Lengthy seawatching pays dividends

Apologies for this stuff not being on the site yesterday but the ongoing sim-card problems (replacement lost in the post(!) but new one imminent) meant I didnt know Sean was working at Heysham until today (Sunday).  Sean was responsible for all post 0900 coastal sightings

Heysham Obs
Seabirds 0650-0830

Sandwich Tern - 15 in (none blogging)
Gannet - 5 in
Red-throated Diver - one out
Arctic Tern - 6+3+2 in
Common Scoter - 8 in, 14 out
Guillemot - 1 in, 2 on
Whimbrel - 1 in


Half Moon Bay beach 9:45-12:45 and 14:15-17:15hrs
Common Scoter 40+
Whimbrel 2 (north)
Common Sandpiper (north)
Arctic Tern 100+ (out in bay from south, feeding for time then to NW)
Sandwich Tern 2
Swallow 99 (north)
House Martin 3 (north)
White Wagtail 8(north)
Meadow Pipit 20+ (north)
Tree Pipit 1 (north)
Linnet 2
Twite 3 (NE)

The Point, North Harbour Wall 13:00-14:00hrs
Common Scoter 40+ (same flock as above)
Whimbrel 6 (on flats south of Outflow)


Turnstone 300+ (highest count for there)
Common Sandpiper 1
Arctic Skua (dark morph - on water 0.5km to NW, flew off NE towards
Kent estuary/Jenny Brown's Point)
Arctic Tern 80 (on sandbank, then flew off to NW)
Sandwich Tern 6
Little Tern 3 (from NE, flew towards Point, then off to NW)
Swallow 24 (north)
White Wagtail 3 (north)
Meadow Pipit 6+ (north)

Late news (still havnt received simcard - sorry Malcolm)
Grasshopper Warbler - 4-5 singing males Middleton IE

Combined vis north wall & by the office 0650-0900 (0830 north wall)
Flava Wagtail - one NE just west of the office, probably also the one heard at the north wall at the same time, 0715hrs.  First spring record for two years.
Tree Pipit - singles at 0705 & 0802, latter grounded briefly, & 2 together at 0720
Grey Wagtail - very late northbound bird at 0650hrs
Swallow - 47 NE (not bad for so early - should be a lot later) - plus 7 casually recorded pre-0945hrs
Collared Dove - flock of 5 north at 0710hrs
Goldfinch - 18
Lesser Redpoll - 10
Meadow Pipit - minimum 28, all very high & many not seen - call = noted as one bird
Linnet - 14
Sand Martin - 2
Coal Tit - noisy one headed north
House Martin - first of the year (!) NE late morning

Would have thought this was an ideal day for Black Guillemot to return but a now rather historical single-date sighting of a bird which, unlike as I was led to believe, did not return to the nest hole, is beginning to look like it did not involve the returning male (although definitely adult)

Grounded
Common Whitethroat new in on reserve
Willow Warbler - just two presumed migrants by office
Wheatear - one north wall, 2 ocean edge (very rapid lack of milk-inspired visit)
Mallard - pair Red Nab

Moths
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet new for the year