Monday 1 January 2007

1st January - NYD listing

Heysham Obs
Very disappointing in a New Year list context with no extra seabirds seen after the overnight storm. The lack of any auks or Red-throated Diver would have been unthinkable 10 years ago:

Shag: 17 juvs in the harbour
Little Gull: adult around, and 1st W reported on pager
Kittiwake: 3 in harbour and 30ish behind the IOM ferry
Med Gull: just the 1st W reported along the north wall
Twite: 3 seen around the mound after "someone" appeared to produce some food (not the usual Twite feeder)!

Elsewhere
New birds included a 1stW male Scaup on Glasson marina, two Great Skua at Jenny Browns Point, including one sitting on the saltmarsh for at least one hour (but probably those first seen in November?)

New Years Day listing limited to the LDBWS recording area (see map on Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society website) produced a known combined total of about 112 species, including 102 seen or heard by one team. Ironically, there was no known sighting of Lesser Redpoll, yet a relaxed start to the day at home two of the previous four mornings had connected with Redpoll within about 5 minutes whilst sitting on the step emptying the moth(less) trap.
Heysham Obs
Highest Shag count was 17 in the early morning - all in the harbour. Ad Little Gull in the harbour but hardly anything on the outfalls in increasingly windy conditions. Two 1st W Kittiwake in the harbour. Ad & 1st W Med Gulls along the north harbour wall.

Anyone timing a visit on New Years Day - the IOM ferry should be sailing and arriving about midday (per port authorities this evening) - could have quite an entourage in the absence of other boats to drag birds back offshore. Possibly a better option than the short period of incoming tide and daylight from dawn, especially if any Fulmar are around.

Local area
A disappointing selection on the LDBWS website - unfortunately the two most active observers today have not got internet facilities and I did not get round to phoning them (may be worth checking Leighton Moss book early on) - 'new' stuff comprised
2 x adult Med Gulls in a large field-feeding flock by the Gressingham Lune bridge. The two Greenshank on the eastern end of the EM Pool=flood were visible from the Crag viewpoint. 'The' Hawfinch was showing in the walled garden at Sizergh but again early morning visit seems necessary.