Immature RVD still about

An early shower then a dry sunny day. A fresh NW wind

Middleton Nature Reserve 

This from Janet on the main pond 

Teneral Red-veined Darter

Peter and Rosemary checked the southern section of the reserve 

There were still a few Common Darters around at the Southern pond but not nearly as many as of late.

This Common Darter casting a good shadow in the sun

This pair were very busy 

A very obliging Migrant Hawker

South shore

Janet went to see if the Kingfisher was along the foreshore rocks, but no sign of it today.

This Little Egret was after the fish instead

Curlew 

Kevin checked along the sea wall

This Turnip Moth was on the sea wall.
Not rare but it's the first time I've seen one here. 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:00 - 15:00

There were many more birds around today, possibly due to the weather or perhaps just because the tides are rising again.

200 Herring gulls were feeding. 

Just some of the gulls, they were all Herring gulls today, many of them adult,
or at least near adult 

One was one of last year's birds ringed on the Power Station roof.
But this is the first time it has been seen at Heysham. 

The only Lesser Black-Backed seen was high up the shore 

As was this Great Black-Backed

Eider 16 all but 1 male in different stages of moulting into breeding plumage

Male Eiders

Red-breasted Merganser 2

This male also moulting out of eclipse 

Oystercatcher 2000

Curlew 25 feeding plus 20 south in small groups

Redshank a big increase, at least 260

Knot 4 (1 and 3)

Turnstone 80

Dunlin 1

Knot, the one on the left is a juvenile 

The Redshank were like this all around the edges of the skear.
There were probably more than I estimated 

Another dreary day

Very low cloud all day sometimes manifesting itself as fine rain. A very light variable breeze.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean

Ringing was low key today rather like the misty weather. However another Grey Wagtail was caught and colour-ringed. A bit of excitement was provided by the capture of a male Sparrowhawk (pictured) with its scary piercing orange eyes and sharp claws that had been chasing a Goldfinch. 

Male Sparrowhawk

Ringing list:
Robin 3
Great Tit 3 plus a retrap
Grey Wagtail 1
Goldfinch 6 plus a retrap
Blue Tit 4 plus a retrap
Chiffchaff 3
Long-tailed Tit 6
Dunnock 1
Goldcrest 1 plus one from elsewhere
Sparrowhawk 1

The Long-tailed Tit flock was very large, maybe 18 birds plus Chiffchaffs trailing along with them.

Overhead vis consisted of 190 Pink-footed Geese heading south. Just one Swallow was seen.

South shore - Malcolm 09:00 - 09:45

Just from saltmarsh to Red Nab and back through the Nature Park, there was drizzle throughout

Pink Footed goose - 2 skeins south heard only as they were above the low cloud.

Linnet at least 180 feeding on the saltmarsh 

Linnet

Robins 3

Rock Pipits 3

Grey Wagtail 1

Blackbird 8 moving through the trees together in the Nature Park 

Blackbirds

Heysham skear  - Malcolm 15:00 - 16:30

At least it was fine, and the sun actually shone, albeit for less than a minute!

Grey Heron 1

Little Egret 14

Heron and Little Egret

Pink-Footed goose 4 skeins south, heard only

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Eider 1 - this blob on a rock turned out to be an Eider

Gull 70 - mainly Herring gulls

There were more waders around today. These are best estimates.

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 30

Redshank 80

Knot 17 (11, 4 and 2)

Turnstone 45

Dunlin 2

Ringed Plover 6

One of the Curlew was colour coded. Ringed as a nesting adult this year at

Bransdale Moor North Yorkshire. It was also seen on Red Nab in July

The Knot were finding seed mussels to eat. The one that ends up central in this clip eats two.

Dunlin and Knot. The Dunlin on the left is a juvenile 

Their bills are surprisingly flexible 

Janet had a walk over the Barrows

Just one wet Small Copper today. But it did pick itself up and fly off

Cuttlebone (the internal skeleton of a Cuttlefish) under the Barrows

Just out of the recording area Glossy ibis flying west over Heaton marsh It appeared to drop into the fields west of the Bay Gateway / Moss Road roundabout. This evening. One to watch out for!

See link for the full report on LDBWS website https://lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk/forums/topic/heaton-marsh-8/

Kingfisher and Grey wags brighten up a dull day

Very low cloud all day. Light fine rain began lunchtime and continued to mid afternoon. A SW breeze

This report by Jean of the ringing session at Heysham Nature Reserve, plus her and Pete's observations.

88 Pied Wagtails on the grass not far from the reception area at Ocean Edge were probably ex-roost from the power station grounds. A total of 985 Pink-footed Geese flew north in 3 flocks early on and later in the morning 500 were reported from Ambleside, so may be related? There was very little visible migration apart from the geese, just 29 Swallows, a Skylark, and 9 Grey Wagtails, six of which were caught and colour ringed. The photograph shows one of them which is sporting an orange colour ring. 

Colour ringed Grey Wagtail. See sidebar for scheme details 

Other birds ringed:
Cetti’s Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Robin 2
Blackbird 2
Great Tit 3 plus one retrap
Blue Tit 1 plus 2 retraps
Goldfinch 7plus 2 retraps
Greenfinch 1

A young (2CY) Shag was on the jetty.
A juvenile Marsh Harrier was just about in the recording area visible from Imperial Road.

South shore

Malcolm 10:00 - 11:30

Linnet 60+ feeding on the saltmarsh 

Robins 3 along the foreshore, 2 on Red Nab, slightly surprisingly, none between the lighthouse and waterfall 

Robin

Three of six Magpies that flew south from the saltmarsh 

No Wheatears seen and just 1 Rock Pipit on Red Nab

3 Pied and a White Wagtail along the sea wall

White Wagtail 

Little Egret 14 

Little Egret

Shelduck 6

Pink-Footed Goose - 3 skeins SE totalling 149

Pink-Footed geese

Mediterranean gulls 2 between the outfalls

2cy Mediterranean Gull (top) with a 3cy/adult

Guillemot 1 out from the harbour 

It looked to be paddling with just one leg. Surprised it wasn't going in circles!

The noise in this clip is a steam release valve blowing in the Power Station

When I walked back there were cranes and other heavy equipment at No.2 outfall. Access along the wall was closed.

Janet checked later 

Kingfisher one was fishing in the channel along to the salt marsh. These were the first shots from a long way off.

I was trying to get closer and hid behind one the large concrete blocks on OE but still not near enough.

There was a Cetti's warbler singing from the wood behind Red Nab. Earlier a Cetti's and Chiffchaff heard at Middleton Nature Reserve 

This is the work underway at No.2 outfall

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:45 - 16:45

A very low neap tide so not far to walk today

Gulls just c75 mainly Herring Gulls

Eider 1

Red-Breasted Merganser 5

Red-breasted Mergansers

Great Crested Grebe 1

Great Crested grebe

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew 9

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3 

Redshank 30

Knot 12

Turnstone 40

Ringed Plover 3

Bar-Tailed Godwits and Knot

The Godwits flew south. The Knot moved higher up the skear and joined 
10 others then they all flew north

Albatross!

 A dry sunny day. The wind was still quite fresh but from NW today. 

Black-Browed Albatross seen by Ian Hartley from the Battery car park. He managed to track it out past Sunyslopes groyne before it was lost from view.

This from Pete:

Sea Heysham 0705-0830:  wind too NW for here: Leachs: just one seemingly tired bird at 0712 which didn’t go through my fixed scope position but was picked up flying slowly out on a scan then seemed to land on the choppy sea

distant Manx Shearwater out

Guillemot out

2  Razorbill/guillemot

1 Common scoter out

c60 pink feet north and a lot of shelduck

South shore - Malcolm 10:00 - 11:30

Linnet 30+ feeding on saltmarsh 

Meadow Pipit 3 grounded on foreshore then inland

Meadow Pipit

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore, 1 between foreshore and Red Nab, 2 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit

Grey Wagtail 1 flew across Red Nab

Wheatear on foreshore

Bar-Tailed Godwit just out from the foreshore 

Curlew just out from the foreshore 

Common Tern 1 on No.1 outfall

Mediterranean Gull - 1 2nd calendar year turned up on the beach by the wooden jetty. A 1st calendar year out from the harbour 

2cy Mediterranean gull

Shelduck 98. There were c50 scattered around out from Red Nab when I walked out. More arrived as I came back.

Shelduck arriving

The ones on the mud were mainly resting. These in the freshwater runoff 
were drinking

In the Nature Park 

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 3

Speckled Wood 5

Middleton Nature Reserve southern section - Janet

Chiffchaff singing 

Three Common Darters sunning themselves on the wooden bridge

Migrant Hawker 

Four-spotted Orb-weaver
It's shots like this that makes you grateful that you are not a small fly!