Wednesday 30 April 2008

Unexpectedly productive

Heysham Obs
What looked like a dismal useless morning was far from it for an hour or so. Weather involved a significant slow-moving front blocking any high northward movement. Wind variable 1-2. Unfortunately unable to cover promising conditions on the early incoming tide late afternoon. Arctic Terns have moved in numbers at this time of day in previous years

North harbour wall 0800-0940
Knot - c7,500, possibly more swirling about very high in the sky before heading SE!
Arctic Skua - LM in 0805
Arctic Tern - long straggling flock of 163 in which then fragmented with 52+33 returning out
Common Scoter - flock of 8 out
Red-throated Diver - 2 in
Whimbrel - 6 north
Swallow 2NE
Sandwich tern - 4 blogging

Inshore
Black Guillemot - throughout in the harbour mouth
Purple Sandpiper - 2 together on the rocks under where the inner end of the wooden jetty should be!

Elsewhere
Black Tern - Leighton Moss from early morning - Lilian's hide, then Public Hide - treated like a 5-star rarity! Cuckoo flying over Lancaster, heading SW. NO mention of Green-winged Teal or Spoonbill at Leighton c/f yesterday's uncertainty.