Tuesday 15 May 2007

Some half-decent early morning calm-weather seawatching

Heysham Obs
Sea/vis 0630-0930
Arctic Skua - SIX singly 'in'/to the NE - all but one pre 0900hrs (5 dark, 1 light)
Bonxie - One 'in' and then over an hour later perhaps the same 'out', before landing far offshore "near" the turbines
Arctic Tern - 2 + 27 'in'
Kittiwake - 3 'in'
Common Scoter - 4
Canada Goose - 2 north during a quick visit at 1022hrs!
Mute swan 'in' on tide 0900 hrs
Shelduck 4 'in' 3 'out'

Swallow - c150 north
Swift - 4 north

Grounded
Unfortunately no time to check OE foreshore/Red Nab, although the 'mound' area did not hold any Wheatear & only 2 could be seen at Middleton (c/f Aldcliffe posting below)

Inshore
Shag - 2 juvs
Common Tern - 3 blogging
No Turnstone left on the wooden jetty at high tide

Mammals
Harbour Porpoise close inshore for a short time

Insects
A very low-key addition to the moth year list, as was also the case with Walney, was Small Square Spot (& there were two more rather early Poplar Hawk-moth). Just two 4-spotted Chaser seen during a quick check of Middleton IE ponds

Elsewhere
The presumed escape Night Heron (assuming not an unconventional ring attached to a captured wild bird) has resurfaced on the pond at Lancaster University. Visiting the pond does not currently seem to be a problem, but parking on campus is! Miscellany from Leighton Moss this morning included an Osprey for a short period, female Red-crested Pochard, 2 Spoonbill and a partially leucistic Swift. Drake Garganey still on the 'YW Darter' pond at Aldcliffe this evening along with good numbers of Wheatear and a single Whinchat