Sunday 21 April 2013

A few odds and ends, but wind due south and unremarkable for landbirds

Heysham Obs
.................but can you say this at this time of year when you roll up at the late hour of 0655hrs?

Due to computer problems at home, it my not be possible to publish some of the later sightings until the following day.

Sea 0700 to about 1130hrs (inc outfalls)
Arctic Skua - 3: dark morph in 0705, one 'climbing up' and in at 0820, one in then out at 0925
Arctic Tern - up to 168 offshore with a further c95 already on the outfalls
Sandwich Tern - in contrast to the above all 18 were purposefully 'out'
Gannet - 3 in
Manx Shearwater - 2 out
Red-throated Diver - 3 out
Kittiwake - just the one in!
Guillemot - one out
Common Scoter - 11+c50+ 40 out
Little Gull - 3 adults out, 2 adults and one 2CY outfalls
Turnstone - c140 on wooden jetty
nearby there was no sign of any Twite but up to 6 Linnet and 2 Goldfinch on seed

Ocean Edge area
Marsh Harrier - not sure of the initial flightline of this bird - first picked up over the sheltered accommodation (ex-Pontins) whence it headed rather low to NE - maybe Fylde birders can enlighten (c0800).  A cream-crowned bird with small bits of yellow on the leading edges. Please can we have an Osprey instead (these are usually commoner than MH over here).
Bar-tailed Godwit - 403 on the tideline
Dunlin - 230 on tideline
Knot - only 17 on tideline
Grey Plover - 35 on tideline
Whimbrel - a singleton, followed by flock of 7 flew north, later 4 in off the north wall

Vis mig (northboundish)
Not conscientiously recorded
Meadow Pipit - 11
Lesser Redpoll - at least 6
alba Wagtail - 4
Goldfinch - 5

Middleton NR
A late afternoon visit in the sunshine (5.30 - 6.20 pm) revealed a small fall of migrants in the trees and bushes around the small square pool just west of the Boating Pool, including 1 male Whinchat, 20+ Willow Warbler, 2 male Blackcap, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat and 1 Chiffchaff. Interestingly no Sedge Warblers were seen or heard.

Jay - 3 flew over the Boating Pool towards Moneyclose Lane.

Also 30 Swallow and 2 House Martin.

Twite
Still 6 on the seed, all ringed