6th January - Acanthisised

Heysham Obs

Twite Heysham north harbour wall mound taken today by Gavin Thomas. Thanks Gavin.

A flock of 9 Linnet on Middleton Industrial Estate around the de-activated Tim Butler rubble-recycling mounds (because they double up as Great-crested Newt hibernacula!). Three Twite were showing very well to visiting birders on the north harbour wall mound and they represented birds ringed at this site in 2002/3 winter, 2004/5 winter and autumn 2005

The Shag flock in the harbour reached 20 mid-afternoon with one bird preferring to feed along the north harbour wall = 21 altogether.

Ad & 1st W Med Gulls north wall

Ad & 1st W Little Gulls Heysham Stage 2 outfall

Up to 12 Kittiwakes around the outfalls/harbour. Thanks for the picture, Rosie.

Local area:

Most of the interest was a result of a thorough grilling of the Lune Estuary: adult Scandinavian Herring Gull opposite the Golden Ball early morning, the European White-fronted Goose was located on Aldcliffe, the single Whooper Swan was still present on Aldcliffe, Spotted Redshank & Greenshank at Conder Pool, 2 Bewick's Swans off Glasson and 1st W male & female Scaup on the Glasson basin. A ringed Little Owl was found dead near Lancaster Quay. Details (thanks to Bob Danson for these):

Little Owl EL54366 was ringed as a pulli 2/2 in nest box 299 at Muffys Platt near Pilling Lane Preesall SD369489 on the 16/06/2006.

5th January - first auk of the year!

Heysham Obs
An adult winter Razorbill flew out of the Bay just before the IOM ferry reached port.

15 Shag were in the harbour and one additional bird was close inshore along the north harbour wall. All juvs.

46 Kittiwake were behind the IOM ferry with 3-4 already in the harbour

1st W Med Gull patrolling the north wall

3 Twite on the mound (at last, personally!)

One Reed Bunting Ocean Edge saltmarsh

No Little Gulls on outfalls but only checked at high tide.

Elsewhere
2nd W Med Gull with the large field-feeding group commuting between Heaton Marsh and the bypass fields. This is a "new" bird (per Mark Prestwood). Nothing of interest amongst the dwindling numbers of large gulls in the area late morning (c/f rubbish tip closure)

Ad Razorbill far up the Kent Estuary at Halforth about 1400hrs, then seen floating out of the estuary past Sandside. Surely not the same bird as flying in the opposite direction two hours earlier at Heysham.

Kent Estuary "Twite" resolved as (60ish) Linnet

8 Whooper still on the Gressingham Bridge-Melling Lune floodplain