Thursday 6 October 2022

A bit better

Strong overnight winds eased slightly by daylight but still strong and from west early on then SW. Plenty of sunshine with a few light showers.

Report from Pete this morning:
Gannet 1 adult
Kittiwake flock of 6
Sandwich tern flock of 3
and distant auk spp 
all above flying out off Heysham head.  

Mediterranean gull 5 on OE/RN
Shag 1 x 2cy flew off jetty north 

South shore (MD)
I checked in the morning around high water and another stroll along the wall on the afternoon ebbing tide.
Rock Pipit 2
Skylark 1 on Red Nab end of foreshore 
Eider flock of 4 in plus 1 in harbour mouth
Eider flying into the bay 

Guillemot 1 first winter in harbour 
First winter Guillemot 

It's high set legs reminded me of a couple of outboard motors. The pillar at the end of this clip is one of the platforms near the waterfall, although the Guillemot made no attempt to feed while I was watching it.

All the above were seen on this morning's walk. There was no sign of the Guillemot in the afternoon. The only thing different in the afternoon were 
Mediterranean gulls 5 adult feeding on the beach near the wooden jetty, almost certainly some if not all of Pete's morning birds. The tide was just leaving the wall so the gulls were quite close together. None were ringed.
Mediterranean gulls 

The insects in the Nature Park are just holding on
Speckled Wood 3

Small White 1 - the Buddleia is almost finished now

Dragonflies:
Migrant Hawker 1
Common Darter 3 - this one is eating a fly, perhaps not a clip for the more sensitive.