Santa Claus is coming to Town

Ribble Steam Railway are running their popular Santa Specials. A bit of snow won't stop Santa!

The garden bird feeders were covered in mounds of snow this morning. so brushed them off and re-filled. Also made sure there is some unfrozen water in the pond, which is attracting just as many birds as the feeders at the moment. Daily visits by greenfinch, goldfinch, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit, robin, dunnock and great spotted woodpecker give much birding pleasure when I'm unable to get out and about.

Snowing .......

The swans are skating. I was beginning to think it had bypassed us.

Sunday 21 November 2010

There is an occasional rarity to be found amongst the birdlife on the dock. Any unusual gulls are not always easy to spot in a crowd of the resident blackheaded and blackbacks. Yesterday there was an Iceland gull around the pontoons in the Albert Edward dock, attracting a large number of people with binoculars, telescopes and probably some cameras. Like many Docklands birds, it was nowhere to be seen when I took my camera out with me today, but I'm sure it will have been photographed by someone else and will appear on the web in due course.

I was lucky enough to see these birds on an Arctic trip last summer, a major identification aid is that they have no black markings on the wingtips, or anywhere else, being white underneath and very pale grey on the back. It is very similar in appearance to the Glaucous gull, though much smaller.

RSPB Bird Guide:

Iceland Gull

Glaucous Gull

The greedy resident gulls, coots and ducks appear to be enjoying the remains of birdwatchers' sandwiches.

The swans with their 3 cygnets are still around the dock, and appear to be thriving. It's beautiful to see them moving through the water in a stately line on a cold, bright morning.

Friday 15 October 2010

10:00 Cloud 12 o C. Wind NW 13mph. Humidity 85%. Pressure 1019mB. Visibility good. High tide today 17:43, 7.48m.

The dock is presenting a rather bleak aspect today in the flat, grey light. The terns and swallows have all departed. There is still plenty of life out there for anyone prepared to stop and look.

The ubiquitous black headed gulls make up the largest number, along with black backs, mallard, coot, cormorant and the swans plus their 3 cygnets.




In the Albert Edward dock

Black headed gull x 60
Black backed gull x 15
Coot x 20
Mallard x 10
Swan x 5
Cormorant x 2

Sunday 10 October 2010

Sunny 17 o C. Wind E 15mph. Humidity 66%. Pressure 1015mB. Visibility good. High tide today 13:31, 9.75m.

Dock gates closed.

Lovely autumn sunshine, quite a gusty wind.

A busy day on the dock, many visitors came to watch the BLS Railtour visit by the Deltic loco 55 022 Royal Scots Grey.

In the dock basin

Black headed gull x 75
Mallard duck x 3
Coot x 1

Monday 4 October 2010

14:00 Sunny 17 o C. Wind S 9mph. Humidity 71%. Pressure 998mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 21:17, 8.53m.

Dock gates closed.

A glorious day, feeling warmer in the sun and hardly a breath of wind.

In the dock basin
Black headed gull x 40
Mallard duck x 6
Cormorant x 6

At first sight there appeared to be no cormorants. They began to appear one by one as I stood watching. They must have found a shoal of fish as they carried on diving in the same area, staying under for a fair while each time.


There were 6 of them 2 seconds ago, honestly!

After around 20 minutes of watching one hopped up onto the boom, and the others followed gradually. They preened and spread their wings in the sun. Nobody is sure why they do it, there is a theory that it is linked to digestion. They look like they're hanging them out to dry.

Finally...

After weeks of fruitless swan-stalking (how do they know when I don't have a camera with me?) I have been able to get the swans and cygnets on camera.




More to follow soon, I hope.

Transformers

No, not this kind .....

This arrived in the dock by ship yesterday, causing quite a stir.


It was unloaded by the largest mobile crane in Europe, parts of which can be seen here.



It's due to be moved to Penwortham by road on Sunday morning.

Summer's End

A beautiful day to go out on, after a summer of extremes

Thursday 22 July 2010

16:00 White cloud 17 o C. Wind ENE 10mph. Humidity 77%. Pressure 1013 mB. Visibility Good. High tide today 21:46, 7.99m

July's birdwatching has been divided between terns and garden birds. Watching the terns, so quick and graceful in flight, is a pastime that never palls. There are between 8 and 10 to be seen most days.

Garden species have included:
Bullfinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Sparrow - these are nesting under the eaves of the house
Blue tit
Great tit
Greater spotted woodpecker
Blackbird
Wren
Dunnock
Thrush
Collared Dove
Woodpigeon

Not bad for a small city garden.

This weekend sees the Riversway Festival, and quite a few visiting boats have already arrived. The birds seem unconcerned, though a few visitors may soon learn it's not a good idea to feed a lone gull. Around 200 of its 'friends' will appear as if by magic, and can soon make a mess of a boat.



Hope the weather stays as fine as it has been today, people work hard to get things ready and it will be nice if they can relax for a while and enjoy the sun.

It's not all about Terns

This handsome cormorant is feeling the heat


You can see the fuzzy red heads of the coot chicks inside this tyre nest. I'm not sure if any eggs in the 'rubbish tip' nest near the Green Frog have hatched yet, the adult is sat there every time I go to look.


The tern chicks don't like to be ignored


And finally .....


The tyre nests on the pontoons have been a great success so far, and I'd like to see more of them. I wonder how many people who pass the dock each day realise what is going on a few yards away? It would be great to have some identification boards, similar to those used on RSPB reserves.

Terns on Film

Have now been able to get some really good pictures of the terns. Click on a picture to enlarge.

There are at least 3 chicks, 2 in one nest and one in the other. The single chick has been spending quite a lot of time out of the nest, and is possibly slightly older than the others.

I have counted 8 adult terns in the last few days, and think there are at least 2 more.

The 2 chicks are clearly visible on this photo


The other chick inspects his surroundings


You can see the reflection in the water of one of the adult terns (top right in this picture)


Returning with a fish


The lone wanderer


Landing the catch


In flight

Monday 21 June 2010

16:00 Sunny 20 o C. Wind W 8mph. Humidity 50%. Pressure 1022 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 06:14, 8.24m

A beautiful day for the solstice.

The terns are very active, feeding and guarding. There are 2 chicks, one has been walking around outside the nest, the other just peeping over the rim occasionally.


The adults are fiercely protective, and will go after any gulls, no matter how big, that intrude on their territory.

The swan family are down in the dock basin just now, probably waiting for the lock gates to be opened for them.

Saturday 19 June 2010

14:00 Sunny intervals 14 o C. Wind N 14mph. Humidity 48%. Pressure 1020 mB. Visibility excellent. High tide today 16:45, 8.23m

I have been watching the tern and swan nests regularly over the last few weeks.

I really thought the swans had abandoned their nest a fortnight ago, as I hadn't seen them for several days. I was pleased to be proved wrong, and they have hatched 3 cygnets. They have now left the nest and are swimming en famille around the dock.

The terns are feeding a chick, or possibly chicks, and it's marvellous to watch them swooping around the dock area, gathering food, then returning to perch on the edge of the nest and place the food in the chick's maw.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

The swans laid 3 eggs a few weeks ago, but unfortunately they have now abandoned the nest and I haven't seen then for a week. A similar thing happened last year, though in previous years swans have bred successfully here.

The terns are still around and have been able to watch them daily. They are not difficult to spot as their call is umistakable. When they are inside their tyre nest they are harder to see, but a few minutes patience will be rewarded wwhen a head pops up into view.

They seem to be collecting something - food perhaps? - from along the dock walls at the top end of the dock, and they come very close to the railings at times. They are moving very quickly, but did manage to snatch one hasty photograph.

Thursday 3 June 2010

16:00 Sunny 25 o C. Wind SE 4mph. Humidity 45%. Pressure 1020 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 15:19, 7.62m

The terns are nesting again, looking forward to watching them again this summer. There are at least 4 terns hanging around the dock, of which at least one pair are building a nest in a tyre. I managed to get a couple of pictures with my compact camera, will try and get some better ones over the next few days.



These lovely flowers grow around the car park on Maritime Way and are enjoyed by bees and butterflies.

Saturday 22 May 2010

15:00 Sunny 25 o C. Wind W 6mph. Humidity 51%. Pressure 1028 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 18:23, 7.97m

The terns are back, standing on the pontoons. No nest building as yet. There are a few old tyres, painted in a light colour, along the pontoons where the birds are. Hopefully these will make suitable nesting site.

The swans have remained in the nest they started some weeks ago, it is now looking far more substantial.



If anybody is in need of some light exercise, there's a sponsored walk around the dock on June 6th, to raise funds for The SPACE Centre

Forms available at the SPACE centre (01772 760403) or the Marina.

Wednesday 19 May 2010

Docklands Days have been away for the past few weeks, watching marine wildlife around the Western Isles.

15:00 Grey cloud 15 o C. Wind SSW 6mph. Humidity 76%. Pressure 1028 mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 15:01, 8.39m

Spring is well and truly sprung around the dock, the trees are looking beautiful in all their fresh greenery.

The swans are still around their nest on the pontoons near the apartments.

There are 2 families of coots nesting on the pontoons close to the Green Frog this year. It's amazing that the coot chicks manage to survive the attentions of the blackbacked gulls, but they do somehow. The nests are ingenious constructions of twigs, straw and fast food cartons, and it's quite comical watching the male presenting the female with drinking straws etc. for her approval.


2 Terns have been flying around the dock today, have not yet seen any sign of a nest.

Saturday 24 April 2010

15:00 Sunny 19 o C. Wind S 10mph. Humidity 32%. Pressure 1016 mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 20:01, 8.19m

A beautiful sunny and warm day, without the north wind which has kept the temperatures low for the last week or so.

The warmer weather has also brought the swallows. There are at least 8 roosting under the bridge, although the bridge acoustics make it sound more like 80. It is fascinating to watch them swooping, wheeling and diving around the bridge supports and under the bridge. It makes you wonder how there isn't a collision when there's a flock performing what looks like synchronised aerobatics.

The trees are blossoming, and the bees and wasps are out in force in sheltered spots.



The swallow is come! The swallow is come! O, fair are the seasons, and light
Are the days that she brings, With her dusky wings, And her bosom snowy white!
(Longfellow)

Monday 12 April 2010

16:00 Sunny intervals 16 o C. Wind ENE 6mph. Humidity 65%. Pressure 1031 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 10:01, 8.57m

Dock gates closed.

The warm, sunny weather over the last few days has brought out the bumblebees. Let's hope we don't have a cold snap, which could have an effect on insect numbers. Lack of insects can be a big problem for nesting birds feeding themselves and their growing families.



In the dock basin
Blackheaded gull x 2
Lesser black backed gull x 1
Mallard duck x 3
Shelduck x 1

The poor quality photo below is the only one I have so far managed to get of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker which is a regular visitor to the garden feeders. It's taken, somewhat hastily, through double glazing, using a compact camera with automatic flash. If I'd tried opening the patio doors Woody would have scooted off.

Saturday 27 March 2010

14:00 Sunny intervals 9 o C. Wind w 13mph. Humidity 73%. Pressure 1005 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 21:24, 8.74m



A fresh day, with a brisk west wind. The moorhen is still around. The swans seem to be starting a nest on the pontoons, near to where the terns nested last summer.



Albert Edward Dock
Blackheaded gull x 100
Lesser black backed gull x 20
Common gull x 10
Mallard duck x 10
Cormorant x 8
Coot x 5
Moorhen x 1
Mute swan x 2

Thursday 25 March 2010

14:00 White cloud 12 o C. Wind S 13mph. Humidity 73%. Pressure 966 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 19:11, 7.55m

Quite a few cormorants on the pontoons today. A moorhen was swimming in and out of the pontoons on the south side and there was possibly another moorhen on the opposite side, near the car park. It was a little too far away to see the lateral markings clearly, & facing in the wrong direction, but could see no white markings on the face or head to suggest it was a coot.



Albert Edward Dock
Blackheaded gull x 80
Lesser black backed gull x 10
Common gull x 2
Mallard duck x 10
Cormorant x 15
Coot x 6
Moorhen x 1

Sunday 21 March 2010

14:00 Sunny intervals 10 o C. Wind SSW 9mph. Humidity 68%. Pressure 1016 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 14:17, 8.55m Dock gates open.

There is model yacht racing in the Albert Edward dock today, near to the slipway.


The swans are up at the other end of the dock just now, otherwise they may just take exception to these roughly 'swan height' intruders.

In the dock basin
Blackheaded gull x 10
Lesser black backed gull x 2

The blackheaded gulls look so diminutive next to the black backs

Saturday 20 March 2010

12:00 Light Rain 9 o C. Wind N 8mph. Humidity 96%. Pressure 1000 mB. Visibility very poor. High tide today 13:40, 8.85m

What a difference a day makes. Miserable, grey, drizzle all morning, still feeling mild. Far more cormorants in the dock today, perhaps a sign of storms elsewhere. Fewer gulls though.

Albert Edward Dock
Blackheaded gull x 50
Lesser black backed gull x 10
Common gull x 5
Mallard duck x 10
Cormorant x 12
Coot x 4
Mute swan x 2

The garden pond is currently full of croaking frogs, the singing is so loud the double glazing hardly seems to muffle it. It's a regular Frog Chorus when we go outside.

There was a moorhen in the shrubbery this morning, eyeing the garden pond interestedly. I wonder if it's the one I saw in the dock basin earlier this week.

Friday 19 March 2010

15:00 Sunny 12 o C. Wind WSW 10mph. Humidity 56%. Pressure 1010 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 13:08, 9.05m

The dock is coming to life again now; people getting boats ready for the summer, birds putting on summer plumage and starting their courtship displays.



Albert Edward Dock
Blackheaded gull x 100
Lesser black backed gull x 20
Common gull x 10
Mallard duck x 30
Cormorant x 3
Coot x 10
Mute swan x 2

Thursday 18 March 2010

15:00 White cloud 15 o C. Wind S 16mph. Humidity 64%. Pressure 1004 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 12:38, 9.17m

A blustery afternoon down on the Bullnose, temperature still mild.

The blackheaded gulls are now beginning to show summer plumage. In winter they lose the black head (which is actually a dark chocolate brown) and show only a dark smudge behind the eye.

In the dock basin

Blackheaded gull x 20
Mallard duck x 2
Cormorant x 1
Moorhen x 1

Wednesday 17 March 2010

15:00 Sunny intervals 12 o C. Wind SW 12mph. Humidity 76%. Pressure 1018 mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 12:08, 9.21m

A mild, pleasant afternoon.



The Prestonian is out of the water for a spring clean and spruce up.

In the Albert Edward Dock:-



Blackheaded gull x 120
Lesser black backed gull x 10
Common gull x 20
Mallard duck x 6
Cormorant x 3
Coot x 6
Mute swan x 2

Thursday 4 March 2010

Albert Edward Dock

15:00 Sunny 6 o C. Wind WNW 8mph. Humidity 49%. Pressure 1027 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 13:40, 9.73m



Another dry cold bright day, pleasant in the sun. No sign of any nest-building activity on the pontoons and jetties yet. 2 Canada Geese briefly alighted in the lock yesterday, but were soon discouraged by the cob mute swan's aggressive display.

Blackheaded gull x 120
Lesser black backed gull x 20
Mallard x 2
Cormorant x 15
Coot x 6
Mute swan x 2

Tuesday 2 March 2010

15:00 Sunny Intervals 7 o C. Wind E 2mph. Humidity 70%. Pressure 1023 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 12:19, 10.19m


March had a rather chilly start yesterday, but today really feels like spring has sprung. It was frosty first thing and there is still a bite to the air, but no cold wind or sleet.

In the dock basin

4 blackheaded gulls
2 mallard

Wednesday 17 Febuary 2010

15:00 Sunny Intervals 4 o C. Wind E 3mph. Humidity 75%. Pressure 990 mB. Visibility good. High tide today 13:05, 9.15m

The day started off frosty & bright, turning increasingly dull now.

In the dock basin

10 blackheaded gulls
2 cormorants

Wednesday 10 Febuary 2010

Marina and Albert Edward Dock

15:00 Sun 4 o C. Wind NE 9mph. Humidity 49%. Pressure 1022mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 09:50, 8.19m



Bright, feeling very cold in the wind.

There are 100+ gulls in the dock today, mainly Blackheaded with some Blackbacked. I often think there may be an occasional rarity, anonymous amongst the crowd.


There are also around 15 cormorants, 10 coots and 50 mallard ducks.



Both swans were in the lock, close to the bridge, and took to the air as I was walking down. It's amazing to see swans flying past at eye level, and to hear the beating of their wings. They circled over the Albert Edward dock and came down in the dock basin.

Great crested grebe are occasional visitors to the dock, I haven't spotted any for a while.