It just about managed to stay dry, but overcast and cooler in a freshening NE wind
Hobby over Middleton Friday (Louise and Alan)
Pete Crooks - 8.35 – 10.50 am sea-watch from the south side of Heysham Harbour mouth:
1 2nd CY Little Gull – regular individual off the end of the outfalls, but later disappeared
1 2nd CY Shag – initially stood on the beach by the end of HS2 outfall, later roosting on the Wooden Pier
1 distant dark morph Arctic Skua flew into the Bay at 9.20 am. (It subsequently transpired that I missed another Arctic Skua while posting these on WhatsApp)
18 Barnacle Geese (of unknown origin) flew into the Bay close past the Wooden Pier at 9.52 am
3 Pink-footed Geese flew into the Bay at 10.25 am
Also offshore:
6 Sandwich Tern
2 Gannet
4 Guillemot – floating in close past the Wooden Pier
c.200 Common Scoter – various flocks swirling around in the extreme distance offshore, in front of the wind turbines south of Walney Island
32 Swallow and 2 Swift flying into the Bay low over the sea past the Wooden Pier
1 2nd CY Shag – initially stood on the beach by the end of HS2 outfall, later roosting on the Wooden Pier
1 distant dark morph Arctic Skua flew into the Bay at 9.20 am. (It subsequently transpired that I missed another Arctic Skua while posting these on WhatsApp)
18 Barnacle Geese (of unknown origin) flew into the Bay close past the Wooden Pier at 9.52 am
3 Pink-footed Geese flew into the Bay at 10.25 am
Also offshore:
6 Sandwich Tern
2 Gannet
4 Guillemot – floating in close past the Wooden Pier
c.200 Common Scoter – various flocks swirling around in the extreme distance offshore, in front of the wind turbines south of Walney Island
32 Swallow and 2 Swift flying into the Bay low over the sea past the Wooden Pier
The above report is from the LDBWS webpage.
Pete and Jean were also watching from the back of the harbour and saw similar to Pete Crooks, including the 2nd Arctic Skua. Also an additional 20 or so very distant feeding Sandwich Tern and at least 15 out close inshore but quite high flying . These close outbound terns are going high above scope/over head of lighthouse area observers and are easily missed.
Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Angela Gillon
There were several Swifts on the main pool, joined by Swallows taking the insects from the surface.
I took a video, but they are really hard to capture!
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| Swifts over the main pond |
Blackcap and Cetti's heard.
Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:45 - 17:00
Eider 5 (pair + 3 males)
Red-breasted Merganser 2 males
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| Red-breasted Merganser |
Little Egret 3
Sandwich Tern 5
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| Sandwich Terns |
The only waders were the ubiquitous Oystercatcher, 3 Turnstones flew south and 13 Whimbrel. The Whimbrel were mostly along the northern side of the skear and were easily finding small mussels to eat.
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| A Peregrine Falcon did a circuit of a small wader free skear, then continued south |
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