The lunchtime IOM passenger ferry as seen today from Harris End fell. Thanks Simon
Heysham Obs
A New Year's resolution was to be more disciplined as regards the length of the self-employed lunch- 'break for birding'. The rigid adherence to 30 minutes included trying to watch the IOM ferry in but it crossed with a freight ferry and the entourage turned round....too far away to identify...because of the heat haze. This irony has happened before on cold sunny winter's days.
Heysham Stage 2 outfall
2 x adult Little Gull, 1 x 1st W Little Gull, 2 x Kittiwake
Harbour
16 Shag by the waterfall, adult Med Gull in the harbour mouth and 8 Kittiwake
Ringing recovery received today
Oystercatcher
FC51375 & col rings Adult Dawlish Warren, Devon 17/11/00
Read in field: Heysham heliport 21/1/07
Thanks to Richard du Feu for tracing this
Elsewhere
A Brent Goose of unknown origin and form was very briefly with the (feral) Greylags at Leighton but only observed very distantly from the Lower Hide. An obvious 'neck collar' allied to not being sure whether it was light or dark may not have ruled out escaped Black Brant - the commonest form in captivity as shown by the sight which greets me every morning on the pond at the bottom of the field! I didnt check today - assume one of them has not flown off. No doubt this will resolve itself very soon. Ring-billed Gull adult just out of the area at St Michael's on Wyre - presumably the usual extremely elusive Fylde 'field roamer'. Keep an eye open for this bird whilst checking the 'muck-spreading' this spring
