Heysham Obs
A seawatch plus Magic 999 was interrupted by an irritating dribble of Meadow Pipit. After a period of selective radio/vis, the sky cleared and the Meadow Pipit passage took full control. A west of Ireland headland snapshot was provided by a close flock of 14 Gannet - cannot remember such a big flock here.
North wall belatedly 0845-0945
Gannet - flock of 14 out at c0905hrs the only sighting
Red-throated Diver - one in high
Razorbill - 2 out together
Twite - 56 in off-passage flock (7+unringed) and 2+1 'in-off' from SW
Meadow Pipit - 113 NE, most in last 20 minutes
alba Wagtail - 16 NE (as above)
Linnet - 5 NE, 2+ off-passage
Wheatear - 2 males on heliport seawall
Purple Sandpiper - 1 showing on wooden jetty
Cormorant - what was surely a migrant adult flew 'in-off' from the south-west and headed similarly high inland to the north east
absolutely no time to do Ocean Edge side
Moths
Herald & Common Quaker new for the year
Elsewhere
Pair of Marsh Harrier Leighton Moss and 5 (2+3) gull-calling Bittern departing to the E/SE from there this evening, These elicited no response in the form of booming, and that might be it as regards breeding Bittern at Leighton until a corridor linking Leighton with a source of new birds of British origin is established
