Dim.........but nice.

The dimness in the title refers to the visibility this morning. A very heavy mist till late morning. The sun broke through at lunchtime, it then remained warm and sunny with a light variable breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

Thick fog put paid to the vis for most of the morning. Seven flocks of Pink-footed Geese heard throughout the morning but not seen ie invisible vis. 

Ringing

32 new birds of 9 species were caught, plus 6 retraps

Ringing consisted mainly of birds coming to the feeders, especially Goldfinches. 14 were caught and ringed but when the sun finally came out at half eleven and dried the knapweed seeds, 50 Goldfinches descended on the natural food instead of going to the nyjer feeders and so evaded the nets.

Other migrants ringed included 4 Grey Wagtails, 2 Blackcaps, a Reed Warbler and 4 Robins. Robins are included as a migrant as previous captures at Heysham have shown some move south from Scotland. 

Also ringed:

3 Blue Tits 

3 Great Tits

1 Dunnock

1 Greenfinch

There were a few retraps:

1 Blue Tit from earlier this year

2 Great Tits, one recent one and one that was ringed as a nestling in one of the nest boxes in the Landscape Strip in 2021

1 Dunnock from this year

A male Blackcap with a shiny new looking ring appeared but the number on it was one I didn't recognise. Waiting for details. 

South Shore

I had a walk out on the shore from the saltmarsh on the rising tide this morning (Malcolm).

It felt surreal, the mist cut out all external noise. The only sounds were the regular cackle of Pink Footed geese above the mist (no way of knowing how many birds involved) The haunting calls of 100+ Curlew. And a singing Cetti's warbler just to the south of the caravan park.

Pink-Footed goose at least 7 skeins involved, but possibly some going round in circles.

Shelduck 7

Shelduck through the mist

Mediterranean gulls 11 - 10 adult plus a 2nd calendar year (none ringed)

Adult Mediterranean gulls

Adult and 2cy Mediterranean gull (right)

Common gull 6

Adult Common gull

Waders on the shore

Some of today's waders, many more were out of sight

Minimum numbers:

Curlew 100

Oystercatcher 80

Grey Plover 21

Ringed Plover 2

Knot 10

Dunlin 60

Sanderling 1 juvenile - fortunately it was moving in with the tide and approached quite close (the silence is plain to hear)

Sanderling and Dunlin

Waders closer to saltmarsh:

Turnstone 1

Redshank 60

Lapwing 7

Swallow 4 south - they appeared out of the mist and zipped past me, two either side of my head!

Meadow Pipit 2 heard only

Wheatear 1 on foreshore, slightly unusual, as it was sat rather then stood 

Wheatear

Sedge Warbler 1 (two warblers seen/heard, not bad for a shore walk). It was at the RedNab end of the foreshore, just before the wood plank barrier.

Sedge Warbler 

This is two clips together, in the second half it is polishing off a crane fly. By this time the mist was lifting and the sounds of the world returning.

Kevin Eaves checked from the saltmarsh to Red Nab early evening, by that time there were:

Wheatear 2 - one each foreshore and Red Nab

Stonechat 1 female type, by the saltmarsh 

Stonechat 

Grim!

Probably grim is not a grim enough word to describe this morning's weather! The constant rain alternating between very heavy and not quite so heavy! A SE wind early on shifted to SW after lunch.

It faired up mid afternoon, by that time it had put down 50mm of rain! By evening the sun was out.

Unfortunately, I only had opportunity for a morning walk today (Malcolm)

Saltmarsh to Red Nab

Out from the saltmarsh 

Grey Plover 1

Ringed Plover 12

Redshank 30

Turnstone 12

Oystercatcher 15

I just managed a few monochrome like shots sheltering behind the large sign by the slipway.

Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher 

Grey Plover and marsh grass 

Redshank and Samphire 

Turnstone and tiny molluscs 

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Wigeon 5 flew south from Red Nab

Little Egret 3

Kingfisher 1 - the freshwater runoff was a torrent so it was feeding in the rock pools along the western edge of Red Nab

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Just a quick look at the two main ponds on the way home.

Mute Swan pair plus one large cygnet. No sign of the adult that had been on the "no swimming" pond. The water here is now 1.5m above its normal height, the swan's nest is well underwater (see post 08/09/24)

Mallard 14

Tufted Duck 10

Gadwall 1 male was a new arrival

Male Gadwall

Coot 18 - the rain had "eased" to not quite so heavy, so I took this clip of the Coot arguing. The Gadwall and a male Tufted in the background 

Weather looks set fair for the rest of the week

First, hopefully of many to come, Wigeon on Red Nab

A couple of overnight showers followed by heavy rain starting at 06:00 easing by 08:30. After that it remained dry with sunny spells. A SW wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

I checked the foreshore and Red Nab just as the morning rain was easing, hoping the rain had grounded something.

Robin 3 around/behind Red Nab 3 more along foreshore and saltmarsh 

It was still raining slightly 

But it didn't stop it singing

Meadow Pipit 3 along foreshore 

Meadow Pipit

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab (none seen later)

Rock Pipit

Kingfisher 1 - shot out from the freshwater runoff culvert on Red Nab and was lost towards the edge of Red Nab.

Shelduck 32

Wigeon 1 out from Red Nab

Wigeon

An evening walk along the sea wall produced little to add.

The Wigeon, or another one, was on the beach near the wooden jetty

Wigeon resting on the sandmason worm tubes

No Pink-Footed geese seen at all today.

Mediterranean gull 1 adult with a metal ring feeding on the sandmason worms.

It has a sandmason worm in this shot

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 

Bar-Tailed Godwit

In the Nature Park

Common Darter 8

Red Admiral 4

Peacock 1

Speckled Wood 2

Small White 1

Male Small White

Lots of young Goldfinch swelling the feeding flocks

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Tufted Duck 18

This one was coming for bread fed by visitors 

Speckled Wood

Meadow Brown

Green shield bug

The weather is looking grim for tomorrow!

Sittin' on the dock of the bay, watching........

It was breathless till mid morning then a light west breeze. A cold start and it was never overly warm despite the, more or less, constant sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing and vis report by Alan:

John and I set nets this morning - my first very cold clear morning of the season. Predictably there were few grounded migrants after the clear conditions overnight.  Seven more Grey Wagtails were colour ringed and a flock of 13 Long-tailed Tits was a treat (!) on the first net round.

 

Meadow Pipit, Wren, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Tit   -  singles of each species

Grey Wagtail   7

Robin  2

Cetti's Warbler  1 + 1 retrap

Chiffchaff   6

Long-tailed Tit  14

 

Pink footed Geese continued to move southwards in smaller numbers than the last day or so  -  c 610 in seven flocks.  (775 total for the day)

Ten Meadow Pipits and a single Swallow were the only other overhead movements noted.

Janet took this shot of the shore out from Knowlys Rd.
One good thing about neap tides is that the shorebirds are never far from the sea wall.

South shore (Malcolm)

A couple of walks along the sea wall, mainly as it was such a pleasant day for walking, there was little to see!

Pink-Footed geese 4 skeins, number included in daily total above.

Shelduck 50 - 43 on the shore plus 7 south

These are some of them filtering the small molluscs from the mud.

Little Egret 6

Grey Heron 1

A couple of antisocial Redshank on No.1 outfall

Only 11 Cormorants on the wooden jetty

This immature Cormorant was on one of the harbour platforms 

Pied Wagtail 17 on Ocean Edge grass 

Linnet 2 on Ocean Edge grass
Robin 3 between lighthouse and the waterfall 

Wheatear 1 on Red Nab.

Wheatear

Peregrine Falcon 1 in Power Station grounds

Sparrowhawk 1 in Nature Park

Also in Nature Park:

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter 4

Red Admiral 4

Peacock 1

Speckled Wood 3

Common Blue 1 (first for a while)

Quite a worn female Common Blue

When I reached the end of the harbour this afternoon, a flock of Pinkfoot were heading my way, so I sat on one of the, very convenient, sea defences and just watched them fly past. 

Loads of Pinks

A very light north breeze. Sunny for most of the day.

Middleton Nature Reserve

Ringing and vis report Pete:

Ringing produced a good warbler catch this morning included a latish 1cy Grasshopper warbler and 3 Reed warbler, 14 chiffchaff, 2 willow warbler and 5 blackcap. But only 2 Grey Wagtails.

Stock Dove 1 over

vis other than geese blocked by a line of squalls just to the west

Pink-Footed goose 2,785 minimum south between 06:30 and 12:15.

(Minimum total for the day 3,145)

Some of the Pink-Footed geese passing over this afternoon 

Other shots from Janet:

Grey Heron

6 Tufted Duck on the main pond, 4 more on the "no swimming" pond

Male Migrant Hawker

Common Darters

I had a quick check at lunchtime (Malcolm)

Coot now 19 in adult plumage

Little Grebe 2 - 1 winter plumage on both ponds

Unfortunately the heavy rain yesterday has raised the water level of the "no swimming" pond by 0.5m. I couldn't see the Swan's nest, it was almost certainly underwater for the second time this year. The lone adult was still on the pond.

Heysham skear - low water 12:30 (Malcolm)

The Pinks were still going over, numbers included in the day total above, as are others seen by Janet over Heysham Head.

Little Egret 18

Some of the Egret with the Manxman coming into harbour 

Eider 2

Red-breasted Merganser 8 in one group

Red-breasted Merganser

Great Crested Grebe 1

Herring Gull 130

Oystercatcher 300

Curlew 80

Redshank 30

Bar-Tailed Godwit 1

Knot 150

Knot and a splendid view!

Ringed Plover 6

Turnstone 25

Turnstone "hiding" in plain view

Peregrine Falcon 1 - but not hunting, it was soaring high above the skear. It reached a height where it was almost invisible, then headed off east.