Photos:
A flooded Bull Beck
Common Scoter, Morecambe
Little Gull, Wheatear, Kingfisher and Wheatear at Heysham south harbour area with view over to the wooden jetty
17th September
Lovely day today – it rained virtually all day. I had a quick mooch out to Bull Beck in the morning – the river had flooded and the large shingle bank was completely under water and local fields likewise. So much so a Goosander was swimming around where the other week cattle had been grazing. Of particular interest was a Dipper which was skulking around in a partially submerged willow tree – the first time I can remember seeing one of these birds in a tree well off the ground. A couple of Common Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails were feeding around the water’s edge. The rain became torrential again so I retreated back to the van.
Mid afternoon at high tide the rain eased enough to escape again and I wandered down to Bolton-Le-Sands. The fields here either side of the approach lane were also flooded and contained 600+ Black-headed Gulls, 50+ Curlews and a Little Egret. Out on the shore was the usual wader line up with 4000+ Oystercatchers, another 1150+ Curlews and a sprinkling of Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits. Eventually I picked out a Whimbrel with the Curlews. Three more Little Egrets and a Raven were on the marsh. Three Eiders were off shore.
Teal Bay next where the usual Redshank flock on the groyne had a few Knot sprinkled in. Off shore were 20+ Eiders and 3 Great Crested Grebes – scanning these I picked up a drake Common Scoter. This bird just hung around beyond the end of the groyne.
Last stop was Heysham and a wander round to the outflows past Red Nab on a falling tide. There were at least 9 Arctic Terns around the outflows with two Common Terns and an adult Little Gull. At Red Nab I had picked up adult and first winter Med Gulls and a juvenile Wheatear entertained as it skipped along the length of the harbour wall – keeping the same distance between itself and me. A Coal Tit and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were on the feeders at the van today.
18th September
Better day weather wise. Headed off to Heysham first this morning and parked up near the entrance to Ocean Edge. What was very noticeable straight away was the number of Robins – mainly ticking, some singing – along the short path towards Red Nab. At least 14 birds were there. Less activity around the outflows with high tide still four hours away. Five Arctic Terns (2 ad, 3 juv) were on the outflows plus a single Common Tern while an adult Med flew over. Both regular Little Gulls were roosting on the mud. Pride of place went to a male Kingfisher which was fishing off outflow one. The usual mixed flock of Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plovers was present though distant and a flock of 21 Pink-footed Geese flew over – my first of the autumn! At the van I had 2 Coal Tits and a Nuthatch on the feeders.
Lovely day today – it rained virtually all day. I had a quick mooch out to Bull Beck in the morning – the river had flooded and the large shingle bank was completely under water and local fields likewise. So much so a Goosander was swimming around where the other week cattle had been grazing. Of particular interest was a Dipper which was skulking around in a partially submerged willow tree – the first time I can remember seeing one of these birds in a tree well off the ground. A couple of Common Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails were feeding around the water’s edge. The rain became torrential again so I retreated back to the van.
Mid afternoon at high tide the rain eased enough to escape again and I wandered down to Bolton-Le-Sands. The fields here either side of the approach lane were also flooded and contained 600+ Black-headed Gulls, 50+ Curlews and a Little Egret. Out on the shore was the usual wader line up with 4000+ Oystercatchers, another 1150+ Curlews and a sprinkling of Knot and Bar-tailed Godwits. Eventually I picked out a Whimbrel with the Curlews. Three more Little Egrets and a Raven were on the marsh. Three Eiders were off shore.
Teal Bay next where the usual Redshank flock on the groyne had a few Knot sprinkled in. Off shore were 20+ Eiders and 3 Great Crested Grebes – scanning these I picked up a drake Common Scoter. This bird just hung around beyond the end of the groyne.
Last stop was Heysham and a wander round to the outflows past Red Nab on a falling tide. There were at least 9 Arctic Terns around the outflows with two Common Terns and an adult Little Gull. At Red Nab I had picked up adult and first winter Med Gulls and a juvenile Wheatear entertained as it skipped along the length of the harbour wall – keeping the same distance between itself and me. A Coal Tit and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were on the feeders at the van today.
18th September
Better day weather wise. Headed off to Heysham first this morning and parked up near the entrance to Ocean Edge. What was very noticeable straight away was the number of Robins – mainly ticking, some singing – along the short path towards Red Nab. At least 14 birds were there. Less activity around the outflows with high tide still four hours away. Five Arctic Terns (2 ad, 3 juv) were on the outflows plus a single Common Tern while an adult Med flew over. Both regular Little Gulls were roosting on the mud. Pride of place went to a male Kingfisher which was fishing off outflow one. The usual mixed flock of Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plovers was present though distant and a flock of 21 Pink-footed Geese flew over – my first of the autumn! At the van I had 2 Coal Tits and a Nuthatch on the feeders.
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