Heysham Obs
One of the problem with Merivas is that the radio can come on full blast when the engine is started, despite the volume having been previously turned down! Twite dont like 'Turn, turn, turn'!
North harbour wall
Purple Sandpiper - one on the skeer below the south wall lighthouse until disturbed by dredger
Twite - maximum of 66 seen, including about 11-15 unringed birds and two from Machrihanish Bird Observatory on the Mull of Kintyre. Whether these are the two already caught and identified this autumn is unknown. I suspect that most of these birds have been driven from nearby Ocean Edge saltmarsh by frozen conditions and therefore, as expected, the vast majority of the increase involved birds already ringed this autumn, joining the older 'red over white' birds more loyal to the north harbour wall
Linnet - 5 with above
Meadow Pipit - one
Rock Pipit - one heard in the direction of the wooden jetty
Nothing of interest on the sea & no Meds seen at low tide
Harbour to Ocean Edge and back (& Pete Cook)
Good exercise but useless for birds, with nothing to add to Malcolm's morning visit
Little Egret - one Red Nab
Twinnets - about 30, less than recently (see above), majority Twite
Reed Bunting - 2
Shelduck - 97
Wigeon - 149
Middleton NR
Frozen: 2 Mute Swan, 3 Coot, 1 Moorhen and 5 Snipe
Heysham bypass this end
Waxwing - flock of 6 initially in the Obs recording area right by the bypass roundabout (46A), then moving nearer the second roundabout (46F) [thanks Louise for noticing the birds just after I drove past them!]. At least two late afternoon 'on' Overton roundabout after no sign at the Heysham end of the bypass
