Four tern species

Heysham obs
The tern passage this year seems to be homing in on a rich feedng area in the narrow channel just beyond the first sandbank rather than on the outfalls.  In this respect, they are homing in on the area where most of the gulls are feeding.  Slightly more challenging to observe this area and a scope needed and also a low tide visit.   However, it was still possible to identify a single leisurely feeding Common Tern amongst the more hyperactive cohesive passage flocks of Arctic and this was the star record of the morning on recent status!!

North wall to 0915hrs then 1025-1050
Common Tern - 1 feeding for at least 15 minutes 0900-0915
Sandwich tern - just 4
Black Tern - 1+3+9+7 through pretty rapidly with just a bit of feeding in the channel
Arctic Tern - more leisurely than the above species - 107 through by 0915, 5+24 later
Little Gull - at least 2 and quite probably three 2CY gradually heading in with Black-headed Gulls
RB Merg - 5
Swallow - just 15 'noticed' - mainly along the seawall itself
Chiffchaff - singing male
Wheatear - 2

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Common Sandpiper - 1

Middleton Nature Reserve 17:00 - 18:30
2 shelduck
2 gadwall (m & f)
2 little grebe
1 little ringed plover
1 Cetti's warbler
c12 swallow feeding

Heysham Head 20:00
5 swift feeding