Heysham Obs
.........this would help the BTO Business Challenge no end, as well as providing chances of some decent species otherwise flying over here unseen. I suppose we need to be thankful for the "last of the outfalls" now the sewage versions have melted away.
North harbour wall 0750-0820
Mute Swan - 3 immatures, which landed on water
Common Tern - one in
Sandwich Tern - 4 in
Black Guillemot - around the harbour mouth [but not apparently later!]
Swift - 11NE together
Outfalls area 0930-1030
Med gull 1st S
Arctic Tern 7
Common Tern 4
Whimbrel 2 on shore between Stage 1 & 2
Swallow 17 NE (underrecorded)
House Martin 1+1+8+2+7 = 19 NE
Swift 4
North wall 1100-1145
Gannet 2 in
White Wagtail - a very late bird 'in-off' - landed on seawall
(nothing reported by another observer who remained from 1145hrs-?)
NH wall 12:00-13:00
Mute Swan 3 on sea, then flew off south
Arctic Skua 1 dark phase close in, then south (one of SJ birds?)
Arctic Tern 4 in
House Martin 14 east
More seabirds from the SJ at lunchtime
Arctic Skua - two dark morph off the SJ which spiralled high into the air between SJ & Heysham
Arctic Tern - 5 in
Common Tern - 1 in
Swallows & House Martins moving
JBP seawatching afternoon
Common Scoter - two flocks which joined together totalling c40 (nothing else of note)
Reserve
A very late migrant male Willow Warbler was ringed. No other definite migrants recorded there. Late Willow Warblers (as opposed to Chiffchaff) are quite unusual here, especially males.
Moths
May Highflyer was notable for here. The first Heart and Dart wasn't!
Mammals
Grey Squirrel along Moneyclose Lane - rare in spring, usually most notable during autumnal dispersal!!
Elsewhere
Two Temminck's Stint on the Freeman's Pool complex nearest the river (NOT the big pool) but lost in a maze of invisible channel edges. However, may have been flushed (and the calls drowned out) by JCB activity which unsettled the other birds around 0930hrs. No sign of the Black Kite; 5+ hours put in searching for this by three very experienced observers. Good montage on LDBWS site. Red Kite by M6 junction 36 this early morning (also same place yesterday, same time). 3 Spoonbill Leighton Moss area.
