Seawatch produced quality not quantity

Sunshine all day with a freshening east wind

Seawatch report Pete:

Sea Heysham 0630-0900: 
Arctic Skua 1,1 dm in
Arctic Tern 2,15,7 in
Sandwich Tern 7 out early on then absent
Gannet 1 in
Avocet 3 in
Puffin 1 out and across towards Wyre, 
Razorbill/Guillemot 1,1 in probably Guillemot
No scoter, Kittiwake or Red-Throated Diver
Inshore: 2cy Shag flew to harbour mouth from north, 2cy Little Gull Heysham one

Jean also did a survey of the resident birds in this small area at the back of the harbour 

Rock Pipit in the foreground with the dredger working towards the harbour mouth

Also: Ferrel Pigeons,  2 Blackbirds, several Linnets, a Wren, a Dunnock, Robin and some Goldfinches. A Pied Wagtail keeps appearing each day so that may be a resident as well.

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Malcolm 09:45 - 10:15

Wheatear 6 - 5 together on Ocean Edge grass plus 1 on the foreshore 

Wheatear

Meadow Pipit 1 on foreshore 

Meadow Pipit

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Grey Plover 1 on Red Nab

Grey Plover and Curlew

Little Egret 3

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

This Cormorant had earlier been trying to snatch a young Moorhen,
but their parents saw it off.

Red Admiral 

Green-Veined White

Heysham skear - Malcolm 17:00 - 18:30

Eider 6

Red-breasted Merganser 1 male

Common Scoter - the regular female with damaged feathers

I went out as this tide meant that I could reach the first channel (Noah's Dyke). This is the western end of the middle skear, waders required to go to the outer skear.

Eider riding the flow through the first channel 

I went to see if there were any seed mussels, at first I couldn't see any, then found a few rocks with some tiny ones.

The first tiny seed mussels, but they grow quickly, soon this area, at least, will
be covered in them. Some years they blanket the whole of the skear

Sandwich Tern 2 fishing 

Whimbrel 3

Bar-Tailed Godwit 7

Bar-Tailed Godwit 

Sanderling a flock of c12 in non breeding plumage disappeared behind a honeycomb worm reef

The only other waders seen were Oystercatchers. 

Osprey 1  

It wasn't clear if it was actually fishing, or just checking the sea as it made its way north.

Ingleborough behind Morecambe front