A light SW wind. Overcast for most of the day but quite balmy.
South shore:
Pete made an early morning quick check of the flying stuff on Heysham outfalls from Ocean edge:
Little gull 3 - 1 adult & 2 x 1cy
Common Tern 4
Shaun checked late afternoon:
Heysham Outfalls 15:15-16:30.
Skua sp out of bay at 16:05. Strong, purposeful flight + looked quite largish (Juv Pom?).
Little Gull 8 - 1cy on No.1 and 2 adults and 3 1cy on No.2, plus 2 1cy behind Seatruck.
Mediterranean Gull 27 - 3 Outfalls and 24 behind Seatruck. All adult types.
Kittiwakes 3 adult
Guillemot along seawall between Outfalls.
Visiting birders had seen a Black Tern on the Outfalls before I arrived.
I checked the shore out from the saltmarsh early evening (MD) It was still overcast but the sun was making a valiant effort to break through, producing an interesting light.
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| This evening's unusual light |
Shelduck 120
Little Egret 7 feeding together as the tide rose up the shallow drains.
Peregrine Falcon 1 - probably why all the small waders were way to the south beyond the recording area. The only ones close in were:
Curlew 160
Oystercatcher 300
Redshank 120
All the gulls were scattered on the mud. There were at least 10 Mediterranean but most were sat down.
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| Three adult Mediterranean gulls, looking sultry in the odd light |
It was a very pleasant evening, I don't know if it was the weather or the time of day, but many of the birds had decided that it was time for a bath. First up an adult Mediterranean gull and an Oystercatcher
Then Redshank
These Linnet and a Greenfinch were on Ocean Edge grass earlier, when the light was brighter.
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| Unprecedentedly late and fresh looking Six-spot Burnet on Middleton Nature Reserve By Janet. Also, 1 Migrant Hawker and several Common Darter |
