A hot sunny day, the breeze again light from SE till mid morning then freshened slightly as it shifted to NW.
Summary of today's seawatching by various observers from Stone jetty and Heysham - Pete
Arctic skua - dark morph in SJ at 0629, dm and lm dropped from height then landed on sea drifting in off Heysham at 0645. Typical behaviour before heading up and overland so not surprised not seen at SJ
Kittiwake - 121 in at SJ just one flock of 37 flying out at Heysham - SJ birds clearly on sea to north of Heysham before watch started
Arctic Tern - latish flock of 14 past SJ - not seen Heysham - presumably through before watch started
Red throated Diver - 3 in, one floating in Heysham
Gannet - about 12 in total
Sandwich Tern - just two seen at both locations
Guillemot - three floating in, one in, one out
Common Scoter - c70 in three gangs off Heysham - none reached SJ
Goosander - male in Heysham
South shore (Malcolm).
Just a walk along the sea wall and foreshore
Shelduck 4 - two were resting on the sea near the saltmarsh till the male of another pair saw them off.
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| The dominant Sheldrake left and duck right |
Little Egret 1
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| Little Egret flying east (to nest?) with a decent sized fish |
Four wader species on Red Nab
Oystercatcher 7
Turnstone 11
Dunlin 1
Ringed Plover 1
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| Solitary Ringed Plover |
Three Linnet, and slightly unusual, at this time of year, a Reed Bunting on saltmarsh.
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| Reed Bunting, unfortunately with the light behind it. |
Heysham skear - low water 16:30 (Malcolm)
Just a quick circuit a couple of hour before low water.
Eider 83
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Great Crested Grebe 1
Oystercatcher 400
Curlew 1
Knot 1
Bar-Tailed Godwit 3
So seven wader species today, but four of them with only a single representative.
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Male Blackcap |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Four-spotted Chaser |
