North-easterly blast

Thanks for the comments - the site will stay as it is!

A Lapwing ringed as a chick on the Power Station non-operational land in May 2000 was read in the field on the mudflats near Sunderland village in autumn 2006. It was there again today.

Heysham Obs
Grounded = circuit of reserve & OE area & NH wall
Wheatear - 11
Chiffchaff - 6+
Goldcrest - 4
Robin - loads of ticking birds - 30+

Outfalls/OE area
Med Gull - juv->1st W & later on an ad
Little Gull - Ad & 2nd W
alba Wagtail - 41 Ocean Edge (wet) coastal grassy area - 5 definite White, rest appeared to be Pied apart from two difficult birds.
House Martin - c30 feeding in Red Nab area

Inshore north wall/wooden jetty
Eider - 1
Med Gull - Czech-ringed adult
Shag - 2 juvs on wooden jetty as tide was coming in mid-pm - one of these was attacked by an already settled (as opposed to newly arrived & 'muscling into space') Cormorant - not seen this before - & flew into harbour . This bird is ringed on the right leg if anyone gets a chance with it on the stanchions in the waterfall area of the harbour...... The last three numbers should suffice for a juv.

Middleton IE
Willow Warbler
Tufted Duck - 7

Vis
Not a lot
Meadow Pipit - 2 SE
Swallow - 4 SE

Elsewhere
Juv Black-necked Grebe still Conder Pool & 6+ Green Sandpiper still Aldlciffe area. 4-5 adult and one 2nd W Med Gulls in Lune Estuary roost as viewed from Waterloo Cottage area, also 2nd W Stodday area. Ad Yellow-legged Gull still present in neap high tide roost. Up to 100 off-passage Sand Martin at each of: Aldcliffe pools, Dockacres complex/Hare Tarn and Warton floods - late for such numbers - feeding close to water surface at all sites [with other hirundines].