Decent movement + good coverage = interesting variety

Another warm sunny day with light variable breezes

Seawatch:

Heysham combined totals this am 0540-0945 - (SC, PC, JR, AMcC, CG, PJM, NG, DK):  
Goldeneye - flock of 3 female in
Common Scoter - c35 out
Gannet - 3 in
Kittiwake - 1,2,6 in
Red-throated Diver - 5 flying out, 3 floating out
Arctic Tern - c41 in - far fewer then expected in conditions
Black Tern - single species flocks of 11,6 in, 
Little Tern - one fed in harbour mouth with Sandwich Terns for a few seconds then went south quite high towards wooden jetty

Sandwich Tern - circa 155 in, 55 out plus bloggers - hard to be accurate

Whimbrel - c15 in

Guillemot - one on, Razorbill/Guillemot - 2 in

Arctic Skua- 1,3,1,2 in (one light and one intermediate, rest dark)

2 Canada geese in

porpoise off harbour mouth.  

On the outfalls the 2cy Mediterranean gull, 2cy Little Gull and 2cy Kittiwake remained

Eider 5

Stock Dove pair on the wooden Pier.

Rock Pipit pair on Red Nab and a pair at the harbour.

Garden Warbler one singing in the Nature Park

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Alan:

I set just two nets at Middleton this morning. The first capture was a French ringed Sedge Warbler at 06.15 (details awaited)
Nets were taken down by 10.30.
The full catch of 18 birds comprised:
Sedge Warbler 3 plus the French bird
Reed Warbler 2
Lesser Redpoll  5
Willow Warbler  5
Song Thrush  1
Cetti's Warbler  1 retrap

7 species of warbler heard on an early afternoon visit - Kevin Eaves:

Blackcap

Cetti's Warbler

Chiffchaff

Lesser Whitethroat

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Whitethroat

Willow Warbler 

Some shots by Janet:

Male Shoveler, hopefully his mate isn't too far away

Another brood of Mallards, this time on the main pond

Gadwall pair

Large-Red Damselfly

These both look to be one of the blue damselflies 

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report by Jean:

In contrast to Middleton there was hardly anything at Heysham. I caught 3 Willow Warblers, a Wren and retrapped a Robin, a Dunnock and a Great Tit!
Just 3 Redpolls flew over.
The Cetti’s was calling from the fire pond bushes and a Moorhen skittered back to the pond after venturing down the path to the office. 

Garden Warbler singing below old observation tower site

Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:30 - 10:30 and 15:45 - 16:45

Eider 10

Red-breasted Merganser 5 - they do love a good display!

Little Egret 4

Sandwich Tern 4 constantly present both this morning and afternoon. 

Whimbrel 10 this morning, 6 this afternoon 

Knot 2000 this morning, but very flighty, I managed to see two flags also seen yesterday so they are the same flock. 

Whimbrel and Knot. The Knot just behind the Whimbrel is swallowing a 
small mussel. 

Knot and a Turnstone in summer plumage 

When a Peregrine falcon took a Knot the remaining birds all left. This afternoon there were only 250.

Peregrine Falcon with a Knot

Bar-Tailed Godwit none this morning but 10 flew east this afternoon 

Dunlin none this morning but 46 north in three flocks this afternoon 

One small group of Dunlin stopped off briefly to feed