The Jays have it!

First winter Mediterranean Gull, Heysham

Adult Mediterranean Gull, Heysham

Sunset over Winwick

Red Admiral, Caton

The Lune at Sunderland Point

Redshank, Sunderland Point

A covey of ten Grey Partridges doing their best to ignore me, Rixton Moss

Male Kingfisher, Moat Lane Pool, Rixton

Lapwing, Sunderland Point

Curlew, Sunderland Point

Curlews, Heysham

Common Darter (female), Rixton Clay Pits

Common Buzzard, Caton

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Today I have seen eleven Buzzards in various locations. Started off with the usual two at HGF, four at Rixton Mosses, two at Glazebrook, one at Culcheth, one at Hermitage Green and one at Parkside Road. This was well beaten by the 18 Jays I saw in various locations on Saturday. It says something that Buzzards are nearly as common as Jays though!
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HGF remains reasonably quiet. The Green Sandpiper is still around and a couple of Buzzards seem to spend most of their time walking around the south field. For the first time in forever the last few days have seen no aythya ducks present on the pool. At least a drake Pochard had the decency to turn up this morning, though yesterday’s drake Ruddy Duck had left. Over the last week or so I have noticed a Great Crested Grebe that spent more time perched on the banking than it did in the water. Last night at dusk the bird was fast asleep on the banking, this morning, unfortunately, the bird was dead. On Saturday morning a few migrants popped in – nine Skylarks were flitting around the south field and 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over south.
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Rixton has been a bit more interesting. At least four Buzzards most days and an amazing flock of 65 Skylarks nr Prospect Lane on Saturday afternoon. Jays seem to be everywhere – I counted 18 on various travels on Saturday with most of these being around Rixton. A Shelduck was unusual on the tip pool on Saturday – this lunchtime a Great Spotted Woodpecker was also hanging around the tip. I also had my first Redwings of the autumn today when two flew over Moat Lane pool. Ten Teal, two Little Grebes and a bunch of Canadas were also present – previous days the pool had been devoid of life other than Coots and a male Kingfisher on Saturday.
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Yesterday a covey of ten Grey Partridges were in the field by the farm on Prospect Lane, today a single bird was hopping on one leg down the lane! At lunch today I also got my closest ever views of a Buzzard – stood by the hedge in Moat Lane one popped over the hedge no more than three feet away. I don’t know who was the more surprised. A Sparrowhawk floating over the fields and a Kestrel completed today’s raptor line up.
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Winwick has been reasonably quiet with little in the garden either. Last night at dusk two coveys of Grey Partridges (seventeen and six) were in the field behind our garden. This morning thirteen birds were present and were being stalked by a black cat. The moggy had approached to within a few feet of the partridges before I decided to spoil its fun.
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On Sunday I ventured over to Leighton Moss early morning. Unlike the recent nice weather it was grey, cold and wet. Around 700 Black-tailed Godwits were present on the pool in Barrow Scout Fields. Next I went to the causeway and stood watching the grit trays – before long male and female Bearded Tits were feeding on the grit trays. They stayed for over ten minutes. I found a couple of Marsh Tits in a hawthorn near the Pheasant pens at the top of the causeway and then headed off to Caton to get Karen and myself a bacon and egg butty.
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Early afternoon I dropped into Heysham and had a mooch around the north harbour wall. An adult and a first winter Med Gull were hanging around – the adult didn’t stay long. 22 Curlews flew south, otherwise not much around and the wind was blowing heavily straight in off the sea. I checked out the wooden jetty for Purple Sandpipers and found none – I then checked the outflow and to my delight found five adult Med Gulls there!
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Next stop was Sunderland Point. I’ve not been there on my own and it’s a while since Jonathan showed me how to get there so I was amazed that I found the place without getting lost. The tide was starting to come in by mid afternoon and though lots of people were around, there were still plenty of good birds. The following were observed:
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44 Wigeon
6 Eider
2 Red-breasted Merganser
220+ Curlew
140+ Bar-tailed Godwit
700+ Golden Plover
1500+ Lapwing
12 Turnstone
12 Dunlin
1500+ Lapwing
450+ Redshank
1 Pink-footed Goose
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At Caton Sunday evening six Swallows headed through south. The night sky, with no light pollution, was superb and I watched Jupiter through my scope – I also saw at least four of its moons!
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This evening a quick trip to Newton Lake and the Teal flock is up to at least 92 ducks. The usual pairs of Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Little Grebe and Grey Wagtail were present with seven Tufted Ducks. The Moorhens are doing well with 16 hanging around this evening and a Mistle Thrush was being noisy near the entrance.