Strong onshore winds at last!

Heysham Obs

Seawatching

Three lots of about 45 mins each spanning 0755-1330. Nothing spectacular but a really good array of species

Pintail - 217 out (largest of 6 flocks was 69), Shelduck - 17 out, Pink-footed Goose - 26 south, Common Scoter - 2 out, Red-throated Diver - 1 in, Arctic Skua - dark morph ad in at 1015hrs, Bonxie - one out at 1145hrs, Sandwich tern - 5, Kittiwake - 6, Fulmar - 5, Shag - juv round the wooden jetty, Gannet - 1, Guillemot - 1, Little Gull - one ad in harbour mouth, Mediterranean Gull - 6 in the harbour mouth including a newly arrived 1st W, Knot - 3,500 out, Dunlin - 60 out ..........plus a couple of wheeling things in poor light/rain one of which was probably a Manx Shearwater.

Chough

Showing well this morning - up until 0940 it was by the large grey store in the non-op land (view through fence by the dog walk pond) and then it was on the seawall briefly between Ocean Edge and Heysham outfalls before returning to the non-op land

Ocean Edge foreshore & misc

A nice 'seen from' in the form of a distant Little Egret off Middleton. They are very rare in the Obs recording area. Also two Raven which eventually flew east. This species may be just about to lose its boldface status. A single Jackdaw flew over the roundabout at the end of the bypass.

Elsewhere

Afternoon visit to Pine Lke: Arctic Tern: ad & juv, Common Tern: juv, Ferruginous x Pochard female, drake Scaup. Great White Egret still Leighton Moss.

*Sorry about spacing problems above - cant seem to find a way to edit