Heysham Obs
Local patch coverage over many years occasionally throws up the most amazing sighting which thoroughly unimpresses the rest of the world. Its usually to do with absences and the most regular example at Heysham is to get really excited about Jackdaws - definitely migrants; they dont like Heysham chimneys! Today's mega sighting was a long straggling gang of Lapwing flying low over the sea on a north to south heading, as observed from the north harbour wall. Unprecedented, even as a cold-weather movement!
North harbour wall 1145-1210
A pretty good 15 minutes watching the sea and a few extra minutes watching the back of the IOM ferry and checking the wooden jetty
Lapwing - 136 as above at 1205hrs
Pink-footed Goose - 31+29 SW (yes SW)
Red-throated Diver - 9 out, including gang of 4, in just 15 minutes of actual seawatching
Wigeon - flock of 42 out (unusual)
Purple Sandpiper one on the outer section of the wooden jetty
Med Gull - 2 ad following IOM ferry into port
Twite - very brief view of 25 ish in flight
Kittiwake - the adult still around the waterfall in the SW corner of the harbour but none behind the IOM ferry.
No coverage of the Ocean Edge/outfalls area & no sign of any Shag on the wooden jetty/in harbour
Observers: Lou Cross, Pete Marsh
Elsewhere
No sign of any Greylags by Bull Beck but 1,850 Pink-footed Geese alongside the Heysham bypass. 6 Scaup north Morecambe
