A dry day with hazy sunshine. A freshening SW breeze
Early morning seawatch report - Pete
Sea totals heysham in two hours:
Gannet 62
Sandwich Tern 142 out (40 or so in early on)
Kittiwake flock 24
Manx Shearwater 15 (all late on)
Guillemot 2
Razorbill/Guillemot 1
Red Throated Diver 14
Common Scoter 31
Fulmar 1 (0830)
Osprey south (0644)
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| This shot by Jean shows the bollard near gate 38 that is the boundary between two male Rock Pipit territories |
South shore (Malcolm) 09:00 - 10:45
White Wagtails 17, no Pied Wagtails! When I started at 09:00 there were an astonishing 14 feeding on Ocean Edge grass. There were another 3 on the foreshore. When I returned at 10:45 there were still 7 on Ocean Edge grass.
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| White Wagtail |
I managed to get 9 of the 14 in this clip, plus a couple of Linnets.
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| One of the foreshore White Wagtails |
Wheatear 5 along foreshore on the way out none on my return
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| Wheatears |
Meadow Pipit 4 on saltmarsh and Ocean Edge grass on the way out, still (or another) 2 on return.
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| Meadow Pipit |
Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on Red Nab 2 between lighthouse and waterfall, 1 chased from scrub near lighthouse to the sloping sea wall.
Swallow 5 north
Oystercatcher 100 north in 3 flock (likely to feeding grounds)
Turnstone 1
Curlew 3 feeding
Whimbrel 5 - 1 north plus 2 lots of 2 feeding. These two chose to feed amongst the wrack on the sloping sea wall.
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| These two chose to feed on the shore |
Sandwich Tern 5 resting on the buoys
There were no gulls feeding on the outfalls, then all of a sudden No.1 outfall was teaming with large gulls.
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| A dredger was operating close to the outfall intake in the harbour. The disturbed silt must have attracted a shoal of Sandeels and many were drawn through with the cooling water. You can see this Lesser Blacked-backed gull has a Sandeel |
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| It wasn't just Sandeels, the gull on the left has an highly desirable flatfish. This is where the "games" the youngsters play pay off (see post 18/04/25). They have had plenty of practice at avoiding their prize being stolen |
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| It was all over with very quickly. The gulls stopped feeding and many rested on the outfall sides. This young Herring gull has a green ring. Details awaited |
10:33 - I was halfway along the foreshore on the way back, when I looked back to see if an Osprey had turned up to feed. It hadn't, but 3 adult Gannet were just heading out beyond the wooden jetty.
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| They flew along the shipping lane |
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| Then began to gain height |
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
Three teneral damselflies were around the main pond
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| Looks to be a Common Blue Damselfly |
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| Small White |
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| Green-Veined White |
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| Large White |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Peacock |
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| Bee Fly |
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| Alder Leaf beetle |
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| Cranefly |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Common Whitethroat |
Small field between Redshank Drive and the railway line (Malcolm - dog exercise duties!)
Singing warblers:
Common Whitethroat 1
Chiffchaff 2
Cetti's Warbler 1
North sea wall (Malcolm) 15:00 - 16:45
Sandwich Tern c20 centred around the two buoys
Guillemot 1 feeding
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| Guillemot and a Sandwich Tern |
Eider 2 out
Swallow 5 north
Whimbrel 5
Grey Seal 1
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