Heysham Obs
This weather is sending all sorts of mixed messages to the birds as they try and prepare for spring. The following examples:
Med Gull - the pair of summer plumage adults (presumably from earlier in the month, not new ones) and Belgian-ringed 3CY returned to the north harbour wall for an afternoon's scavenging - these were all presumed long-gone
Linnet - a newly-arrived female gathered a bit of nest material, but her mate appeared to look up to the sky and shake his head, upon which the female let go of the piece of grass. This is the first vaguely territorial Linnet seen this year - not even any vis mig yet
Wheatear - a male struggled in-off, then headed north
Meadow Pipit - a painfully slow trickle totalling 12 birds over 3 hours!
Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher display flighting over the inner shore
Pink-footed Goose - 47 struggling north over the sea
Twite - still at least 88, including 6-7 unringed and the usual Machrihanish bird
Whooper Swan - 6 reported as heading NW early morning
