Thursday 20 December 2007

Blasts from the not too distant past

Heysham Obs
The male Black Guillemot (or at least an ad winter with similar habits) reappeared this morning and was found sitting on the wooden jetty mid-morning and then on the water in the harbour entrance at lunchtime. Last seen 4/11/07.

Purple Sandpiper on the rocks below the wooden jetty

11 or so Twite with 10 or so Goldfinch mobile between south and north harbour walls

At least one Water Rail in the Nature reserve marsh

41 Pink-footed Geese south mid -afternoon.

Definitely no Shag in the harbour at lunchtime (low tide) and no sightings of any Meds

Elsewhere
Continuing the theme, the female Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid was on Pine Lake close inshore on the eastern side just before dusk - this bird has been very hard to find this autumn/early winter. Purple Sandpiper by the Stone jetty, then flew to the old Sandylands sewer pipe.