Friday, 14 April 2023

Gannets showing today, early on

A light SE wind for most of the day switched to NW by evening. Some sunny spells.

Pete and Jean managed another early visit. Report from Pete:
Sea heysham 0635-0755: 
Common Scoter 79
Red throated diver 6
Gannet 2
Whooper swan flock 10
Canada goose 1 (!)
Sandwich Tern 2
Razorbill/Guillemot 1
Common Gull 232 out
All outbound except Gannets and Whoopers
Harbour Porpoise 2-3. 
 
Three willow warbler and two Chiffchaff ringed in short session Heysham NR

South Shore (MD)
I had a walk along the foreshore and sea wall a little later
Meadow Pipit 1 grounded
Linnet 6 on foreshore plus two pairs between the lighthouse and waterfall. This female seen with nesting material, this is the opposite end of the brambles to the other pair's nest site, which are nesting in the same bramble bush as last year.

Rock Pipit 4 - 2 near the lighthouse and 2 near the waterfall. This is one of the lighthouse birds just above the nest hole.

Shag - the 3rd calendar year bird had just returned to the wooden jetty and was having a good preen before settling down.

3rd calendar year Shag

This young Great Black-Backed Gull pinched a young Herring Gull's dinner!

Zoomed in still from the above clip

Redshank 48
Turnstone 14

Heysham Head (MD)
I had a very pleasant stroll around in the evening sunshine. The tide was almost high, but there was no sign of the Shag feeding. The trouble with evening feeding opportunities is that they depend on how much has been eaten during the day.
Great Crested Grebe 2
Linnet 8 at least
Rock Pipit 2 displaying males, but only the middle section checked.

Harbour Porpoise 2 - an adult, presumably female, with a youngster. It must be one of last year's young. You can see the smaller porpoise breaching a couple of times early in this clip.


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