Friday 4 September 2009

Bit of early morning seawatching

Weather watch: Anyone targeting tomorrow; might be best to stay local and not 'waste your time' on the Mersey (unless there is a lingering 'one-off' (aaaargh, there was)). The strength of the wind is not particularly clever, but it is the right direction over the tide for Heysham & even JBP. Fingers crossed for a decent bird on the (power station) outfalls. Please could you leave interesting bird sightings = e.g. all seabirds in the letterbox on the HNR car park fence. Thanks - this includes all terns these days!

Heysham Obs
The wind was too north-westerly to drive any numbers of seabirds into the Bay today but did produce some terns to look at after what has been a tern-starved year for lingering, especially perching birds. Ocean Edge south beach roost held a nice 'combo' at 1315hrs of juvenile Arctic Tern, adult Common Tern, ad & juv Meds and.....Mute Swan. Need to get the camera organised.

North harbour wall & Ocean Edge on & off until c1050hrs
Arctic Skua - 2 juv into the bay, one close
Arctic Tern - 1 ad Red Nab, i juv roosting OE early afternoon
Common Tern - 2 juv outfalls for a short time, ad roosting OE early afternoon
Sandwich Tern - 3; one juv outfalls, 2 out
Kittiwake - juv out
Gannet - 3 offshore
Guillemot - one 2CY in harbour
Med Gull - ad & juv Red Nab, later OE south beach/saltmarsh
Mute Swan - adult Ocean Edge off south shore

See new link http://leeharrisonsnaturephotography.blogspot.com/ for photos of ad & juv Meds at Heysham Harbour mouth

Elsewhere
Wood Sandpiper Conder area, Curlew Sandpiper juv at Braides Farm fields