Some nice migration

A sunny day with a fresh easterly wind.

Pete:

Sea late stages of dropping tide Heysham from back of harbour 0620-0720. 

Some nice migration in action: 

Arctic Skua - 1 dark morph floating out then lifted up, climbed and headed NE just south of Heysham Head (seen this many times over the years with skuas and Arctic Terns). 

Arctic Tern - flock of 11 rapidly in (so nearly missed as they ‘blended’ into the sea), 1 in. 

Gannet - 2 in/out, 1 in

Common Scoter - 5 in, 1 out

Red-throated Diver - 1 in

Pink-Footed geese - flock c35 in

Sandwich Tern - c20 blogging, 5 out; 

Little Gull - Adult blogging briefly with lots of gulls as sandbanks uncovered - think it then went in; 

Mediterranean Gull - 2cy harbour mouth with 2cy Common Gulls.

Little gull the 2cy still feeding outer end of outfalls (but no sign of any Kittiwakes)

Janet checked Red Nab towards high water

Two Pale-bellied Brent geese, plus Oystercatchers, Dunlin and three Whimbrel

Three Whimbrel, Oystercatchers and a Dunlin

There were at least five Wheatears

Green-Veined White in the Nature Park

North shore

Pale-bellied Brent goose 5 early morning - Davis Kaye

Heysham skear - Malcolm  10:15 - 11:30

There were now only two Brent geese, presumably the same two seen on Red Nab by Janet later.

A Redshank with them in this clip.

Redshank often swim across pools of open water, but just to get to the other side. This one continued swimming around for a while, despite being very close to the shore.

Pale-bellied Brent geese

Redshank - there were 200+ around the skear

Eider 16

Red-breasted Merganser 7

Great Crested Grebe 3

Knot c1500 were lifted by what looked like an attack as I was setting out, but they settled again. A second attack a little later was enough for them and they left high to the SW.

Later a Peregrine arrived from the SW with empty talons.

Whimbrel 8 (3 + 5) flying north

Kevin Eaves:

A wonderful variety of butterflies in a sheltered, sunny spot near the bridge on the lane that goes from Middleton Road towards Heysham Moss. Just inside the recording area.

They appeared to be enjoying the sunshine.

Orange-tip 

Green-veined White

Brimstone

Speckled Wood

Peacock

Red Admiral

Holly Blue

Red Admiral

Peacock 

Holly Blue