Wednesday 23 January 2008

More jam on it from the north harbour wall!

Heysham Obs
Its been a good week! Whilst scanning the Cormorants and soaring gulls at the end of the wooden jetty, waiting for the passenger ferry, a passerine appeared in the scope, flying 'in-off' along the length of the jetty before swinging south along the seawall towards Red Nab. It clearly had "white sections" in the 'middle' of each wing & pale underparts and the rest of the jizz, flight, size etc. equated with Snow Bunting! Fortunately two other observers were able to get on to the bird.

IOM passenger ferry/north harbour wall
c30 Kittiwake (c8 1st W), at least two continued into the Bay & the rest flew out again
2nd W Med Gull joined the throng having earlier been patrolling the north wall

Red Nab/OE foreshore
Just Ad Med Gull Red Nab and 17 Ringed Plover on the shingle next to OE saltmarsh. Fairly thorough check for the Snow Bunting Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore but plenty of habitat between there & Sunderland Point!

Elsewhere
Female Black Redstart Lancaster rubbish tip on the rubble mound at the north-east end early/mid afternoon - visible from across the Lune on Lancaster Quay. Could not be found late afternoon but lots of nooks and crannies! Pale-bellied Brent Jenny Brown's Point at high tide, presumably not the Sandylands bird but an incoming 'float in' would take the bird towards JBP if it ended up in the tide race (it did this in reverse on one occasion - off Heysham north wall on a dropping tide). Not possible to see whether it was ringed. Single Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone Jetty early morning & the elusive veteran Spotted Redshank in the high tide roost there pm.

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