Wednesday 14 April 2010

North-East winds and Arctic terns

Heysham Obs
One was belatedly reported yesterday, but the first (small-scale) movement of my favourite migration event in this area, the Arctic tern passage, began today on the early-morning low/incoming tide.  No Wheatear on thorough coastal trawl

North harbour wall 0640-0920
Arctic Tern - 1+1+2+8+11+2 north-east= 'in', all but the first group of  two at a low level in a quite strong headwind
Sandwich Tern - 52 'in' plus low single figures blogging to the south of the harbour
Gannet - 14 in, 6 out plus 8 'u-turning in the mouth of the bay
Razorbill - 2 on water
Razorbill/Guillemot - 5 'in'
Red-breasted Merganser - 8 on water together
(no Red-throats or scoters, small passage of Black-headed & Common Gulls)
Linnet - 24 NE - up to 17 on the Twite(less) food
alba Wagtail - just one NE
Meadow Pipit - 10 NE
Lesser Redpoll - 2 NE

Ocean Edge foreshore
Redshank - 220
Dunlin - 33
Black-tailed Godwit - 11
Common Gull - 74
Black-headed Gull - 38
Eider - 8