The large warbler movement continues apace

Another dry overcast day, almost calm till late morning then a light NE breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

It has been an amazing week for ringing at both Heysham and Middleton sites.  This morning alone 72 birds were caught at Heysham and 70 at Middleton.

Middleton catch included:
Lesser Redpoll  6
Siskin  3
Chiffchaff  5
Goldcrest  6
Coal Tit  3
Redwing 3
Song Thrush  2
Blackcap  10 
Reed Bunting 2
Cetti's Warbler  1
Wrens (2), Robin, Chaffinch, Great Tit
A flock of 30 birds in one net completed a busy morning, comprising mainly Blue Tits (8)  and Long tailed Tits  (16) plus some of the species above.

The female Pochard was back on the main pond - Kevin Eaves

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Pete:

Really good warbler and Goldcrest passage at Heysham NR today contrasting with the virtual complete absence of any new finches.  

Ringing totals: New birds:

Chiffchaff 25

Goldcrest 20

Blackcap 6

Robin 3

Goldfinch 2

Greenfinch 2

Singles of Coal Tit, Dunnock, blue Tit, long tailed tit 

…….plus about 10 retraps of birds already ringed, mostly in recent days

Male Pheasant, also seen yesterday 

Eared Owl sp flushed before dawn as Jean set the nets

South shore (Malcolm) 08:30 - 10:45

Shelduck 150

I went to check the waterline at high water, even at 8m high water was still 300m from the eastern shore.

Oystercatcher 120

Curlew 40

There were a lot of waders milling around. These are the maximum numbers along the waterline at any one time:

Bar-Tailed Godwit 260

Grey Plover 45

Knot 1,600

Dunlin 100

Sanderling 1 (single bird seen on two occasions, possibly different birds)

Unfortunately, the flat sea meant that even the small waders stood in the water. This clip shows some of the waders and Shelduck upending to feed on the small snails. You wouldn't think it would be worth the effort.

These ripples were enough to provide tantalising glimpses of a coded yellow flag on a
Bar-Tailed Godwit. Good enough to identify it as belonging to a Norwegian scheme,
but probably not enough to identify the individual bird - Thanks to Richard for his help

Even the Sanderling was up to its tummy in water

The only group actually on the mud were these Grey Plover and Dunlin keeping ahead of the rising tide.

Even when the tide began ebbing the Knot and Godwits waded out with it. So I left them in peace.

Carrion Crow 74 on the mud!

Mute Swan 1 juvenile, likely one of the outcasts from Middleton Nature Reserve, was flying around.

Juvenile Mute Swan

Around the saltmarsh 

Linnet c100

Greenfinch 4

Reed Bunting 3

Stonechat 2 female type

This one only has one leg. Same bird in the shot below

The balancing act providing a nice shot showing wing and rump detail

Starling and a Stonechat, this one definitely has two legs

Another good ringing day

The calm overcast conditions continue. A very light variable breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve

Ringing report by Jean:

The Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests keep piling through, though Blackcaps are now catching up.

Today's ringing tally of new birds:

Chiffchaff 18

Goldcrest 15

Blackcap 11

Redpoll 3

Coal Tit 3

Goldfinch 3

Robin 1

Blackbird 1

Song Thrush 1

Greenfinch 1

Blue Tit 1

Dunnock 1

Stonechat 1 male and Green Woodpecker by the Office first thing

Fewer redwing than yesterday with intermittent observation seeing 64 SW, many lifting off out of bushes early am.  

Just one Fieldfare

Middleton Nature Reserve 

No sign of the female Pochard this afternoon. There are still plenty of Tufted Ducks and Gadwall. These shots by Kevin Singleton.

Gadwall

Tufted Duck

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 12:45 - 14:00

Not as varied as yesterday the only real thing of note was a large influx of Redshank

Eider 38 were the only wildfowl seen today

The tide doesn't go out far here on these neap tides. This shot of 
Eider is from the promenade as I was setting off

Great Crested Grebe 3

Little Egret 7

Redshank c550 - they were feeding like this along a 200m stretch of the north side

Redshank were also colonising ground on the western edge as soon 
as it became available 

Oystercatcher 500

Curlew 25

Knot 150 - probably the same group as yesterday, no flagged birds seen today

Turnstone 70

Ringed Plover 3

This Carrion Crow is a fastidious feeder, it carefully washed this mussel before prising it open.

South shore - Kevin Eaves

Black-Tailed Godwit near the outfalls 

Just out of the recording area Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Male Common Darter - Janet

Garden warbler the pick of the day and plenty of wildfowl movement.

Another dry overcast day, the very light NE breeze freshened slightly in the afternoon before easing again.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report by Alan:

Nets set at Middleton this morning starting pre-dawn.  28 captures in total was perhaps a little disappointing.

Redwing 4

Wren 1

Goldcrest 4 (2 retraps)

Reed Bunting  8

Cetti's Warbler 2 (1 retrap)

Chiffchaff 4

Long tailed Tit (2 retraps)

Blue tit 2 (1 retrap)

Lesser Redpoll 1

 

At around 08.30 many hundreds of Pink footed Geese flew north out of their Fylde roosts. There was a stream of skeins in lovely V formations for a period of 20 minutes or so.

Thrushes were roaming around above the reserve for much of the morning but the only ones caught were very early.

Heysham Nature Reserve

Report by Pete:

34 new birds caught by Jean in 2 hours, 1000-1200. 

Including 1 Garden Warbler, 10 chiffchaff and 15 Goldcrest.

Not one but two Treecreeper - the first ever multiple capture I think! 

At least 185 Redwing dropped in before carrying on SW 

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 10:10 - 11:30

A check as the inner skear was becoming exposed

Pink-Footed goose 146 south in two skeins. This clip by Janet is actually of an earlier skein passing over Meldon Road.

Eider 67

Pintail ducks 4 - they arrived from the north, settled briefly, then continued south

Pintail 

They don't really do much other than pirouette in this clip, but it also shows the waders feeding 

Teal 4 - arrived from the south and settled on the sea to the north of the skear.

Teal 

Wigeon 1 - rested on the skear before flying north

Male Wigeon

Red-Breasted Merganser 2

Great Crested Grebe 5

Little Egret 5

Oystercatcher 400

This partially leucistic Oystercatcher, or one very like it, was here last winter too.

Curlew 40

Redshank 250

Knot 150 - I eventually located an orange flagged bird, unfortunately its code was completely obscured by dirt/algae

Turnstone 60

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm)

I just popped into the bottom car park to see if the female Pochard was still there. She was, this clip shows her feeding with Tufted Duck

Plenty of stuff on the move

Dry and overcast after overnight rain. A very light east breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

On arrival at Heysham in the dark the seeps or Redwing and chuckles of Fieldfare could be heard. Just before sunrise Pete saw 24 Redwing on the grassy area near the office and more were in the bushes and trees on the reserve. At daybreak there was very fine light precipitation which perhaps accounted for the "fall" of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs that ensued.

I put up the usual three nets and over the course of the morning caught 87 birds (mostly ringed by Pete). Retrap numbers in brackets:

20 Chiffchaff

18 Goldcrest (1)

15 Goldfinches (4)

7 Coal Tit

5 each of Great Tit (3) and Greenfinch 

4 Blue Tit

3 each of Blackcap, Chaffinch and Robin (1)

2 each of Dunnock (1) and Long-tailed Tit (2)

A Peregrine caused havoc among the Carrion Crows. They were fighting over who got the right to sit on one of the pylons. As far as I could tell the Carrion Crows made a racket but left the pylon so the Peregrine won. 

The low cloud obscured any vis but I heard one flock of Pink-footed Geese, a couple of Siskin and a few Chaffinches. As the sky cleared at midday a Redpoll flew over.

South shore

I checked from Red Nab to the saltmarsh 09:30 - 10:00 (Malcolm)

Wren 3

Wren on Red Nab

There were two Robins today 

Rock Pipit 1

Rock pipit

Meadow Pipit 2

Meadow Pipit 

Wheatear 1

Wheatear

Reed Bunting 4 around the saltmarsh 

Reed Bunting

Linnet 100+ on the saltmarsh 

Goldfinch 12 and Greenfinch 3 around the saltmarsh 

Greenfinch and Goldfinch 

Shelduck 59

Pink-Footed goose 19 having a rest on the mud.

Pink-Footed geese

Kevin Eaves had a walk along the sea wall this afternoon 

Stonechat 1 male

Water Rail disappeared into the scrub near the lighthouse. A slightly unusual sighting, but there is a reed surrounded pond just inside the Power Station grounds.

I checked the waterline this evening 16:30 - 17:30 (Malcolm)

A lot of waders eventually turned up, but the light was fading quickly.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 70

Grey Plover 8

Knot c1500

Dunlin c300

This is a blizzard of Knot and Dunlin coming in, the Godwits, to the left, had already arrived 

They ended up leaving to the south

Shelduck 200+

Middleton Nature Reserve 

This from Janet:

Pochard still on pond, I'm gutted I can't get a shot! (still out of action camera wise)

5 Cygnets still there, the reason we have 5 again is because one crash landed at the garage on Middleton Road when they got chased off and the dog warden put it back on the pond.

I checked 10:15 - 10:45 (Malcolm)

There was a sixth cygnet on the "no swimming" pond, perhaps it too will be allowed back. The female seems to be distancing herself from the others.

View of the main pond from the bottom car park 

Little grebe

There were 41 Tufted Duck on the main pond plus 8 on the "no swimming" pond. This is looking down on the main pond from the top car park

Pink Footed goose 80 south

Cetti's warbler 1 singing at the "no swimming" pond

Thrushes 300+ mainly Redwing headed east in several waves. Some landed briefly to feed

Four Redwing

Song Thrush 

First Pochard for ages, and more winter Thrushes

A fine but overcast day, a light variable breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Alan:

The overnight mist had fortunately cleared when I arrived at 06:30 and a total of 38 birds caught by 11:00 was quite respectable.

Singles of Redwing, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Treecreeper, Blue Tit, Robin (Retrap), Great Tit (retrap) and Coal Tit were caught together with:

Goldcrest  6

Reed Bunting  3 + 1 recovery from elsewhere.

Chiffchaff  4

Wren  2

Lesser Redpoll  12

Blackcap  2

 

A group of 22 thrush sp. flew very high southwest at around 09:00 followed by another group of c75  that circled around the reserve later in the morning.

Pochard 1 female on the main pond spotted by Pete, it was there all day. This is the first Pochard record since February 2023

Female Pochard - Kevin Eaves

Kevin also noted that the female Mute Swan was accompanied by 5 cygnets today, presumably she has accepted one back.

The wildfowl on the main pond has flourished since public access  has been restricted. There were 28 Tufted Duck and 10 Gadwall today, plus the Mallard, Coot and Moorhen. This clip focuses on the Pochard but opens out to show the wealth of activity here. This is taken while sat on the bench in the lower car park (Malcolm).

8 more Tufted Duck and 3 Teal on the "no swimming" pond.

Teal

Water Rail 2 calling from the central marshes

Cetti's warbler 4 singing

Chiffchaff 1 singing 

I checked the northern edge of the reserve this afternoon, this is where the highest density of tall hawthorns are. 

Thrushes c120 - they just looked dark against the light sky, but Redwings were calling and all the birds were a similar size.

This lot was just setting off to the east as I arrived 

These must have been feeding along the edge of the golf course. They circled a while then returned 

Redwing top, but the lower bird suggests Song Thrush 

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 south

Red Admiral 1

Speckled Wood 1

South shore  

Pink-Footed goose c200 in two skeins south - Kevin Eaves 14:00

I had a walk from Red Nab to the saltmarsh at high water (Malcolm) 16:30 - 17:15. Back to neap tides now so the tide didn't reach the marsh.

Shelduck 120

Wigeon 38

Common Snipe 1 on Red Nab

Common Snipe

There were a lot of grounded passerines and some regulars missing.

Wren 4 - 2 on Red Nab (not normally seen here) plus 2 along the foreshore

Dunnock 1 on the foreshore 

Dunnock 

No Robins seen

Meadow Pipit 3

Meadow Pipit

No Rock Pipits seen

Pied and White Wagtails 13 - there was definitely some of each, but there was a lot of squabbling and hard to keep track of them. Possibly the Pied were the resident birds, the others quickly moved on.

Pied/White Wagtail 

No Linnets seen

Stonechat 2 males along the foreshore, only a few metres apart

Stonechat 

Still in the doldrums, but at least it's good ringing conditions

A 09:00 shower followed by light misty drizzle for an hour or so. Then dry but overcast. A very light variable breeze.

Ringing report for yesterday Alan and John:

Ringing at Middleton 

25 birds caught comprising:

Cetti's Warbler  6

Lesser Redpoll  3

Reed Bunting  5

Goldcrest  6

Long tailed Tit 2

Blue Tit  1 retrap

Coal Tit  1

Chiffchaff 1

 

Two small groups of 38 & 15 Pinkfeet flew south very high.

At least two Water Rails were calling in the reed beds.

 

29 birds ringed at Heysham:

Goldcrest     9

Coal Tit      5

Greenfinch     4

Goldfinch      2

Blue Tit        2

Dunnock     2

Chaffinch     1

Great Tit      1

Chiffchaff     1

Wren          1

Robin         1      

Ringing report today at Heysham Nature Reserve Jean:

Caught 64 birds of 13 species. 44 new birds and 20 retraps. New birds:

Goldcrest 8

Chiffchaff 7

Goldfinch 4

Great Tit 4

Blue Tit 4

Greenfinch 3

Chaffinch 3

Dunnock 3

Coal Tit 2

Robin 2

Wren 2

Treecreeper 1

Long-tailed Tit 1

Although a small number of Chiffchaffs winter in the UK, most head south to the Mediterranean so unsurprisingly none of today’s were retraps.

Treecreeper 

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 09:30 -11:00

Pink-Footed geese were circling overhead for several minutes, not seen as they were above/in the very low cloud. Eventually heard heading south

Eider 6

Red-Breasted Merganser 11

Red-Breasted Merganser 

Great Crested grebe 9

Shag at least 3 juveniles (three also seen on the wooden jetty roost this afternoon)

Juvenile Shags

Little Egret 10

Grey Heron 1

Oystercatcher 400

Curlew 20

Redshank 80

Knot 30

Turnstone 65 most close inshore 

Ringed Plover 9

Turnstone 

South shore (Malcolm) 13:00 - 13:45

I went to check the gulls on Red Nab as the tide reached it. There were only large gulls on the rocks, the smaller gulls were on the mud.

Four gull species in this shot. From top to bottom:
Great Black-Backed, Herring, Black-Headed and Lesser Black-Backed 

Mediterranean gulls 2 adults

Mediterranean gull upper left

They decided to move on. Med in the middle

But only as far as the foreshore. Two Meds here, left and right.

Little Egret 6

Little Egret

Shelduck 60

Shelduck feeding on the tiny snails

These are the tiny snails that currently cover the shore here.
Both the Shelduck and small waders feed on them

Fox taking a nap on Heysham Head - Janet