Interesting veteran ringed Kittiwake?

Heysham Obs
Just a few leftovers today as the wind went firmly into the north. Late yesterday afternoon produced what seemed to be a routine darvic-ringed Kittiwake, expertly 'nailed' in flight by Janet.  We ended up sorting out not just the Heysham sighting but also an additional sighting at Seaforth.  It's about 24 years old.  However, we have been urged to exercise caution here as it seems unlikely that the original darvic ring would have lasted for 24 years and there is a possibility that it was a re-ring/duplicate.  This is why the 2008 sightings is probably very important, acting as an interim sightings of what was certainly metal-ringed bird on the other leg.  Hopefully it will not turn out like the example a few years ago from Heysham Harbour of what could only be "traced" to someone putting a pigeon-type ring on an easily accessible nestling on a pier or whereever:

The bird (Yellow H32) was ringed as a pullus in Waterford, Ireland in 1989 and was first seen at Seaforth on 25/5/1991 and subsequently on 11/6/1991 and 16/8/1998.  It transpires that it was also seen at Seaforth on 23/8/08 and now Heysham on 5/2/13.

Top = One of two shots used to try and determine the ring number at Heysham yesterday.  Thanks Janet.  Bottom = the pic taken of the same bird at Seaforth on 23/8/08.  Thanks Gavin 

North harbour wall

Twite - 81 min

Linnet - at least 5

Goldfinch - at least 7

Great-crested Grebe - 10 visible, including a gang of 8

Kittiwake - 350 gulls far offshore included a tight cluster of 37 sitting on the water which all seemed to be this species - the rest (more scattered) mainly flying birds appeared to be Black-headed. Single adult by the waterfall

Med Gull - 2 adults behind outgoing ferry
Rock Pipit - 1

Outfalls

Little Gull - 8 (5 2CY) on a quick long-range check but could have been others resting on the mud

Decent influx in strong winds

Heysham Obs
The Little Gulls were all at long-range apart from the harbour birds and for 'adult', read 'adult or 3CY'

Thanks Janet

North harbour wall 0900-0930
Kittiwake - flock of 17 blogging offhore
Little Gull - 2 adults far offshore heading out
Red-throated Diver - 2 out
Guillemot - 3, one close inshore
Auk spp - one out far offshore
Med Gull - adult and 3CY (latter on beach by heliport)
Twite - present but not checked properly

Harbour 0945-0955
Kittiwake - 2 Ad and 2CY by waterfall
Little Gull - 2 ads blogging in harbour mouth

Outfalls 1000-1010
Little Gull - 21 adults and presumably the same 7 2CY as yesterday - the adults were mainly at the seaward end.  Therefore 32 Little Gulls seen in total this morning
Kittiwake - 2-3 2CY
There may have been other Kitts and Little Gulls resting on beach with BHG, but not visible from O Edge

IOM passenger ferry followers 1215ish
Nice idea in theory but subhorizontal heavy sleet straight into the optics & poor visibility rendered it pretty impossible.  c15 Kittiwakes in the murk (but could have been 100), at least one ad little gull, presumably one already recorded

Middleton NR model boat pond late pm
Little Gull - ad, 3CY and 2CY
Med Gull - new 3CY - very faintly-marked wingtips

Mammal
Grey Seal in the harbour mouth

End of the Buzzard-free zone?

Heysham Obs
Two species, Common Buzzard and Jackdaw are not to be found in residence in the Heysham area, other than a few Jackdaw at the southern end of Middleton village.  Therefore migrants can be isolated and recorded which is what you want at an obs.  Former 'migrant-only' species such as Jay have now a very 'fuzzy' status, due to at least one resident pair.  Unfortunately no incoming ferries checked today.

Common Buzzard
One by the bypass roundabout this morning, the first winter record for the recording area, although the reserve staff say they are now 'almost daily' on Heysham Moss NR, from being very scarce for years ago

North harbour wall
Red-throated Diver - one out
Twite - 84, including the usual Machrihanish bird and at least 7 unringed
Goldfinch - increase to 15
Linnet - 10
Med Gull - ad

Outfalls
Little Gull - 7 x 2CY, 2 x Ad
Kittiwake - 2 x 2CY

Mammal
Grey Seal in the harbour by the waterfall!

Moths
Dotted Border (2) and Chestnut, both 'year ticks' for here and the first moths since the first week of January (and the last for a bit?)

Little Gulls hang around

Heysham Obs

North wall area
Twite  80+
Linnet -1+
Goldfinch - 5
Med Gull - adult
Eider - 86

Outfalls
Little Gull - 5 2CY, 2 ad
Kittiwake - 2 2CY

A Barrow town hall clock morning

Heysham Obs
Used Barrow TH clock to find out the time this morning (as seen from Heysham north wall) in crystal clear conditions with a 'polar' airflow

Thanks Janet

Coastal areas low/early incoming tide
Eider - 86
Med Gull - 3CY by heliport
Little Gull - 3 x 2CY outfalls
Kittiwake - at least one 2CY outfalls
Twite - 100-105 on seed but continuous disturbance
Guillemot - one distantly
Linnet -  10
Goldfinch - 5

Middleton NR (thanks Malcolm)
Gadwall - added to the year list with male and female on Tim Butler pond
Little Grebe - 2
Mute Swan - 9 (5 juv left)
Coot - 7
Moorhen - 5
Teal - 45 (min)
Tufted Duck - 21
Mallard - 14
Pochard - 3
Goldenye - 1 female
Snipe - 2

Dolphin surprise plus assorted leftovers and residents

Heysham Obs
Coastal area Ocean Edge to Half Moon Bay & brief seawatch
Rock Pipit - singles half moon bay and north wall area
Little Egret - one north end of half moon bay, 2 red nab
Med Gull - 2 adults north wall, 3CY heliport, 2CY outfalls
Little Gull - maximum day count of 4 ad & 3 2CY outfalls
Kittiwake - 2CY outfalls, 2CY by waterfall, 2 ad following IOM ferry
Twite - c60
Linnet - 8
Song Thrush - 1
Pink-footed Goose - injured bird in harbour (for third day), 51 north
Guillemot - at least 5 offshore, floating in with the tide
Red-throated Diver - one 'out' very distantly, later 2 'out'

Mammals
Dolphin spp headed purposefully out at 1220hrs (thanks Ian)

Little Gulls pile in

Heysham Obs
No time to do much birdwatching today which was a shame, but Tom and Janet were on the prowl:

Thanks for these Janet

Inshore areas
Little Gull - 6 adult/3CY behind freight ferry and up to 10 adult/3CY and 3 2CY outfalls
Kittiwake - 6 behind freight ferry, 5 on outfalls
Med Gull  - at least one ad, 3CY on sea by heliport
Linnet - 8
Twite - only 7 seen
Goldfinch - 6
Guillemot - 3, one in harbour mouth
Rock Pipit - 1

Missed the IOM passenger ferry yet again! 

Little Gulls trickle in

Heysham Obs
A few short sorties today in between a lot of work.

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2 adults, 3CY on heliport briefly but ring still unreadable as it 'faced left'!

Thanks Janet

Twite - c95 but in the blinding sunlight part of the morning!
Great-crested Grebe - 7 'out' in 5 mins
Red-throated Diver - one 'out' as above
Guillemot - one 'out' as above

Stage 2 outfall
Little Gull - 3 adult type and 2 2CY by lunchtime

No Kitts, ferry sneaked in unseen!

Middleton model boat pond
Mute Swan - JZ6 2CY lying dead and headless by the model boat pond - thanks Carol for letting us know - I've disposed of it as it was upsetting a lot of people leaving it 'to nature'
Pochard - increase to 4 males
Tufted Duck - 7
Goldeneye - female

Elsewhere
It might seem beyond belief listening to the howling wind, unless you are familiar with the sheltered Millhouses site, but I've seen 60 moths today........:  40 Pale-brindled beauty, 12 Spring Usher, 2 Early Moth, 5 Dotted Border and a Tortricodes alternella.  A big-enough sample to say that the speciality of this site at/from this time of year, Small Brindled Beauty, is not out yet.  Note lack of hibernators: Chestnut/Satellite/Red-green Carpet which were regular during the mild first week of January

Full house of the more regular late winter specialities

Heysham Obs
Apart from perhaps Shag, although these are not traditionally regular in late winter unless remaining from an earlier influx

North wall early morning and lunchtime
Kittiwake - ad following IOM ferry as far in as red buoy, but then left to follow outgoing ferry
Med Gull - 2 adults
Rock Pipit - one along base of seawall at lunchtime
Twite - max 72 at one time, including green/white, red/white Machrihanish bird.  There were 5 unringed out of 67, then 4 birds arrived from the south with a Meadow Pipit, circled round for about 5 mins before eventually landing on the fence with the flock.  Two of these definitely unringed and the behaviour also suggested new arrivals 
Linnet - 1
Goldfinch - 2
Song Thrush - 1
Purple Sandpiper - 1 along base of seawall
Guillemot - one harbour entrance, one briefly further out - first for a bit
Red-throated Diver - 2-4 around offshore
Meadow Pipit - one flew along harbour wall, then inland (with 4 Twite - see above)

Stage 2 outfall
Little Gull - no sign of yesterdays adult but 2CY present

Inshore Little Gull at last

Heysham Obs
The only previous ones this year were a very distant flock of five in Cumbrian waters on new year's day

North harbour wall 0830-0900hr
Twite - 96, 7 unringed
Linnet - 5
Goldfinch -7
Purple Sandpiper - one along base of seawall on incoming tide
Red-throated Diver - one 'out'
Pink-footed Goose - 63 NW (none obviously in the bypass filds, but plenty of fields not visible!)
Med Gull - 3CY sat on the sea off the heliport at high tide, Czech-ringed adult on seawall railings, another adult on Fisher's roof
Careful check for 'the' Shag has failed to produce either yesterday or today

Outfalls check late afternoon
Little Gull - adult on stage 2