Heysham Obs
A Little Auk flew in with a Redshank towards the heliport seawall and then landed on the water. It remained for five minutes before flying out past the Near Naze towards the harbour entrance.........just before the camera arrived (1238-1242). Found by Tom Walkington, who was here looking for the Glaucous Gull and I was fortunate to be next to him monitoring dog walkers and, as such, could quite easily have missed this bird.
Inshore sightings
Little Auk - see above
Med Gull - adult along north wall
Purple Sandpiper - single noted on the heliport/half moon bay corner rocks with Dunlin and Turnstone well before the tide, so maybe feeding on the increasingly stony lower beach there. Presumably roosted/was disturbed from roosting. This sadly included an elderly gentleman who made two visits with his dog along the top of the heliport seawall disturbing the whole roost which included stopping and staring at the monitoring process i.e. my car & protruding scope, which I assume he mistook for/objected to a video camera. Unfortunately our presence may have therefore influenced his behaviour, the nature of which I must not make comment, and prompted the second visit. Unfortunately difficult to remain neutral and invisible!
Kittiwake - adult Heysham two outfall for a short period
Shag - 1CY north harbour wall late afternoon (thanks Derek)
Very few large gulls around today but...........
Yesterday's Glaucous Gull was reported around the outfalls 1030-1100 and apparently also independently at 1100hrs
Nearby
A family party of five European Whitefronts visible from the Golden Ball
