Pre-frontal thrash this morning shamed by the Stonechat count to the south of here yesterday and theoretically decent weather for a bit of movement. The best in terms of clear cut migration was five Song Thrushes in sparse vegetation in SD35Z - three together in the grotty bramble by the steps leading over the seawall by Heysham one outfall (!) and two on the approach route. All dark olivy continental-types. At least one, probably two further wary high-flyers were seen on a Middleton circuit, but no evidence of any other thrush species on the go - hardly a perceived major feature here in spring
The other landmark was the Eider count passing the National Importance threshold (550) for the first time I am aware of in this area of the Bay. 580 were counted in one sweep from the north harbour wall and surely King is a possibility in the new reduced Lancashire, having had to remove it from my county list when we lost Furness
Vis mig 0700 to 0930
Meadow Pipit - 17 N
alba Wagtail - 17 N
Grey Wagtail - 2 N
Carrion Crow - flock of three north
Redpoll spp - 2 together N (IOY)
Grounded
Song Thrush - at least 6 migrants (see above)
Stonechat - males on the north wall mound (flew inland) and by the bottle dump at Middleton (IOY - no wintering birds)
Others
Kittiwake - 2 adult still on outfalls
Little Egret - one Middleton
Gadwall - 6 mbp
Tufted Duck - 13 fence/mbp
Mute Swan - ads chasing off 6 young from mbp (time to stop feeding them)
Wigeon - pair mbp unusual, possibly unprecedented!
Jackdaw - 2
Med gull - fsp ad red nab at ht
Whooper swan - one on sea by saltmarsh
Today's motley crew at the feeding station
