Sunday 7 May 2017

More seabird unpredictability

Lighter winds this morning and it seemed to knock the regular things with faster wingbeats on the head - common scoter, red-throat and auks but there was an unexpected calm weather passage of Gannet and Kittiwake.  Also a late start which may have cost a Pom or two on Rossall observations, but it was a good morning for skuas to start climbing to go overland before reaching the north wall

Offshore 0730 to 0900 thence very intermittently to 1215
Osprey north along coast then circling high over Heysham head 0810ish
Goosander - redhead north - very tricky year list species under the belt
Arctic Skua - dm in at 0739 and one chasing Sandwich terns then in at 1200
Arctic Tern - 124 (61+43+20)
Sandwich Tern - c25 blogging, mostly south of harbour

Kittiwake - 26 (8+10+5+3)
Gannet - 15 (6+6 (definitely different) + 2+1)
Ringed Plover - 14 in
Dunlin - 20 in
Swallow - c75 N
Swift - 2 N

Grounded (too late an arrival on a morning like this)
Willow Warbler - gang of 11-12 sandworks vegetation
Whinchat - female OE foreshore
Wheatear - just 2
Garden warbler - singing male by obs t pond
Heysham Head wood warbler and spot fly search saw 48 dogs and a singing wren

Inshore
Whimbrel - 4 Red Nab until....................


B and (St) B Oystercatcher botherers

Insects
Four-spotted Chaser - first of year on Middleton (thanks Malcolm)