunder.

Pale-bellied Brent goose 8 just south of Heysham skear this morning - David Kaye

South shore

I had a walk along the wall mid morning (Malcolm)

Shelduck 10

Wigeon 4

Shag 1 adult on the wooden jetty

Adult Shag

Rock Pipit 5 - one each at Red Nab and sea wall, three above the nest site at the lighthouse.

Rock Pipit, keeping out of the wind near the lighthouse 

Wheatear 6 - 2 on Red Nab quickly moved on. The other 4 were working their way along the foreshore.

male Wheatear

Female/first winter Wheatear

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick check of the two main ponds (Malcolm)

Goosander 7 - 1 adult male plus 6 female and first winter birds. They are all in the clip, with the added bonus of first a Cetti's warbler singing, then a Little grebe trilling.

Little Grebe 4 - 2 each pond

Gadwall 1 male

Mallard 4

Coot 4 

Moorhen 1

Cetti's warbler 4 

Chiffchaff 3

The Rookery at edge of the recording area (the line of trees to the north of Middleton road opposite side to the horse paddock)

There are now four nests and what looks to be the beginning of a fifth. At least 10 Rooks (previously rare in the recording area), but they were difficult to count as these trees have been used as a roost for the Jackdaws, and they weren't best pleased when they started turning up this evening.

Rooks and Jackdaw

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall

Glossy Ibis seen morning and evening 

Whoopers on the move and the first Terns arrive

Very light east breeze early on freshened during the day. It remained dry but largely overcast, although hazy sunshine at times

David Yates had 2 distant tern probably sandwich yesterday evening.

Morning Seawatch by Pete:

30 Whooper on mudflats till moved on by the tide to north west early doors, 22 whooper later floating in distantly on the tide  

Flock of 5 summer plumage red throated diver in early on and a non breeding plumage singleton out later.  

Two sandwich tern out early on, later a distant bird in.   

No passerine movement north wall area.  

Shag 1 wooden jetty (probably adult) at ht 

Distant flock of Whooper Swans resting on the mud

From Knowlys Rd.

First thing there were 29 carrion crow together on skeer.  15 flew high WNW across the Bay, 10 then flew high NE towards Morecambe leaving four on the skeer. Vis migrants joining local non breeders? 

I checked from the shore out from Ocean Edge (Malcolm)

Whooper Swans 37 (bringing total for this morning to 89). 4 flocks (7, 8, 8, 14) on the same flight line, from SE overland, crossing the shoreline north of Potts Corner and continuing NW. It wasn't easy seeing them against the white sky, just as well they are noisy! This is the largest flock, unfortunately for some reason you can't really hear them.

No Brent Geese seen

Shelduck 12

Wigeon 3

Eider 2 south

Teal 10 resting on sea.

A little later they got swept along a channel by the rapidly rising tide (these are the channels that you must be on the shore side of on these high spring tides)

Enough was enough 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 340

Bar-Tailed Godwit. Easily visible from the sea wall

Knot 200

Dunlin 300

Sanderling 1

Sanderling with Dunlin (bottom centre both shots)

Knot, Dunlin and Sanderling in this clip. A few of the Dunlin were moving to summer plumage. These are also technically visible from the wall or foreshore, but the Sanderling would have been obscured by the other birds on this occasion.

Meadow Pipit at least 36 north in ones and twos

Wheatear 1

The insects were enjoying the warmth and the pollen. Janet took these shots in the Nature Park.

Small Tortoiseshell 

Comma

There are a lot of these Hoverflies around

Bumblebee 

 

Seven-spot Ladybird 

Also

Goldcrest

Chiffchaff 

Heysham Nature Reserve

Report by Jean:

I was ringing and caught 24 birds, 15 of which were new: 

4 Greenfinch

2 Chiffchaff

2 Goldcrest

2 Bullfinch

then singles of Robin, Dunnock, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit and Blue Tit. 

The retraps were fairly recent apart from a Robin from 2022.

Vis consisted of a Siskin, 3 Pied Wagtails and 2 Meadow Pipits - so very low key. 

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Goosander 6 still, 1 male plus 5 female/1st winter

Heysham Skear 

Just a quick evening check (Malcolm)

Little Egret 9

Pink-Footed goose 31 high to the south

Eider 65

Red-breasted Merganser 14 - the males now displaying (at anything!)

Didn't try and count the waders as a constant Peregrine presence was keeping them highly mobile.

Just out of the recording area

Osprey seen south of the recording area heading our way.

Glossy Ibis still feeding in horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall