Heysham Obs
Thanks to Malcolm for a lot of the coastal coverage today. Sea buckthorn is certainly proving a bit of a lifesaver for displaced Fieldfare
North harbour wall
Twite - 8
Med Gull - 1 ad
Great-crested Grebe - 47 visible on high mag between Heysham harbour and the Stone jetty in the low tide channels
Red-breasted Merganser - 23 visible as above
Ocean Edge saltmarsh edge
Jack Snipe - 1, Snipe - 9, Rock Pipit - 1, Song Thrush - 4 on tideline
South harbour wall
Purple Sandpiper - 2
Ocean Edge/Red Nab area
Low tide count off Red Nab: 171 Shelduck, 19 Dunlin, 44 Lapwing, 38 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 77 Oystercatcher, 212 Black-headed Gull, ad Med Gull, 15 Herring Gull, 7 Lesser black-backed Gull, 13 Common Gull, 3 Turnstone, 144 Wigeon, 22 Curlew. NO Knot!
Half-moon Bay/Moneyclose Lane
Fieldfare - 48, Redwing - 17
Heysham NR
Fieldfare - 1, Redwing - 8
Dog walk track
Fieldfare - 17, Redwing - 3
Above average numbers of Blackbird & Song Thrush
Heliport
1+ Reed Bunting, 15 Linnet (rare in winter here)
Elsewhere
Male and two female Scaup off Morecambe Town Hall (with male Tufted Duck). Bittern being disturbed by 'photographers', with the usual associated lack of any fieldcraft or protocol, at Leighton Moss causeway.
The observatory was set up in 1980. It involves ringing,'vis mig' counts (including seabirds) and general monitoring in the Heysham Nature reserve/power stations/harbour area. The statutory moth trap is in place and also a daily log for butterflies, dragonflies etc. We share an office, kindly provided by EDF Energy, with the County Wildlife Trust. This is located next to the Nature Reserve car park. Do call in. Please leave sightings in the letterbox, ESPECIALLY 'fly-by' seabirds.