Sunday 29 June 2008

Juvenile Stonechats surprise

North Harbour Wall
Gannet - 15
Black Guillemot - flew towards Heysham Head - unusual
Med Gull - 2nd S
Eider F out
Shelduck 6 'in' - one flock

Outfalls and Red Nab
2 adult Arctic Tern
1st S Little Gull at 1230
Sandwich Tern at 1600.
About 600 Black-headed Gulls split between the Outfalls and Red Nab plus 100 mixed Herring and Lesser Black-backed.

Middleton Industrial Estate
Two very young Stonechat but no obvious sign of adults, presumably dispersed from nearby 'waste ground habitat. This is the first time for a few years there has been any suggestion of breeding in this area. 2 Little Grebe feeding 4 chicks. 30 House Martin (including some newly fledged). Grasshopper Warbler reeling plus one young one (& a lot of actual grasshoppers!).

Mammals
Grey Seal 1

Elsewhere
Conder Pool: Avocet.
Leighton Moss: no sign of Cattle Egret or young Gannet; 2 Spotted Redshank; 3 Greenshank, including colour-ringed bird; 5 Common Sandpiper; 1 Little Ringed Plover. Two Spoonbill Leighton.