100+ Little gulls......but it wasn't easy! Plus four tern species

Very light breeze continued from NE till c08:00, then drifted to NW. overnight night rain not easing till c10:00.

Report from Pete Crooks:

Heysham North Harbour Wall – A short visit in heavy drizzle and poor visibility produced 1 Rock Pipit, but nothing on the sea at low tide.

Golden Ball, Lune Estuary – An Osprey flew north at 9.55 am and provided the inspiration for a return visit to Heysham.

Heysham North Harbour Wall – A 2-hour sea-watch on the incoming tide (10.15 – 12.15 pm) produced:
103 Little Gull – all adults except for 2 1st summer. Most were fairly distant, flying in or resting on the sea and drifting towards Heysham Head on the incoming tide and most easily identifiable when wing-flapping. Groups included 41 flying in at 10.40, 22 floating in at 11.15 am and the final (and most distant) group of 7 floating in at 11.50 am.
19 Arctic Tern – including a group of 10 flying into the Bay, but also some ‘blogging’, including 4 that flew out towards the outfalls.
4 Sandwich Tern
1 Pale-belied Brent Goose – flew in at 11.08 am
1 Gannet – flew in at 11.30 am
1 1st summer Kittiwake – floated in at 11.40 am

Also: 2 Whimbrel, 18 Eider, 2 Grey Seal and 1 Harbour Porpoise offshore
2 male Wheatear, 1 Rock Pipit – on Near Naze.

I was checking from the lighthouse area just before 10:00 (MD). The weather was clearing and the sea flat, but I couldn't see any Little Gulls on the sea, at that time at least a scope was required.

Common Tern 1 on No.1 outflow (first record this year)

Common Tern - not so common here nowadays 

Kittiwake 1 x 2nd calendar year on outflows 

Shag 1 immature on the wooden jetty

Shelduck 2 

Eider 10 out

Whimbrel 4 - these two near No.2 outflow

Peregrine Falcon 1

Linnet 14

Wheatear 3 in the morning, 7 in an evening check

Male Pied Wagtail 

Male White Wagtail 

Black Tern 1 flew in this evening, quite a distance out, but fortunately quite a distinctive bird!

Distant Black Tern

Also this evening. Alison and Kevin found this Tissue moth on the end of the wall on the harbour arm.

Tissue Moth

Heysham Head

Grasshopper Warbler singing above the old go kart track - ref Janet