Heysham Obs
An early morning start in calm conditions revealed the following during a short visit:
Arctic Skua - light morph chasing large gulls and anything else which moved for about 5 minutes before chased off by Black-headed Gulls - then circled high to the north (0605hrs)
Common Scoter - 4 in
Arctic Tern - 31+7 in
Whimbrel - flock of 17 in
Tree Pipit - 1NE
Lesser Redpoll - 2 NE
Goldfinch - 7NE
Linnet - 3 NE
Rock Pipit - very late migrant north wall
Swallow - 18 NE 0800-0900
House martin - 2 NE 0800-0900
Garden Warbler - one singing briefly by the office
Grasshopper Warbler - singing male in tank farm still singing 0900 (unpaired?)
Three Willow Warbler, a female Blackcap and 3 Whitethroat ringed first thing in very limited ringing effort
Moths
Hebrew Character and the first Cochylis atricapitana of the year
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.