Friday 11 May 2012

Not bad for a wind a bit too far to the north-west

Heysham Obs
A 'windy weather from the west' seawatch this early morning with, typically, no terns seen!

North harbour wall 0645-0915, dropping tide
Pomarine Skua - light morph adults into the Bay at 0715 and 0800, the latter very close inshore.  In addition, flocks of 23+14 'very dark' birds were seen flying 'in' then circling high before heading north-west over Black Combe.  They were thought to be skuas by the observer but too distant to be at all certain
Kittiwake - flock of c75 in, then on, then out.  6 in
Fulmar - 2 out
Gannet - probably about 15 in total, including a few immatures
Whimbrel - 10

Sea 1325-1425hrs
Arctic Skua - dm in at 1335
Gannet - 4
Sandwich tern - 2 out
Whimbrel - 1
Dunlin - 3