A taster of things to come?

Heysham Obs
Hopefully someone can cover this evenings incoming tide - looks pretty reasonable for more skuas as the wind backs westerly [see below under Arctic Skua re-mid afternoon low tide]
Much better than expected this morning as there was an extra touch of west in the north-westerly and a nice clear corridor for Irish Sea birds to the south. Most unusual to get this amount of stuff in a north-westerly but it only looks good against some of the recent dross!

Arctic Skua - 10 in (7 dark, 3 light), all before 0815hrs. A short low tide seawatch saw two Arctic Skua fly out along the close low tide channel at 1440hrs (LM & DM)
Fulmar - 1
Manx Shearwater - 6+1+1
Red-throated Diver - 6
Gannet - 24
Arctic Tern - one flock of 12 - unexpected
Sandwich Tern - 5-10 blogging
Common Scoter - 8
Whimbrel - 2

Black Guillemot - one around outer harbour, then flew offshore
Purple Sandpiper - 2 on wooden jetty - despite careful checks, only a maximum of one has been seen recently - therefore one of these could be an extra passage bird, as is to be expected with the spring movement of Turnstones

Elsewhere
Little Stint with Dunlin flock at Cockersands Point