Early WeBS

Ben My Chree slowly and carefully negotiates the turn into the harbour at midday - note the height of the tide on the wooden jetty. Just one Kittiwake behind it, but up to 70 have been seen following this year, especially during January, along with a few Little Gull and also two juvenile Pomarine Skua sightings, which almost certainly involved following this boat into the Bay

Heysham Obs
Pretty thorough check of (high tide loafing) gulls in the harbour failed to locate the 1st W Caspian look-alike by the waterfall in the harbour yesterday afternoon [as seen from the NHW] (which unfortunately flew off before the features could all be gone through and ticked or crossed from the gate 38 side). Maybe it will return nearer low tide when the waterfall becomes a 'feature', on the other hand it may just be a very "snouty, white-headed" argenteus.

North harbour wall
The WeBS coincided with the IOM passenger ferry and it was being followed by a single 1st W Kittiwake

Red Nab
1st W Little Gull sat on the sea

Wooden Jetty
Two Purple Sandpiper on the top at HT - took flight briefly with 6 Turnstone

Ocean Edge west field
2nd S Med Gull roosting on the grass with BHGs - never seen it so far round this side & presume it was the usual bird!

Middleton IE WeBS
Mute Swan 4, Coot 13, Mallard 7, Pochard 2, Goldeneye 3, Teal 6, Tufted Duck 6, Little Grebe 2, Grey Heron 2. There were also 8 Redwing, almost certainly grounded returning migrants as there have been none during the winter and the weather was SE wind & rain first thing. Thanks Malcolm.

Elsewhere
Morecambe WeBS stuff: Two Spotted Redshank on the groyne on the bend just S of the Strathmore, one with very white foresupercilium & forehead, the other less so. Pale-bellied Brent Sunny Slopes groyne. Female Scaup off Scalestones Point but elusive in rough sea. NNEW on the 'wee wire hopper' but will have been forced off the Lune saltmarshes by the tide [only c50 PFG visible from the Heaton side mid-pm]. Chough in at Warton Crag 1628hrs and showed really well in bright sunlight, also two 'Nordic' Jackdaws in the field 'below' the crag during mid-afternoon and one later on the crag face (per N Patel et al). Ringtail Hen harrier receiving a lot of attention at Leighton Moss & still only 2 Avocet