The sea still providing

A hot sunny day, the breeze again light from SE till mid morning then freshened slightly as it shifted to NW.

Summary of today's seawatching by various observers from Stone jetty and Heysham - Pete

Arctic skua - dark morph in SJ at 0629, dm and lm dropped from height then landed on sea drifting in off Heysham at 0645.  Typical behaviour before heading up and overland so not surprised not seen at SJ

Kittiwake - 121 in at SJ just one flock of 37 flying out at Heysham - SJ birds clearly on sea to north of Heysham before watch started 

Arctic Tern - latish flock of 14 past SJ - not seen Heysham - presumably through before watch started 

Red throated Diver - 3 in, one floating in Heysham

Gannet - about 12 in total

Sandwich Tern - just two seen at both locations 

Guillemot - three floating in, one in, one out

Common Scoter - c70 in three gangs off Heysham - none reached SJ

Goosander - male in Heysham

South shore (Malcolm).

Just a walk along the sea wall and foreshore 

Shelduck 4 - two were resting on the sea near the saltmarsh till the male of another pair saw them off.

The dominant Sheldrake left and duck right 

Little Egret 1

Little Egret flying east (to nest?) with a decent sized fish

Four wader species on Red Nab

Oystercatcher 7

Turnstone 11

Dunlin 1

Ringed Plover 1

Solitary Ringed Plover

Three Linnet, and slightly unusual, at this time of year, a Reed Bunting on saltmarsh.

Reed Bunting, unfortunately with the light behind it.

Heysham skear - low water 16:30 (Malcolm)

Just a quick circuit a couple of hour before low water.

Eider 83

Red-breasted Merganser 2

Great Crested Grebe 1

Oystercatcher 400

Curlew 1

Knot 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3

So seven wader species today, but four of them with only a single representative.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Willow Warbler

Male Blackcap

Chiffchaff 

Four-spotted Chaser