...Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun. I don't know how many times I have started a blog at this time of year like this, but those words by John Keats epitomize autumn to me. Listening to the album 'A Feast of Consequences' by Fish, and the song the High Wood, I found the following snippet of the lyrics to be evocative of this time of year too:
Chill, break of day, a light frost thawing,
Sun, pale and grey, a spectral morning...
A spectral morning, I like that, for there has indeed been some spectral mornings recently.
I haven't posted of late (excuse incoming), mainly because of being busy objecting to a license application to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) by Wyre Borough Council to remove large quantities of inter-tidal mud from Jubilee Quay, Fleetwood, then pump contaminated sediment from Fleetwood Docks on to this area, to raise the levels by 2 metres, to create a small area of saltmarsh. The project title for this ecologically destructive scheme is 'Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment to Improve Fleetwood, Wyre Estuary'. In cahoots with Wyre are those bastions of the environment (tongue in cheek), ABPmer, which is Associated British Ports (ABP) in different clothing. If you feel so inclined, it is easy to find the application online.
I'm not going to go into too much detail, as it has been taking up most of my time up for the past few weeks, gathering bird data, compiling 787 individual bird records for the period 2023 - 25, and writing my 14 page objection. This would destroy an important area of inter-tidal habitat for waders, functionally linked to Morecambe Bay Ramsar and Wyre Estuary SSSI, and destroy the livelihoods of Fleetwood's remaining fishermen.
It is not possible to make any public representation now, as the consultation period closed on 1st October 2025. However, for interest I have posted a summary of my objection below.
MLA/2025/00320 - Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment to Improve Fleetwood, Wyre Estuary:
I wish to object to the above marine license application on the following grounds:
- The creation of saltmarsh at Jubilee Quay will destroy an important area of inter-tidal mudflats, functionally linked to Morecambe Bay Ramsar, and Wyre Estuary SSSI.
- The information provided by Land and Water Services Ltd (LAWS), with input from bl-ecology, and Fylde Bird Club, that helps to inform the ‘Coastal Ornithology’ section (5.5) of the report ‘Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment to Improve Fleetwood, Wyre Estuary: Environmental Appraisal and Disposal Site Characterisation Assessment’ is inaccurate.
- The wintering bird survey completed by bl-ecology is insufficient to enable the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to assess the considerable ornithological interest of the site, and the damage that will occur through the creation of saltmarsh.
- The proposed saltmarsh creation area is a very important foraging area for coastal wetland bird species over the rising and falling tide.
Right, back to the blog proper. We've had our garden light trap on suitable nights since I last posted, but they haven't been as frequent as I would have liked. Since my last post we have recorded an Agriphila geniculea, an Angle Shades, three Australian Orange-tips, a Box-tree Moth, three Bright-line Brown-eyes, three Brown House Moths, a Campion, three Canary Shouldered Thorns, two Codling Moths, five Common Marbled Carpets, a Common Plume, a Common Wainscot, a Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix, a Double-striped Pug, an Eudonia angustea, 10 Flame Shoulders, eight Garden Carpets, 91 Large Yellow Underwings, five Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 43 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 13 Light Brown Apple Moths, an Old Lady, two Rush Veneers, three Rusty Dot Pearls, 10 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, a Shuttle-shaped Dart, a Small Dusty Wave, 15 Square-spot Rustics, three Straw Dots, a Silver Y, a Twenty-plume Moth, and four Vine's Rustics.
Angle Shades on Gail's hand
When the weather has been fit, I have recorded a few common butterflies on the wing, and one day towards the end of August at Jubilee Quay, I recorded five Small Whites, nine Red Admirals, 25 Small Tortoiseshells, two Large Whites, and two Painted Lady's.
Grounded migrants have been thin on the ground, and I have been checking the coastal park, the Point, and cemetery regularly, and only picking up the odd Chiffchaff. On the morning of the 27th August, I walked the length of the golf course behind the sea wall, and in the Elders next to the observation towers I had a Willow Warbler. It made a change to just the odd Chiffie.
The following day I was back at the Point under three oktas cloud cover, with a 15 - 20 mph SSW wind. On the shore I had 288 Oystercatchers, 116 Sanderlings, and six Ringed Plovers.
The highlights of the sea-watching were a pale morph Arctic Skua east, and a 2CY male Marsh Harrier 'in-off' and east. The best of the rest included 13 Cormorants, two Little Egrets, five Gannets, 14 Common Scoters, three Eiders, 22 Redshanks, 28 Sandwich Terns, 20 Knot, a Whimbrel, and three Ringed Plovers.
Three days later I was back, and the weather was completely different. I had full cloud cover with light drizzle from the start, and the visibility was moderate at best. On the shore were 84 Oystercatchers, 27 Turnstones, 117 Sanderlings, and 127 Ringed Plovers.
The sea was very quiet with just 10 Cormorants, 10 Curlews west, 11 Shelducks, eight Sandwich Terns, 18 Common Scoters, and a Gannet.
There was a steady passage west of Swallows, totalling 183. By about 0800 the weather really closed in. The Bay 'locked down', and all the passage stopped, what little there was of it anyway.
The Swallows were being kept low by the rain, and as stated above, there was a general passage west. Some were doubling back, heading east, and then returning west. When the rain was at its heaviest, Swallows were alighting on the post and wire fence between the dunes and the golf course. Migration in action!
Other than the Swallows, when the rain was heavy, the only grounded migrant I had was a Wheatear. I had a look in the cemetery and the coastal park in the rain afterwards, but the only migrant I had was a single Goldcrest in the park.
On 7th September, Gail and I completed our Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) that comprises of Fleetwood Docks, including Jubilee Quay, and the reservoir adjacent to the estuary.
At Jubilee Quay we had 56 Redshanks, which isn't a huge count for the site, where up to 23% of the total of the peak monthly count for Morecambe Bay South (Lancashire section) WeBS count can occur.
Jubilee Quay is one of the most important areas of inter-tidal mud for foraging Black-tailed Godwit, and Redshank, particularly on the rising and falling tide. It is the last part of the estuary to be covered in terms of foraging opportunities, and the first to be uncovered. Yet, following discussions with the Fylde Bird Club, the site of the proposed works does not seem to be a particularly important area for birds, namely due to limited records and sightings from the watch-point on the opposite side of the river (Fylde Bird Club, pers. comm, 25 February 2025).
This is a statement in a report completed by Land and Water Services Ltd (LAWS) as part of the MMO licence application that I mentioned at the start of this blog. What is interesting, is that all my records up until the end of 2024 have been submitted to Fylde Bird Club, as I am a member, and submit records annually, so these records should have been available to LAWS. The other interesting point that I raised in my objection, is that the inter-tidal area at Jubilee Quay is not viewable from the watch-point referred to!
If I've piqued your interest, below are some sample counts of Redshanks at Jubilee Quay. I have included in brackets, after the relevant counts, where 5% or more of the peak monthly count for Morecambe Bay South (Lancashire section) WeBS count are exceeded:
2023
56 – 28.2.23
21 – 27.3.23
97 – 2.4.23 (23%)
22 – 27.7.23 (11%)
123 – 27.8.23 (8%)
115 – 10.9.23
257 – 14.9.23 (8%)
269 – 21.9.23 (8%)
191 – 12.10.23 (8%)
149 – 15.10.23 (6%)
33 – 5.11.23
54 – 30.11.23
97 – 15.12.23
2024
332 – 7.1.24 (10%)
180 – 24.1.24 (6%)
251 – 29.2.24 (8%)
197 – 4.3.24 (11%)
185 – 17.3.24 (10%)
42 – 2.4.24
66 – 20.4.24 (5%)
60 – 30.7.24 (5%)
97 – 16.8.24
42 – 18.9.24
68 – 27.10.24
31 – 14.11.24
35 – 26.12.24
2025
WeBS data for 2025 is not yet available of course, but Morecambe Bay remains the most important winter area for Redshanks, and although numbers do fluctuate, there has been no major change in average winter peaks since at least 1990, and the five-year mean, as at 2024, stands at 3194. So, I have included in brackets, after the relevant counts, where 5% or more of the five-year mean for Morecambe Bay South (Lancashire section) WeBS count are exceeded:
15 – 4.1.25
28 – 16.2.25
100 – 12.3.25
116 – 20.3.25
148 – 2.4.25 (5%)
149 – 7.4.25 (5%)
12 – 8.7.25
56 – 7.9.25
41 – 14.9.25
Anyway, I digress. We had 94 Herring Gulls, which again in their MMO application, LAWS state are seen in numbers no greater than ten! I could produce tables for Herring Gull, like the above for Redshank, where monthly peaks occur regularly in the 100s, often over 200, and have peaked at over 1,200. Very odd. There is something going on!
A Common Sandpiper was noteworthy, as was a Jay flying from Broadwater Wood, as we drove round to where we park to count the reservoir. Walking down to the reservoir we recorded another Jay, and they do seem to be getting a little more commoner as more woodland becomes established. Or, it's going to be a Jay autumn! Time will tell. It was fairly quiet on the reservoir with just five Little Grebes, and eleven Tufted Ducks being the highlights, if they are indeed highlights!
On the 10th, I had a walk along the dunes between the sea wall and the golf course, to see if there were any Wheatears as the wind was south-easterly. I had just set off when I had a Greenshank calling overhead, that circled round a couple of times, and headed south. I should have just enjoyed watching it instead of trying to photograph it and utterly failing! I can report that there were some Wheatears, four to be exact, and a female Stonechat.
On the 14th September I had a good number of Sandwich Terns at the Point, 368 to be exact. They were attempting to roost on the beach, but kept getting spooked by the in-coming tide. I was trying to look through them to see if there were any other Tern species. I kept getting about 30 birds in to a Common Tern that was with them, when they would take off, fly round, and the whole process started all over again. Eventually, they all drifted off west.
Other than the 'Sarnies' the sea was quiet with a supporting cast of 23 Cormorants, 91 Eiders, 35 Common Scoters, and a Gannet. On the shore were 283 Oystercatchers, 35 Sanderlings, and 14 Ringed Plovers.
Walking back to the car I bumped in to Steven who pointed out a juvenile Common Toad that was up against the sea wall. We picked it up, and placed it in the dunes. Further on after I left Steven, I came across two more juvenile Toads in similar positions.
I then headed to the site that "does not represent high value foraging grounds for birds (e.g. Fylde Bird Club, pers. comm, 25 February 2025; Appendix D)” aka Jubilee Quay. Just 41 Redshank, when there are never more than ten according to LAWS in their licence application to the MMO to destroy the inter-tidal area of the Quay. A Raven was calling noisily overhead, and I noted that Mallards had increased to 18, and there was a couple of Common Sandpipers out on the mud as well. There was even more than ten Herring Gulls!
As I walked from the Quay, and then north along the western side of the estuary, I had my first Pink-footed Geese of the autumn with 57 high flying birds heading south.
I want to return to the licence application that I mentioned earlier in my blog if I may, and reference another piece of false information contained within the application. I feel it is important to highlight this, to show you some of the 'back door' attempts that are used to discredit a site, and downgrade its importance for wildlife.
Within the application/report, LAWS go on to say, “… flocks of birds are not sighted leaving the hidden west side of the bay as the tide rises, and therefore, the site of the proposed works is unlikely to be a crucial site for nearby birds (Fylde Bird Club, pers. comm, 25 February 2025)”.
This statement is incorrect, and is certainly not acceptable as evidence of the bird usage at Jubilee Quay. The viewpoint referred to above, is at least 1.1 km to the south-east of Jubilee Quay, and is obscured by a vegetated embankment running south-west to north-east, along the northern edge of Fleetwood Marsh, on the south side of the dock channel. It is therefore highly unlikely that any birds could be viewed utilizing, or leaving, the inter-tidal area at Jubilee Quay from the referred watch-point.
The other point that I made in my objection, is that the period of observation from this distant, obscured watch-point, would have to correspond exactly with any large tides pushing birds off Jubilee Quay. Depending on the height of the tide, birds can roost at Jubilee Quay over the high-tide period, and as I have stated before, it is the last area to be covered, if it gets covered, and the first area to be uncovered on the falling tide, providing the last and first feeding opportunities for waders.
I will return to Jubilee Quay shortly.
A couple of days later, and we were being blasted by some quite windy conditions that were likely to produce a few seabirds. The best day was the Monday, but we have our Grandson then, so I had to leave it until the following day when it was still windy, but there was a touch of northerly in that westerly.
The highlights were undoubtedly the three Leach's Petrels that we had come out of the bay. And in classic Leach's style they were close in, just beyond the surf of the breaking waves. I even managed to get some photos that were passable.
Leach's Petrel (above & below)
In fact everything we had was fairly close in, including two Gannets, five Guillemots, and a Manx Shearwater, but the three dark morph Arctic Skuas heading into the bay were further out. We also had 14 Common Scoters, two Shelducks, ten Kittiwakes, 27 Cormorants, three Common Terns, two Sandwich Terns, and 19 Eiders.
However, where were the Fulmars, and why just two Gannets? On such a blow 30 years ago on this date, the Leach's Petrels would be well into double figures, we would have had over a 100 Gannets, and maybe 30 - 40 Fulmars at least. Not this day, and probably never again. Just a further example of how bird populations have declined at the hands of Sapiens!
The following day, I was back at the site (jubilee Quay) where the Ecological Consultants, bl-ecology, carried out a focused wintering bird survey on behalf of LAWS for the licence application to destroy some important inter-tidal habitat. Just 3 hours and 8 minutes of survey data was generated, for a site where qualifying bird species for Morecambe Bay SPA and Wyre Estuary SSSI occur. As a Consultant Ornithologist experienced in carrying out such surveys, a minimum of 36 hours of survey data should have been collected for the period September – March. In fact, I would have extended this period to August - April, to make sure passage birds at the site were recorded.
It is totally unacceptable to base any decision on the importance of the site for birds, based on just 3 hours and 8 minutes of survey time, and subjective, incorrect information. To fully understand the extent of the bird populations using the site, a minimum of 36 hours of survey data is required, but ideally in this case, 48.
In my objection, I stated that as a Consultant Ornithologist, I have undertaken several wintering bird surveys on land that is classed as being functionally linked to Morecambe Bay Ramsar, and Wyre Estuary SSSI. Based on my local knowledge, I have known that no qualifying bird species occur on these sites, but I have still had to complete a full suite of wintering bird surveys, generating a minimum of 36 hours of survey data. Yet, for the proposed works at Jubilee Quay, it is known that qualifying bird species occur, and only 3 hours and 8 minutes of survey data has been generated! I questioned why this has been allowed to happen, and reiterated that this is not acceptable. It is impossible for the MMO to decide whether the proposed licence application at Jubilee Quay would have any impact on wintering and passage bird species, based on such limited amount of data.
It was still windy at the Quay, but the wind had dropped to a 20 mph south-westerly, so I started off on my usual walk along the estuary, and noticed that even though it was still blustery from the south-west, a few butterflies were on the wing. I recorded five Large Whites, three Small Whites, two Speckled Woods, three Red Admirals, and six Painted Lady's.
The Painted Lady's, Red Admirals, and Large Whites were mainly centred around some Buddleia that was still flowering. They were on the eastern, less sunny side, but most sheltered side of the shrub. The Painted Lady's would fly on to one of the flowers, feed for a short while, and then fly down to the sea-wall, that was in full sun, to open up those beautiful jewel-like wings, and recharge those flight enabling solar panels. Marvellous!
Painted Lady (above & below)
About ten days ago I headed to Larkholme for first light. As I headed to my watch-point on the embankment behind the sea wall, I noticed some Pink-footed Geese roosting out towards the tideline on the beach. There were 25 of them, all down on their bellies, with their heads tucked in their backs. I've never seen them roosting here before. I can only guess that they arrived during the night under the clear skies, and NNW wind, and pitched down on to the shore. As the sun rose, and the temperature started to lift, they started to get up, lots of leg and wing stretching, a little bit of walking about, and then they were off. Running down the beach, lifting bodies refreshed into the air, and off to the south. I felt privileged just to have shared a few minutes of their journey.
Pink-footed Geese roosting on the beach (above), and warmed up, and ready for the off below.
During the morning more Pinkies arrived from the north and continued south, and I had 716 over. Talking of birds going over, there was some visible migration, but it wasn't exactly 'rocking' with just 55 Meadow Pipits, 15 Skylarks, two Grey Wagtails, and a Linnet south.
The sea was quiet as well, and I recorded a Golden Plover, three Pintails, a Great Crested Grebe, a Guillemot, five Canada Geese, an Eider, an Auk sp., a Cormorant, and a Razorbill. Grounded migrants were limited to three Wheatears, and a female Sparrowhawk may or may not have been a local bird.
Between 23rd and 29th September, Gail and I managed to have three ringing sessions at the Nature Park, and these were our first for a while. I've lumped our totals together, and we ringed 33 birds as follows (recaptures in brackets):
Cetti's Warbler - 3 (2)
Robin - 5
Great Tit - 1 (2)
Blue Tit - 2 (1)
Meadow Pipit - 3
Blackcap - 5
Greenfinch - 3
Willow Warbler - 1
Wren - 2
Chaffinch - 3
Reed Bunting - 2
Chiffchaff - 1
Coal Tit - 1
Linnet - 1
One of the Cetti's Warbler recaptures was the bird ringed near Eastriggs in Dumfries and Galloway on 22nd October 2024, that we recaptured on 31st March 2025, and again on 25th September 2025. So, where has it been between March and September? Did it remain to nest at the Nature park, or has it been back to Scotland?
The Coal Tit was only the fourth that we have ringed at the site, and we have ringed just as many Bearded Tits here!
A few days ago we were back at Jubilee Quay, where you won't be surprised to know, Ringed Plovers and Sanderlings don't occur, as the habitat isn't suitable for them. In their application to the MMO for a licence to remove inter-tidal silt, replace it with contaminated sediment from Fleetwood Docks, raise the levels by 2 metres and create a small area of saltmarsh, LAWS banged on about Ringed Plovers and Sanderlings being qualifying species for Morecambe Bay Ramsar, but not occurring at Jubilee Quay. Wtf!
In my objection to the licence application, I said, rather bizarrely, LAWS talk about the potential negative impacts on Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula, and Sanderling Calidris alba, and what they say about the potential impacts of dredging on these two species is correct. However, Ringed Plovers and Sanderlings do not occur at Jubilee Quay, so there is no relevance at all in mentioning them. You could select any of the Morecambe Bay Ramsar, and Wyre Estuary SSSI qualifying bird species that do not occur at Jubilee Quay, that rely on benthic organisms in their diet, and make a similar statement. This is completely irrelevant.
LAWS go on to say that “it is worth noting that neither of these species, Sanderling and Ringed Plover, were observed during the bird survey undertaken in March 2025 (see Appendix D)”. They would not be, as the habitat is not suitable for them. Any competent Ornithologist should know this. This is a distraction attempt by the applicant, to try and build up a picture, based on irrelevant, and next to no information, that the site is of little importance for birds.
If adequate surveys had been completed, LAWS, bl-ecology, and Fylde Bird Club, would know how important the inter-tidal mud within the saltmarsh creation area is for Redshanks, where benthic organisms such as marine worms, molluscs, crustaceans etc., are essential components of their diet. The data was already there, but has been ignored.
I note again under this section, that LAWS state “that the proposed works area is considered comparatively low value bird foraging habitat (e.g. Fylde Bird Club, pers. comm, 25 February 2025; Appendix D)”, based on a conversation with Fylde Club, who have little personal knowledge of the site, but do have my data on how important the site is up to and including 2024. I cannot fathom why they would make such a comment.
I have said all I want to say about this now. All I can do is hope that the MMO take on board what I and others have said, listen to the objections from the Environment Agency, and turn the application down. I'll let you know.
It was actually rather quiet on this visit to the Quay, although our counts of Redshank and Herring Gull were greater than ten! Mallard numbers had increased to 22, and a late queen Red-tailed Bumblebee in the cool conditions made it into my notebook, and ultimately onto iRecord.
