Sabines returns late afternoon and first juvenile Shag of the autumn

Thanks very much to Margaret Breaks for sharing this montage. On end of Stage 2 outfall from c1610hrs-1710hrs today

Heysham Obs

This was a very frustrating day for visiting birders as, in clear but windy conditions, the adult Sabines Gull reappeared c1610hrs (Mike Watson) and was seen on and off for about one hour, always very distant at the seaward end of the Power Station outfalls and sitting out of sight on the rough sea. The last sighting involved a quite lengthy observed flight which was presumably continued out of sight 'behind' the waves along the shipping channel. No further sign by at least 2000hrs

Combined effort offshore intermittent 0840-2000hrs

Gannet - 37, mainly distant in several hours!

Manx Shearwater - one out

Kittiwake - 2 out

Sandwich Tern - 10 out

Common Scoter - male out, 7 in then out

Arctic Skua - light morph out, then sat on the sea, then wheeled back into the bay again in increasing wind c0905-0920. It or another seen chasing gulls at long range late afternoon.

Combined effort inshore

Med Gull - 2nd S->3rd W north harbour wall (2-3 'second year' primaries still unmoulted). 3 adults Red Nab area probably included the 'newly re-aged' 3rd W=Ad having completed wing moult and certainly included the small bird seen several times recently

Shag - Juvenile on the wooden jetty c1600hrs then later in the afternoon as the tide came in

Little Gull - the usual three birds: 2 1st S->2nd W, 1 2nd S->Ad W

Whimbrel - one Red Nab

Sandwich Tern - 2 Red Nab early morning prior to passage

SABINE'S GULL - Ad S intermittently at the seaward end of the outfalls from 1610hrs to c1710hrs but elusive in rough sea and dreadful light

Elsewhere

The two Garganey still at Aldcliffe. See links.