Thursday 26 April 2012

Reasonable reward for morning seawatching

Heysham Obs
Sea 0615-0940, 0945-1015, 1150-1220
Bonxie - one 'in' then 'on' early am
Arctic skua - dark morph in at 1210hrs
Little Gull - 2 ads in at 1010hrs with biggest flock of Arctic Ts
Med Gull - yesterdays 2CY off Ocean Edge pm
Arctic Tern - 440 heading NE.  Just one distant flock prior to 0800hrs, after which there was a steady trickle heading NE with the largest movement between 0945-1015, including the only large(ish) flock of 67
Sandwich Tern - very few prior to 0800hrs, then a big influx with a minimum of 236 'in' and c330 sitting on a sandbank which were separate.  Dribs and drabs thereafter may have included some of these birds and totalled c70
Whimbrel - one NE, one Red Nab
Common Scoter - 12+2
Gannet - 1

Vis & grounded stuff
Meadow Pipit - 5 NE & 2 grounded at OEdge
Sand Martin - 2 NE
Swallow - 36 NE
Wheatear - small influx of large birds with 11-15 Ocean Edge and at least two north wall/heliport



Ocean Edge fare this afternoon.  Thanks Janet 



Willow Warbler - 3 ringed in belatedly-set (rain) net by office

Mammals
Grey Seal - 2