Friday 18 May 2018

Itsy bitsy end of season feel

The forecasted easterlies have deteriorated into 'middle of high pressure variables' with any decent easterly airflow shunted to the back of next week when observer availability is going to be a factor.  Fair weather birder stuff!

Sea for probably far too long to 1330 (thanks Dan for the last bit)
Arctic Tern - 3 in early on
Arctic Skua - light morph motoring up the Kent channel as the tide started to flow mid-am
Common Scoter 355 in, (incl 340 in together landing in one distant raft, which soon fragmented).
Guillemot 13 floating in, 2 seen to fly out. Mostly non-breeding plumaged birds in contrast to most recent sightings.
Sandwich Tern 2 adults blogging
Whimbrel 3+1 out
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 out
Little Egret 2 cross-bay in-off.
Pink-footed Goose 2 floating in
Swallow 11 N, 1 in-off
Great-crested Grebe - at least 11 off Heysham Head with two displaying birds carrying 'weed' - a Heysham novelty!

Mammals
Harbour Porpoise - 2
Grey Seal - 1
Otter - spraint using bits of crayfish on the rocks of model boat pond

Heysham Head
Spotted Flycatcher - one in garden just north of church

Middleton NR
see above
Cetti's Warbler - certainly two and almost certainly three singing males
Grasshopper Warbler - one singing along golf course edge
Little Grebe - pair on no swimming pond

Dragonflies Middleton
Broad bodied Chaser - 7
4-spotted Chaser - 5