Heysham Obs
The wind was strong on the incoming tide but, in the absence of significant squalls, not very productive bird-wise. It was also a fraction too far to the NW mid morning. Later it backed westerly and produced a few Kittiwake flocks. A check of the gull roost on Middleton produced a gang of very wind-blown Stonechat!
Stage 2 outfall
Little Gull - 8 late-morning - 7 adult and one 1st W, increasing to 9 adult & one 1st W nearer high tide
Kittiwake - 1 adult
North harbour wall seawatch 1030-1115 (intermittent), then 1300-1330
Kittiwake - Flocks of 16+44+28+36 in plus about 4 singletons closer inshore
Fulmar - one in
Eider - 2 in
Bar-tailed Godwit - flock of 8 out (unusual)
Large Gulls, mainly LBBG - c75 out along the seawall
Little Gull - 3 adults 'blogging' offshore whilst 9 ad +1 1st W on outfalls, therefore 13 in total for the day
Middleton IE
Loose flock of 5 Stonechat (3 males). 4 Goldeneye, female Pochard and 7 Tufted Duck
Ringing recovery
At last we have a Goldfinch recovery from over 500 ringed! One ringed at Middleton IE 21/8/07 was found dead at Freshwater, Isle of Wight 3/12/07 (356 km)
Elsewhere
c190 Kittiwake JBP probably including the birds seen at Heysham. Also a Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the seaward edge of Carnforth Marsh which was probably the Sunny Slopes bird displaced by rough seas, possibly on the overnight tide. Unfortunately too distant to see whether it was colour-ringed to confirm this, but it certainly was not present around the Battery/Sunny Slopes area
