No Waxwings in the recording area suburbia

Heysham Obs
North Harbour Wall
Whooper Swan - 0915 hrs 12 North - 8 ad + 4 juv
Shag - Juv stanchion in harbour
Great crested Grebe - 2 offshore
Med Gull - at least one adult around
Pink-footed Goose - 1000 hrs 117 South picked up a long way out towards Flookburgh + c60 South way out of Bay towards Walney.
Purple Sandpiper - 1020 hrs 1 on rocks below wooden jetty as tide was rising.
Common Scoter - male 'in' 1024 hrs
Linnet - 5 on mound which has a lingering smell of diesel
Twite - 6+ in flight

Office
Starling - 8 South
Bullfinch - male over into Tank Farm area.

Timed tetrad visit in SD46A=top section of the recording area
Subtitled: Waxwing search of Heysham suburbia. In this respect it failed, but lots of nooks and crannies were located, including quite a lot of Yellow-browed Warbler habitat. The tetrad includes the coast from about half way down the north harbour wall to the start of Sunny slopes - the count was done at high tide. The following were seen/heard in the two hour slot: Great-crested Grebe (1), Sparrowhawk (1), Kestrel (1), Peregrine (1), Water Rail (1), Moorhen (3), Oystercatcher (5,100), Ringed Plover (4), Lapwing (2), Knot (6,000), Curlew (1), Redshank (44), Turnstone (13), Med Gull (1), Common Gull (17), Black-headed Gull (82), Lesser Black-backed Gull (5), Herring Gull (12), Great Black-backed Gull (1), Feral Pigeon (10), Woodpigeon (3), Collared Dove (22), Great-spotted Woodpecker (2), Meadow Pipit (1), Pied Wagtail (3), Wren (13), Dunnock (22), Robin (42), Blackbird (89), Song Thrush (4), Redwing (9), Mistle Thrush (4), Goldcrest (3), Long-tailed Tit (51), Coal Tit (4), Blue Tit (29), Great Tit (11), Treecreeper (1), Magpie (39), Carrion Crow (7), Starling (111), House Sparrow (161), Chaffinch (25), Greenfinch (8), Goldfinch (3), Bullfinch (2), Reed Bunting (1).

A promising Waxwing area, berry-wise, is the southern end of the new Mossgate estate near the NHS building on Plover Road. The Reed Bunting was odd - calling from some waste ground on its own - similarly, another small area of 'rataside' held the Meadow Pipit. The House Sparrow were in 7 largish concentrations around the older (a relative term) properties with many areas devoid of them. The drive on to Heysham 'Headland' suggested the private notices applied to all bird species. Not one of the Dunnocks was seen, indicating the importance of calling birds.

Observers: Pete Marsh & John Wood

Elsewhere
Just some late news so far on 10 Waxwing in Hyde Road, Torrisholme at midday yesterday - none during brief visit today, but a few berried trees around. 7+ Waxwing Black Dyke Road, Arnside today (report of up to 40 yesterday). 2 Waxwing at Carnforth Booths at 1430hrs but not at 1515hrs. [Two Cattle Egrets at Preesall, Fylde, outside the area, on Sunday - see photos on LDBWS site] and one Cattle Egret reported via Birdguides as being in the Leighton Moss roost at 1620hrs this evening (& 18 Little Egret)