Photos by Emma Garston
Heysham Obs
Heysham Nature reserve ringing
2CY White-throated Sparrow of the tan colour-morph trapped and ringed at 0910hrs by Alan Draper & Andrew Cadman. The high fat and muscle scores (3 & 2 respectively) indicate that it has been around for a day or two and indeed it was trapped in an "inland" net site by the dipping pond. Texted Walney with "1-1 after 43 years!". Very little else caught! The only other grounded bird of interest was a Garden Warbler, only the second of the year for a species which does not breed here
North harbour wall 0630-0911 then 1200-1300
Pomarine Skua - adult light morph in close inshore at 0836hrs (hugging the water). Attempts at Coolpixing it produced fresh air and sea. The timing suggests it may have been the bird seen 'heading for the outer reaches of Morecambe Bay', as seen from Walney during the previous 45 minuts or so
Arctic Skua - dark morph in at 0710hrs
Black Tern - one in at 0720hrs, another blogging around the end of the outfalls with 8 Arctic Tern at 0845 but they did not pass the NHW & had gone by 0900hrs
Arctic Tern - NONE past the NHW into the Bay! (see above) until 15 in 1200-1300hrs
Common Tern - one blogging
Swallow - 276 NE 0630-0911, many probably missed, 70 from 1300-1400.
Lesser Redpoll - 9 NE (& three ringed)
Linnet - 4 NE
House Martin - 2NE
Whimbrel - 4+11 in
Sandwich Tern - 11 in, 5 blogging
Manx Shearwater - 30 in, 2 out all 1200-1300hrs
Heysham Nature reserve ringing
2CY White-throated Sparrow of the tan colour-morph trapped and ringed at 0910hrs by Alan Draper & Andrew Cadman. The high fat and muscle scores (3 & 2 respectively) indicate that it has been around for a day or two and indeed it was trapped in an "inland" net site by the dipping pond. Texted Walney with "1-1 after 43 years!". Very little else caught! The only other grounded bird of interest was a Garden Warbler, only the second of the year for a species which does not breed here
North harbour wall 0630-0911 then 1200-1300
Pomarine Skua - adult light morph in close inshore at 0836hrs (hugging the water). Attempts at Coolpixing it produced fresh air and sea. The timing suggests it may have been the bird seen 'heading for the outer reaches of Morecambe Bay', as seen from Walney during the previous 45 minuts or so
Arctic Skua - dark morph in at 0710hrs
Black Tern - one in at 0720hrs, another blogging around the end of the outfalls with 8 Arctic Tern at 0845 but they did not pass the NHW & had gone by 0900hrs
Arctic Tern - NONE past the NHW into the Bay! (see above) until 15 in 1200-1300hrs
Common Tern - one blogging
Swallow - 276 NE 0630-0911, many probably missed, 70 from 1300-1400.
Lesser Redpoll - 9 NE (& three ringed)
Linnet - 4 NE
House Martin - 2NE
Whimbrel - 4+11 in
Sandwich Tern - 11 in, 5 blogging
Manx Shearwater - 30 in, 2 out all 1200-1300hrs
A flock of 15 possible/probable Little Gulls distantly in the haze at 1330ish
Inshore
Black Guillemot & single Purple Sandpiper
Mammals
Grey Seal off NHW at low tide. [No observations later in the tide cycle at 'Harbour Porpoise time' but one seen off the SJ over the tide]
Inshore
Black Guillemot & single Purple Sandpiper
Mammals
Grey Seal off NHW at low tide. [No observations later in the tide cycle at 'Harbour Porpoise time' but one seen off the SJ over the tide]
Elsewhere
A well-publicised Whinchat at Aldcliffe. 10 Greenland-type Wheatear on Ward's Stone plateau and 2-3 lower down, but only one Golden Plover on territory on the plateau. Several people wishing they had taken an extra day off! No news on anything from Leighton Moss e.g. current Spoonbill status but it appears there have been no Chough sightings since at least the 2nd May.
