Sunday 12 May 2013

The perfect early morning on the local patch

Heysham Obs
Decent sea-watching coverage this morning and a decent passerine just by turning your head round at the same spot!  Surprisingly few birders around for a Sunday and the recent seawatching goodies

Taken by Pete Cook.  Thanks for these

North harbour wall
Sea-watching from 7.15 to 1115 am produced: 

Pomarine Skua - 1 light morph landed on the sea at 9.55 am, a distant light morph skua heading in at about 1035hrs was almost certainly this species

Arctic Skua - at least 5 - a dark morph flew in at 8.00 am, 2 light morphs flew in at 8.55 am, another dark morph flew in at 9.15 am and light morph in at 1040hrs.  At least one other from another observer?

Great Skua - 1 flew out at 8.40 am, 1 flew in and landed on the sea at 9.40 am 

Gannet - 182 flew into the Bay between 7.15 and 8.30 am, then probably a similar number (but not counted) flew back out from 8.30 am onwards. 

Kittiwake - 224 flew into the Bay, including flocks of 90, 80 and 20 

Red-throated Diver - 1 flew out 

Also offshore: 2 Guillemot, 3 Common Scoter, 20+ Sandwich Tern, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Whimbrel. 

Sea-watch from 10.45 to 11.15 produced only 1 Red-throated Diver flying in, 2 Guillemot and 1 Whimbrel. 

Outfalls
Med Gull - original 2CY
Kittiwake - usual 2CY

Landbirds north harbour wall
Wheatear - large male in sandworks, another earlier when the Bk Red appeared
Black Redstart - female type on the gravel between the narrow section of road and the Centrica fence from 0715hrs until Sunday population pressure took its toll (including child with escaping balloon) and it melted away about 1045hrs
Linnet - seemingly three pairs in the gorse on the mound (SD36V)