Reptiles
Apart from the possibility of an escapee from a snake dancer in a Morecambe nightclub, reptiles have never featured on the radar for this area. However, an intensive search for Belted Beauty Moth at nearby Potts Corner produced a minimum of two sightings of Common Lizard. Please do keep an eye open for these in the Obs recording area as they havent been seen in 30+ years of coverage!
Heysham Obs
Early seawatching was like watching paint dry with just 4 Sandwich Tern 0715-0815 in very clear conditions. Went up a gear later as some cloud and haze appeared to the south. A survey vessel (didnt appear to be bird work) in the mouth of the bay did not help with respect to Red-throats and scoters drifting in [the(?) two Velvets were seen again at Rossall].
North wall 0715-0815, 0830-1045
Black Guillemot - on or below the wooden jetty
Purple Sandpiper - definitely two and possibly three on/below wooden jetty
Sandwich Tern - just 8 seen all morning - all in!
Arctic Tern - flocks of 10 + 104 in (latter at 1010hrs)
Arctic Skua - a distant all dark skua in at 0945 appeared to be this species
Little Gull - adult still in winter plumage out, plus 3CY on the sea of Ocean Edge
Redpoll spp - 4+1 in
White Wagtail - 1 in
Linnet - 6 in
House Martin - 1 in
Swallow 45 - in (0840-1130 hrs) more frequent latterly.
Sand Martin 1 NE
Woodpigeon 1 high over Bay NE
Robin - one grounded on the end of the north harbour wall - soon went inland (see also ringing)
Ocean Edge
Little Gull - see above
Mallard - male off Red Nab (mega!)
Wheatear - 8
Whimbrel - 3
Ringing
An early start in clear conditions did at least produce the first Lesser Whitethroat of the year on the reserve plus a Blackcap & probable migrant Robin
Middleton IE
Whinchat - male
Grasshopper Warbler - singing male central marsh
Mammals
At least three Harbour Porpoise but quite distant (Kent channel?) at c1030hrs
Insects
Several teneral Large Red Damselflies were seen YESTERDAY around the reserve
Elsewhere
Osprey last night at Leighton Moss
