Saturday 26 April 2008

Avocet, Chough & reasonable early morning seabirds

Heysham Obs
Late morning update. A new species for Heysham in the form of Avocet and another excellent record in the form of a Chough which was first heard from the inner harbour direction by seawatchers (Mark Prestwood and John Girdley) before flying along the south wall, through the inner wooden jetty gap, then 'u' turning (wind?) then back over their heads, heading ESE towards the inner harbour. Wind S backing SSW 2-3 - veil of high cloud.

North harbour wall 0615-1100
Chough - see above - at about 0950hrs - gap in the right wing flight feathers
Little Gull - 4 adult and 6 1st winter out
Arctic Skua - 1+2+1 dark morph in
Razorbill - 6
Guillemot - 2
Gannet - 5
Sandwich Tern - 11
Arctic Tern - 3
Red-throated Diver - 1
Black Guillemot - early morning at least
Swallow - 8 (the only obvious small bird vis)

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Avocet - one presumably on Red Nab then flew south past OE foreshore 1040hrs
Little Gull - adult end of Stage 2 outfall
Common Gull - 178
Black-headed Gull - 44

Elsewhere
Spoonbill Allen/EM Pools. Green-winged Teal EM Pool. Ad Long-eared Owl showing well at Leck at dusk.