Saturday 12 May 2007

More Arctic Skuas and the second Marsh Harrier of the spring

Heysham Obs
Seawatching north harbour 0630 until at least 1205
Arctic Skua - 10 sightings of dark morph involving at least 6 birds, plus one light morph. Summary: 0725 2 dark morph 'in' distantly, 0822 hrs 2 dark + 1 light morph 'out', 0925 dark morph 'in', 0940 3 dark morph 'in', 1205 2 dark morph in then circling high.
Marsh Harrier female 1000-1005 in from Walney direction rising up over Heysham 2.

Thanks to Nick Patel

Gannet - 2 'out'
Guillemot - 2 'in'
Red-throated Diver - 1 out
Common scoter - 1 out
Dunlin - two migrant flocks 'in' of c60 & c70
Common Tern - 2 'in'
Arctic Tern - no recorded movement - at least one on outfalls

Swallow 27
House martin 8
Swift 5

Inshore
Shag 2 juv wooden jetty

Middleton IE
Common Sandpiper 3
Grasshopper Warbler - none singing in the windy weather (all paired up?)
Swift 5
Mute Swan 4 including one breeding pair Tim Butler pond
Mallard 6