Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Scaup - very distant flock of 2 males and three females - presumably the same as February? Also 3 'dark smallish ducks' further out!
Great-crested Grebe - 17
Red-breasted Merganser - 14
Eider - 80+
Red-throated Diver - one
Purple Sandpiper - one underneath the wooden jetty with c20 Turnstone at low tide
Twite - 51, 32 were examined for rings and a total of 14 seen to be unringed (recently no more than 1-2). Were these vis mig birds or a result of new birds at the presumably communal roost - almost certainly the latter. We still dont know where these birds roost, but it seems to be south of Ocean Edge.
Med Gull - two adults, including Czech-ringed bird (thanks Mike)
Heysham NR
Meadow Pipit - 2 north - forgot about these
Goldfinch - 1 probably migrant north
Middleton IE (thanks Malcolm)
4 Mute Swan, 11 Coot, 7 Moorhen, 6 Mallard, 11 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 3 Goldeneye, 2 Teal, one Little Grebe and a singing male Reed Bunting. Perhaps surprisingly c/f elsewhere, no migrant Stonechats - one just to the east along the bypass fields
Elsewhere
20 Whooper Swan near Hornby, including darvic S53. Great White Egret Leighton Moss, also 2 Cetti's Warbler & Bearded Tit in eight separate areas
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.