Also yesterday (25th) to add to the Chough and Iceland Gull

Stonechat - female on wall near the cafe
Shag - imm on rocks to the entrance of the harbour

I was intrigued by the reports of the Iceland gull at the harbour and was my main focus of the trip and I considered this as my best chance to get reasonable pictures of it for my collection.

I knew in advance that without detailed directions and not knowing the area well, access would be trial and error. A little local help saw me through going via the local nature reserve.

I reached the spot and sadly the Iceland gull was a no show. Got every other ususal gull except, so I headed back towards the Half moon cafe that I passed earlier. As I did along the side of the power station, I kept my eyes peeled on the coast as one usually does and BINGO! (No, I didn't find a casino hall)- One Iceland gull bathing with roosing Oystercatchers and wigeon.

I enjoyed watching it for a good 15 minutes before it flew north by the tide onto a wooden structure and more distant. The attached pictures ain't as good as my glaucous gull but far better then anything I currently have and considering I had steam to deal with from the power station, I'm really happy with the results.

On my way back, I enjoyed the chough views as he showed very well but I felt sorry for him as he kept being flushed by dog walkers. I didn't bother too much of taking pictures of him since I already have a nice collection but I still took a few (attached)

Also noteworthy;

Eiders
Turnstones
Great black backed gull
Jay
Little egret
Kestrel

This afternoon. Perimeter walk around the power station from Ocean edge holiday park to the lighthouse. 

X2 Brent geese (pale bellied)

X1 little Egret 

X2 rock pipit

200 plus wigeon 

100 plus cormorant 

Star bird of the day was the excellent views of the Iceland gull in the harbour 

-- Edited by Martin Loftus on Sunday 4th of February 2018 10:49:18 PM

Afternoon visit in gloomy and blustery conditions. Highlights included:- Red Nab, approx 40x oystercatcher, 5x curlew, 10x turnstone, 30x redshank and flock of wigeon at high tide, also here 1st winter glaucous gull. Half Moon Bay. Female stonechat and the long-staying chough giving great views feeding on worms in the fields backing onto the houses until disturbed by rampaging dogs!

Had an hour here this afternoon, productive as always

4 Bar-Tailed Godwit

Mediterranean Gull on the beach, potentially 2

4 Guillemot at the outfall

6 Turnstone on the seaward side

10+ Eider out at sea

Good size mixed flock at the feeding station including at least 12 Twite (all looked ringed), Linnet and Goldfinch

I had another great day out twitching today, I headed up to Heysham Power Station and I bagged my first Napolean the with help from some other birders. The tiny Bonapartes Gull was on the shore line and then showed really well on the railings of the outflow, although it was too far fro my lens

http://austinmorley.blogspot.co.uk/

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 29th of July 2013 08:58:54 PM

11.00-15.30 (16.00 High Tide)

Power Staion outflows & Harbour wall/breakwater South Side.

1 Arctic Tern, 2 ad.1 1st winter Mediterranean Gulls, 1, 1st winter Little Gull, 1 1st winter Kittiwake.

A constant stream of Oystercatchers were flying South past the harbour to spend high tide on Red Nab rocks, roosting with them were large numbers of Redshank, Curlew and 5 Bar Tailed Godwits plus lots of gulls.

The decrepit old wooden jetty held a large Cormorant roost, about 30 Turnstones took shelter there as the tide came in and they were joined by 20 or so Starlings.

The only sign of small migrants lurking around the small area of parkland between the caravan site and the power station were 4 very tired racing pigeons.

-- Edited by John Williams on Friday 7th of September 2012 10:31:28 PM

Had a walk around the point on the north harbour wall yesterday after lunch. About 20 Twite at feeding station, always great to see them chattering together on the fence. From the point looking in to the harbour 4 juv shag (1st winters), several kittiwakes and a 1st winter Glaucous Gull, it is a mucky individual, but very white wing tips, fighting with the other gulls at the outflow/waterfall from the plant.

Med gulls must have been somewhere offshore, as no sign of usual birds. Little gull and purple sandpiper off point too, so if you are doing a news years day bird race it may provide a useful few additions to your list for half an hours birding!!

nothing much else of note turned up later, superb Sabines gull, great almost summer plumage, just starting to fade on the head but still very distinct, also winter plumage med and little gull too, large flock of knots and oystercatchers, redshanks, 4 turnstones, lots of curlews, no dunlins? bar tailed godwits, 1 fly over golden plover, common and arctic terns, 1 sandwich tern sat with the black headed gull on the shoreline, wheatear and meadow pipits on the rocks

Late report from Tuesday 22nd March. I was completing several surveys from the South Harbour Wall from 7:30 till 14:00 between low and high tide. It was a mixed day for weather with some low cloud and sunny spells intermittent throughout the day!? with a very light cool wind from the SW.

It was my last day after 19 months of surveys since September 2009 . It has been an incredible experience and one that was made easier with regular chats with Pete Marsh at the observatory and other folk there such as Jean and Alan. Many thanks for their kindness offering me an escape from the wind, rain and snow on occasion to get a quick brew and warm up before another survey!? Pete's knowledge of birds is second to none and I really have learned a lot from through my brief, but regular, chats and walks.

In 13 months I have spent approximately 400 hours on site, seen 130 species of birds as well as seeing Grey Seal and Porpoise offshore and a variety of butterflies whiz past including Brimstones, which are always a pleasure. As for the birds themselves I've seen a great deal, including RT and GN Diver, Slav Grebe, Leach's Petrel, Gannet and Fulmar, Shag, Whooper Swans, Common Scoter & Scaup, Merlin and Peregrine, Woodcock and Jack Snipe, Bar and Blackwits, Whimbrel, Curlew Sandpiper, Purple Sandpiper, Flocks of 40,000 Knot , Grey & Golden Plover, Ringed Plover chicks, Med Gulls galore, Little Gull, Bonxies and Pommies, Little Tern, Black Guillemot, Green Woodpecker, Siberian Chiffchaff, Grasshopper Warbler and much much more.

All I can say is time and careful observation on any site does reward you with birds, it just needs patience and a good eye/ear. I look forward to getting back for the tern and skua spring passage next, although this time it won't be with a weatherwriter and pen!?!?

South Harbour Wall

Cormorant 35+
Pink-footed Goose - 110 north
Shelduck 4+1
Wigeon 20+
Eider 85+
RB Merganser 2
Oystercatcher 1000+
Curlew 60+
Bar-tailed Godwit 400+
Redshank 30+
Knot 3,000+
Turnstone 200+ (spring passage on the go for these birds now)
Purple Sandpiper 1
Guillemot (one floated in for the first Heysham bird of 2011)
Meadow Pipit (minimum of 81 north - noise from boats hampering vis)
alba Wagtail (min of 10 north)
Linnet - 2 north
Rock Pipit (the wintering bird still in residence)
Twite 17+

My last survey day here, after 19 months, I'll miss you Heysham, but I will return!?

Saturday 19 March 2011

A male Wheatear was on the heli-pad this afternoon.

Hi sean, just back from there now! Found c.50 twite exactly where you said. They were very obliging, letting me stand about 10 yards away and watch! Also about were 2 Rock Pipits and 3 Pied Wags. Bit quiet at the nature reserve, long tailed tit and chaffinch being the only birds visible. No sign of divers on the sea, but a nice flypast from a pair of RB Mergansers was nice, along with a flock of oysteys.

Sean Sweeney wrote:

---

Twite 40+

---

Hi Sean, I am going up to heysham today, and i was wondering wheree the twite were. I know they ring them there, but where abouts exactly?
cheers,
joe

I completed an inter-tidal survey at Heysham from the North Harbour wall yesterday (Tues 15th). A very cold damp day, with a light but very cool southerly/south westerly breeze stinging my hands and face all day and touch of light rain to top it off!?!?

All observations were made between high tide (08:43, 7.9m) and low tide (15:31 - 2.4m).

Cormorant 16
Fulmar 1 (first of the year fro Heysham)
Red-throated Diver 1
Pink-footed Goose 20
Shelduck 4
Wigeon 20+
Eider 5
RB Merganser 2
Sparrowhawk (with twite in tallons )
Oystercatcher 1500
Curlew 30+
Bar-tailed Godwit 800+
Redshank 70+
Dunlin 200+
Knot 8,000+
Turnstone 60+
Grey Plover 8
Purple Sandpiper 1
Med Gull 1 (with near full black hood now )
Twite 33

Was glad I had a flask to keep me warm

simonthew wrote:

---

does glasson dock come under heysham.

---

Glasson Dock and Heysham Harbour are two totally seperate sites Simon, although they both fall within the LDBWS recording area. If you look at a map of the coast you will see that they are seperated (most noticeably) by the Lune estuary. I wish I had a caravan up there

I completed an inter-tidal survey from the North Harbour Wall today between just before sunrise and high tide approx midday. High tide was 10m today and at midday is a good time to think about popping to Parkgate or Marshside at the weekend to see what gets flushed out!?

North Harbour Wall
Cormorant 26
Pink-footed Goose 55 and 35
RB Merganser 2 (male and female at different points
Oystercatcher 2000+ (gathered at high tide roost)
Curlew 30+
Bar-tailed Godwit 15
Black-tailed Godwit 1 (scarce for the north harbour wall?)
Knot 3-4,000 in pre-roost (then only approx 120 in high tide roost at Helipad)
Turnstone 26
Purple Sandpiper 1
Med Gull 2 (2 adults)
Twite 30
Song Thrush 1

South of Outflows (during low tide)
Wigeon 200+
Dunlin 20+
Knot approx 10-15,000+
Bar-tailed Godwit 850+
Grey Plover 6
Curlew 20+
Redshank 20+

Very quiet offshore today, with not a single duck or even gull in the Bay??

A mixed day in terrible conditions, I endured a battering from the rain early on, then had a spot of sunshine for a few hours, before a load of sleetly rain caught up with me by midday. Was a neap tide, so not the usual tidal extremes, but still a few good birds knocking about. I completed all my sightings from the North Harbour Wall today:

Cormorant 15+
Oystercatcher 300+
Knot approx 1,000+
Turnstone 40+
Curlew 15+
Redshank 15+
Med Gull 1 adult
Pied Wagtail 1
Twite 15-20

I hope for a better day next week!!??

Was out and about completing some survey work from the South Harbour Wall yesterday. Absolutely freezing. As if it were not cold enough at first light, a strong NE wind brought the wind chill factor into the equation by 9-10am and the tempurature must have been closer to -5 to -7 .

The usual suspects were hanging about doing their usual stuff, but an incredible 33,000 Knot (highest count this year) were massing off the North Harbour wall. They roosted temporarily on the mussel beds, then fed on the beach near to the Helipad, gantastic sight when all in the air together .

South Harbour Wall
Cormorant 20+
Little Egret 1 (My first record for the Point, seen flying out to sea round Point S to NE, possibly towards Leighton Moss?)
Pink-footed Goose 40 (NW to SE)
RB Merganser 5
Wigeon 80+
Eider 2
Oystercatcher 3500+
Bar-tailed Godwit 400+
Grey Plover 12
Dunlin 100+
Knot approx 33,000+
Turnstone 40+
Curlew 60+
Redshank 20+
Med Gull 2 (2 adults)
Pied Wagtail 2

Lots of Strarlings roosting in the usual place on a platform in the Harbour at the crack of dawn. I watched them completing their morning stretch pf the wings, about 10,000 of them. Who needs Leighton Moss or Lytham St Anns roosts when you can watch on your own at the Heysham Nuclear Plant!?!? Also planty of Fieldfare in the air on way home..........

Been too hectic at work and life in general last month to post much, so didn't post 2 to 3 days at Heysham last month. Highlight for me was actually a Siberian Chiffchaff, caught and ringed at the nearby obs by Pete Marsh, who luckily let me know about it so I could pop over and see/hear it for myself. Obviously only a sub-species, but always nice to see them and leaves only one left for the whole pack having already seen Canarian, Iberian and both the collybita and abietinus more commonly found in the UK

As for my visit this week, I was up comepleting surveys on Tuesday from the South Harbour Wall Lighthouse area between 7:00 and 1330ish Hrs. Very strong mostly easterly winds blasting me about on the wall, but the lighthouse came to my aid in gifting me a little shelter. Nice day for it other than the wind though.

South Harbour Wall
Cormorant 30+
RB Merganser 7
Eider 1
Sparrowhawk (from south over head then into bay over sandbanks during low tide)
Oystercatcher 300+
Black-tailed Godwit 400+ (most I've had here)
Grey Plover 1
Dunlin 300+
Knot approx 7000+
Turnstone 60+
Curlew 40+ (may be due to many taking advantage of flooded and wet fields)
Redshank 20+
Med Gull 4 (3 adults & 1 1st winter)
Common Gull 2
Stock Dove (in off sea from North going East)
Meadow Pipit 10+
Chaffinch 1
Twite 20+
Pied Wagtail 2
Siskin 11 + 9 in off going SE.

Nature Reserve and Road
Redwing 20+
Siskin 1
Chiffchaff 2 (together, 1 bird very pale and abietinus like, in comparison to more greeny yellow bird)


For reference, the winds have pushed a lots of birds past Heysham in the last few days with Pomerine and Great Skua, good numbers fo Little Gull and Kittiwake, a Long-tailed Duck and a Leach's Petrel nearby. JBP also had some skuas.

-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Friday 12th of November 2010 02:54:41 PM

-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Friday 12th of November 2010 03:06:08 PM

Up at Heysham again today to complete an Inter-tidal survey between 0900 to 1500. Fairly quiet with light winds, but still plenty of birds to keep me interested.

North Harbour Wall & Point
Shag (2 first winter)
Cormorant 60+
Pink-footed Goose 30 & 5 (1110 and 1125 hrs)
Eider 10+
Oystercatcher 3000+ flying NE to SE
Bar-tailed Godwit 140 (south of Outflow), 1 flew NE to SE
Grey Plover 2 (south of Outflow)
Dunlin 4 (south of Outflow)
Turnstone 120+
Curlew 300+
Redshank 100+
Med Gull 3 (2 adults & 1 juv/1st winter)
Common Gull 4
Meadow Pipit 12+ (mostly on Mound)
Linnet 30+ (mostly around Mound)
Grey Wagtail 1 (south)
Pied Wagtail 10+
Song Thrush (on Mound late on)
Goldfinch 15+ (on Mound then south)

High Tide at the Helipad
Oystercatcher 1500
Ringed Plover 2
Redshank 100+
Lapwing 23
White Wagtail 2

Still waiting for the big one!?!? A few Redstarts went through the reserve early doors, but nothing like Spurn Heh!?

Having been away for a week I missed out on the last weeks Leach's Petrel invasion at Heysham, but I was up there yesterday having been requested to complete another winter of surveys up there. This time round I'll be on the south harbour wall looking towards the Point, with inter-tidal surveys on the north harbour wall once a month from now till March 2011.

Yesterday I was there from just before high tide to low tide:

pre-High Tide at the Helipad
Oystercatcher 1500
Ringed Plover 6
Redshank 60
Lapwing 12
Wheatear 1
Alba Wagtail 8

Red Nab and South Harbour Wall Point
Shag (1 first winter)
50+ Cormarant
Little Egret 1 (new bird for me here! )
Pink-footed Goose 24 and 44 (from N to S at 13:00)
Eider 20+
Oystercatcher 5000+
Turnstone 140+
Curlew 300+
Redshank 50+
Little Gull 1 (adult in winter plumage all day around harbour and jetty)
Med Gull 2 (adult and second winter birds)
Leucistic Black-headed Gull (only had a few very thin black primary feathers)
Common Gull 2 (both first winters)
Sandwich Tern 3
Arctic Tern 1
Alba Wagtail 20+

Looking forward to another winter up there and hoping to get some more crackers!?


-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Wednesday 22nd of September 2010 03:22:45 PM

After 12 months of completing surveys at Heysham yesterday was my last official visit, so it was nice that at least the weather was nice for me!! A sunny warm day with a light SW wind brought little in terms of active movement of migrants, but did bring a few of the usual suspects. I completed a two 3 hour VP surveys from the beach at Half Moon Bay frmo 10:00 to 16:30 (Low to High Tide)

Eider 26
Oystercatcher 2000+
Turnstone 20+
Curlew 250+
Lapwing 24
Ringed Plover 3 (two juvs now looking big and almost ready to move on)
Redshank 150+
Little Gull 1
Sandwich Tern 26
Swallow 20+
Linnet 10+
Pied Wagtail 8+

I didn't make it over to the Point today, so no sigh of the Purple Sandpiper or Med Gulls, but was nice to sign off with Little Gull and a large flock of 26 Sandwich Terns. Having spent nearly 170 hours viewing from the beach, over 70 hours completing inter-tidal suveys from the north harbour wall and plenty of time from the Point doing vis mig my time finally came to an end, but with 121 species seen over 12 months I'm pretty happy with my time on site.

Highlights have included seeing Whooper Swans landing on the sea, great skeems of Pink-footed Geese flying across Moreombe Bay, Gannets passing by or diving into the channels, Leach's Petrel been blown up to the north harbour wall, Great, Arctic and Pom Skua chasing terns in the channels or simply migrating up the Kent estuary, Little and Med Gulls knocking around the outfalls, Little Tern fishing near the harbour, Black Guillemot, Guillemot and Razorbill fishing outside the Port, Kingfishers sat on the beach, Merlin coming in off the sea, Peregrines chasing pigeons, flocks of 40,000 Knot coming in to roost, spotting the odd Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Curlew Sandpiper in amoungst the large wader flocks, watching Purple Sandpiper hide in the 400 strong Turnstone flocks, Twite feeding on the Mound through the winter, Greenland Wheatears and a Black Redstart on the beach, White Wagtails passing through the beach, Grasshopper Wablers reeling on the reserve, Jack Snipe in the winter and not to mention the countless sunsets and sunrises I've seen. Also some memorable days of completing surveys on a snow covered beach or during horizontal rain, you never quite know what you might get heh, but all been good fun.

I look forward to returning in the future without the need to be completing surveys and simply enjoy the birds passing thorugh.

Back from a fortnight in Corsica (my honeymoon) I was straight back to work with a days surveying up at Heysham, but no complaints, as it was sunny and I do get paid to go birdwatching for a living . Anyway the day was mixed with sunshine in the morning with no wind, while the afternoon was windy from the West with cloud cover, so the shorts were on in the morning, but jumper and trousers in the afternoon (oh the joys of the English summer heh!?). I was completing 2 VP surveys from the beach at Full Moon Bay as usual. The low tide was around 1100hrs and high tide 1630hrs. All observations made between 0930hrs and 1615hrs:

Eider 18
Oystercatcher 2000+
Turnstone 20+
Whimbrel 3
Curlew 200+
Ringed Plover 2 (second brood sucessful with 2 new fledgelings on the beach)
Redshank 200+
Little Gull (1 adult)
Med Gull 1
Sandwich Tern 30+
Swallow 10+
House Martin 2
Meadow Pipit 1
Linnet 10+
White Wagtail 1

Nice to see a Little Gull on the site again, its been a while. A quick visit to Pete at the Observatory office and a scattering of warblers and Spotted Flycatcher had been netted on the reserve that morning too. A few Wheatears had also been spotted the evening before on the beach, but they were not there on my arrival. Back for my final 2 visits for this survey next week wrapping up 12 months of surveying there in total, how time flies heh!?

Late report from last Friday, 23rd July. I was completing inter-tidal surveys from up and down the North Harbour Wall for 6 hours from high to low tide. It was a spankingly sunny day, with a few good birds too:

Gannet 1 (distant)
Oystercatcher 450
Curlew 150+
Whimbrel 3
Turnstone (first returning bird)
Ringed Plover 3 (adults with now fully fledged juv)
Sandwich Tern 2
Arctic Tern 1
Common Gull 1 (uncommon there at this time of year)
Med Gull 3 (2 with winter heads and 1 still with black head)
Black Guillemot (quite rare in Lancs this year)
Swallow 3
Linnet 6+

Not bad considering the lack of interesting records for the last 5-6 weeks. The Black Guillemot also took me to 121 for the site over the last 11 months, so have had a cracking time overall.