Monday 25 November 2013

Motorised para'glider' clears out the foreshore

Heysham Obs
I'm not sure what motorised para'gliders' are supposed to be called, especially noisy ones which can be heard over a mile away.  This was weaving about c10 metres above the surface of the mudflats at a neap high tide and it was amazingly effective at scaring birds.  This relates to the drip-feed of disruptive activities which sneak on to the shore via the access point at Potts Corner.   The owner has attended meetings re-establishing good practice on the foreshore along this very important and often spectacular stretch of coast with its large internationally important flocks of waders and therefore this activity was presumably not with his blessing.  So why were these people on the foreshore with two large vehicles - I'm assuming they simply drove on via a seemingly unrestricted access?  Vehicles registrations have been taken and will be passed to NE.  Any continuation of this level of disturbance makes a mockery of the carefully worded information notices put up by Ocean Edge and Shorefields Caravan parks

Ocean Edge foreshore late afternoon
Fleeing birds included 3 Little Egret and perhaps the flock of c3900 Knot which ended up on the beach to the south of the Stone Jetty plus the usual Bar-tailed Godwit, additional Knot etc etc

Pink-footed Goose
It seems that 800-900 are utilising a morning flightline via a (brief?) landing on Middleton Sands and then over Middleton NR area en route to Lune side fields/saltmarshes.  This evening, they returned via the 'usual' Lune estuary flightline at 1600-1604hrs

Others
Twite number 6 (from this autumn's ringing) was on the seed along with 4 others and 23 Linnet (at least 17 unringed) and 14 Goldfinch (mainly ringed)

Usual 2 adult Med Gulls around north wall