Tuesday 26 August 2008

Dribble of seabirds & a Prescott moment

Heysham Obs
Highlighted by TWO juvenile Shag on the wooden jetty late afternoon - unusual in August

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls - 3 visits
Little Gull - 2 ad/2nd W at long range
Common Tern - juv
Arctic Tern - juv
Med Gull - adult Red Nab
Wheatear - 2

North harbour wall - 3 visits
Arctic Skua - dark morph out
Fulmar - 2 out
Manx Shearwater - one out
Kittiwake - one out, 12 behind a late afternoon freight ferry and one blogging around the harbour
Eider - 2 females
Shelduck - 8 (flock) high into the Bay - this species seems to flag itself up during rubbishy autumnal seawatches (often with Pintail)

Heysham head
Gannet - adult summer early evening, then sat on rocks

There has been no sign of any patrolling Med Gulls for a week or so - presumably they are in the wet fields somewhere, but there has been a secondhand report of a 'seagull' being killed after swallowing a hook. Any info on this anyone, please?

Moths
Agriphila latistria at this long-term regular site but nothing else of interest.

Elsewhere
48 Little Egret seen to leave the island mere roost as viewed from the Leighton Moss lower hide this morning. This is a north Lancs record but currently being exceeded by 60(+?) at Freckleton. Not sure of the situation at Ashton Hall but this roost has not seen any dramatic increases above the low teens after being the original egret roost in this area. 2nd W Med Gull Warton floods