Happy new year
First bird today was a Moorhen calling by my house just before Tawny Owl & "Mallard" - cant remember this kicking off any previous new year.
Heysham Obs
Coverage in December, other than Twite-related activities, was pretty poor, especially any persistence as regards the sea. A decent westerly suggested the sea was worth a bit of coverage today and, albeit often distantly, there was a reasonable haul by recent standards
North wall/harbour area, including about 2 hours of sea coverage at various times prior to 1100hrs, then a 'ferry check' at 1200hrs
Purple Sandpiper - one on rocks below red lighthouse pre-tide, then flew to the other side of harbour but birds flushed by cyclist before could be checked.
Med Gull - 2 adults
Twite - 52
Linnet - 5-8
Goldfinch c6
Song Thrush - 1 mound/flew to sandworks - amazing choice of wintering site for the second successive winter (surely the same rather eccentric bird which likes living 'on the edge')
Rock Pipit - 1
Red-throated Diver - 1 'out' distantly, one out fairly close
Auk spp - at least 5 distantly
Guillemot - at least 7, including 2 together and one very close inshore
Little Gull - flock of 5 adult/3CY 'out' then appeared to land on sea
Kittiwake - 1+11+7+2+3+1+2+1+2, all but the flock of 7 heading 'out'. 32 behind the IOM ferry, but many flew back out before it turned into the harbour mouth (c50% 2CY)
Pink-footed Goose - flock of 115 NW
Middleton NR
Mute Swan - 2 ad no swimming pond, 2 ad & 5-6 juvs model boat pond
Goldeneye - female mb pond
Pochard - 2 males mb pond
Tufted Duck - at least 12 scattered around
Reed Bunting - one western marsh
