Wanted : experienced seawatcher(s) to cover Monday 20th & probably Tuesday 21st from the north harbour wall - early morning to 1000ish (or part of this period). No-one available at this end.
Heysham Obs
Unfortunately no mist netting was possible this morning but a good few odds and ends picked up by what was otherwise good coverage of the sea & land except early morning on the sea (see JBP)
North harbour wall 0645-0930, some hirundine/passerine vis from other sites, then 1215-1315
Manx Shearwater - distant bird, probably this species c1300hrs
Red-throated Diver - 6 in
Gannet - 24 (+) in
Common Scoter - flock of 6 in
Red-breasted Merganser - 4 in
Black-tailed Godwit - 1 SW (rare here)
Little Gull - flock of 7 summer plumaged adults, including a 'pink' bird in with c12 Black-headed Gulls at c1230
Arctic Skua - 1 pale morph at 0700hrs, 1 pale 1 dark 0720hrs, dark 0900hrs, dark 0930hrs - all in
Whimbrel - 4 in (first of year)
Sandwich Tern - 128 in, 7 out, then 70 in 1 out 1215-1315
Arctic Tern - 34 in, nearly all in first hour - JBP figures suggest a lot missed prior to 0645hrs (79 at JBP), then 103 in 1215-1315
Swallow - 61 NE
Sand Martin - 11 NE
Meadow Pipit - 31 in
alba Wagtail - 7 in
Linnet - 38 in
Goldfinch - 4 in
Siskin - heard once + 2 NE
Redpoll spp - 1+ in
Carrion Crow - 2+ 4 in
Tree Pipit - one NE (first of year)
Grounded definite migrants
Wheatear - 3 non-op, one Red Nab, 2 heliport
Redstart - male lingering on the north harbour wall mound!
Miscellany
Black Guillemot returned = around wooden jetty or just offshore
Purple Sandpiper - at least 2
Grasshopper Warbler - FOUR Middleton IE
Lesser Whitethroat - 2 singing male Middleton IE - first of year
Common Whitethroat - singing male by office - first of year
Middleton Industrial Est
3 mute
12 coot
3 moorhen
4 little grebe
6 tufted
6 shellduck
1 teal
4 mallard
Elsewhere
Early morning coverage of JBP indicated what had been missed past Hey prior to 0645. There was obviously a very early movement of Arctic Tern with 79 picked up at JBP (& most of the Heysham birds prior to 0730hrs), not always the best site for this spp., e.g. how many went inland via the Keer flightline? Two Great Skua also seen at JBP . 2 Osprey Leighton Moss mid afternoon, single Osprey Cleveley Mere early morning
