An old Twite still survives

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Czech-ringed adult and 2nd W Med Gull sat on the railings, not moving despite driving within a metre or so!

Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Twite - 34 feeding on tideline included one ringed blue over yellow [ringed 2002/3 winter]. They arrived from the north and after a few minutes continued towards Ocean Edge. A further 6 shortly afterwards at Sand Plant gate - no Linnet.
c450 Black-headed Gull
16 Snipe OE saltmarsh.
6 Mistle Thrush

Stage 2 outfall
1st W Little Gull and adult Kittiwake

Moth trap
Just a single Clouded Drab but this is the first one I have heard of in Lancs this year

Elsewhere
Lapland Bunting Pilling Marsh (no further details at present). Pale-bellied Brent Goose still in the Sunny Slopes area. 3 Scaup Conder Pool. Crossbill heard at Thrushgill near entrance gate (2+ birds) but no sign of any Nordic Jackdaw in the significant numbers of corvids along the Wray to Thrushgill via Smeer Hall & White Moss route.

Plenty of moths last night individually highlighted by Small Brindled Beauty at High Tatham. 78 moths of 15 species were in a MV trap at Millhouses, nr Wray, including a very early Brindled Pug, early multiple-emergence of Hebrew Character (5) & March Moth (2), Oak Beauty, Spring Usher, Early Moth and no less than 40 of the hibernating species, Chestnut [Full details LDBWS Insect section].

Tree Sparrow 'under the belt'

Heysham Obs
This is a BTO Business Challenge year where British Energy enters the Power Station properties in the national competition. Therefore a single noisy Tree Sparrow on the bramble bush by the office at 1615hrs before flying off south was a very welcome record of an unpredictable visitor

North harbour wall/sandworks/mound
Twite - increase to 27 with intensive feeding programme. Please note that ringing, as part of the national Twite project [relating to the Biodiversity Action Plan status of this species], using an "all or nothing" whoosh net, will be taking place just after this weekend and any careless approach by visiting birders which flushes the flock can completely waste everyones time. Bearing in mind that many people have benefited from the close views afforded by the feeding station, is it too much to ask that, if your visit coincides with a ringing session, you dont approach but return on a future date or later in the same day? Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation. For information, there appears to be just the one remaining ringed bird from the November 2005 catch and this was followed by two winters of really low numbers (just 2-3 birds), therefore it would be really valuable to try and catch the whole flock at once during a period when the north harbour wall is free from disturbance. In this respect, the site should be angler-free during the morning next week.
Linnet - 5 with above
Med Gull - Czech-ringed ad & 2nd W on the railings at lunchtime

IOM passenger ferry
Loads of gulls behind it (including large ones) but today's problem was heat haze! At least 45 Kittiwake with 35 of these remaining with the ferry as it turned into the harbour, but as has been the recent trend, all then left and flew out along the shipping lane. One adult Little Gull glimpsed before flying out but no Med Gulls seen.

Outfalls
Single 1st W Little Gull

Elsewhere
Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes groyne. Ringtail Hen Harrier Carnforth Marsh

At least one Purple Sandpiper still present

Heysham Obs
Waders on the old wooden jetty are difficult to observe in contrast to the 1980s when you could walk along it and count the Purple Sandpipers! Thanks to John and John for information/earlier update.

Wooden Jetty
One Purple Sandpiper

IOM passenger ferry following
c10 Kittiwake
1st W Little Gull
Med Gull - probably the usual south of the harbour adult which flew off back out along the shipping lane with all the above

North harbour wall/sandworks/mound
Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls patrolling
18 Twite & 4 Linnet (& Wren)

Stage 2 outfall/Red Nab
90 Wigeon
1st W Little Gull

Elsewhere
Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes groyne. Two Spotted Redshanks still Conder Estuary and 2 male Scaup on Glasson marina. Stonechat on the summit of Ward's Stone! Peacock butterfly at Cockersands near 'leaning' barn.

Highest Ben My Chree Kittiwake count this year

Heysham Obs
Outfalls/Red Nab
Little Gull - at least three (one of each age) Stage 2 outfall
Wigeon - 70 Red Nab

Lunchtime ferries
Kittiwake - c70 followed the IOM passenger ferry in with c30 still behind as it turned into the harbour, the rest mostly followed an outgoing freight ferry as they crossed
Little Gull - one adult which turned round & flew out before reaching the wooden jetty
Med Gull - presumably the usual south of the harbour bird followed the ferry in before flying out along the shipping lane

Mound area
Twite/Linnet - 18 & 7 respectively sandworks entrance

North harbour wall/harbour
Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls

Elsewhere
Pale-bellied Brent Goose Heysham Sunny Slopes groyne. Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone jetty.

Highlighted by 1st W Med Gull

One of five Little Gulls on Stage 2 outfall today. Thanks very much Mark. Further image of adult on the LDBWS site

Heysham Obs
Coverage gratefully received Wednesday & Thursday this week as the two of us are working away from the office. Please send e-mailed sightings to johnc_wood@hotmail.com NOT Pete Marsh or Jean Roberts. The other alternatives are to text Pete Marsh or put sightings on LDBWS site. Thanks very much.

Stage 2 outfall
5 x Little Gull (2 1st W - the age which normally lingers, 2 x 2nd W, 2 x Ad - most of which usually clear off fairly quickly once the wind has dropped)
1st W Med Gull late afternoon on the tideline [Lune bird from the other day??]

Ad Med Gull at lunchtime, presumably the usual unringed south of the harbour bird

Red Nab
71 Wigeon and a packet of peat compost but no sign of the more politically correct crisps or McVities biscuits adorning Blackpool beach [Riverdance cargo escaping]

North harbour wall
Czech-ringed Ad Med Gull (first sighting for a bit) and 2nd W Med at lunchtime

Mound area
7 Linnet and c18 Twite (possibly including some more Linnet)

Elsewhere
Pale-bellied Brent Goose and unringed Ad Med Gull Sunny Slopes area. Purple Sandpiper Stone Jetty. Ad Med Gull Regent Road groyne = 36W after its trip to Lancaster City football ground! 4 Bewicks Swan and Barnacle Goose of unknown origin Aldcliffe [& unread neck-collared Pink Footed Goose/191 birds]

Little Gulls remain & returning Lesser Black-backed Gulls join the small winter population

A poor picture of a distant adult Common Gull off Red Nab with mantle/upperwing coverts approaching an average graellsii Lesser BB in tone. Unfortunately could not persuade it to sit next to a significant number of adult Common Gulls for comparison. The light was completely 'flat' and gull-tone friendly.

Heysham Obs
Half-moon Bay foreshore
The adult Yellow-legged Gull was present briefly early morning and again mid-morning

Stage 2 outfall
6 adult and one 2nd W + 2 1st W Little Gull & at least 2 further adults offshore feeding with other gulls

Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
1000hrs: Quite a lot of gulls including what was presumably the usual regular large adult Med Gull and a noticeably dark-mantled Common Gull. Lunchtime visit produced even more gulls with 2 adult Meds, probably including the morning bird, 350 Black-headed Gull, 45 Common Gull, 35 Lesser Black-backed Gull (many in pristine summer plumage), 15 Great Black-backed Gull (mostly juveniles) and 45 Herring Gull.

Ferry followers
Three Kittiwake (2 1st W) behind a morning freight ferry

Mound area
17 Twite & 6 Linnet north harbour wall by sand entrance the maximum count of small finches today (some of presumably the same birds also seen south harbour wall)

Vis Mig from the north harbour wall
Pintail 4 'out'
Golden Plover 14 'out' - this is a quite exceptional record for here!

Elsewhere
'Obvious' Nordic Jackdaw in a field near Wray (perhaps the Farleton bird?). 2 Red Kite reported Abbeystead yesterday. Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes Groyne. Single Purple Sandpiper Stone Jetty/Wooden Slipway. Belgian ringed Med Gull 36W on Lancaster City football ground whilst the usual incumbent P96 was on Lancaster cricket pitch. This is the first known occasion 36W has been seen during the winter months away from Morecambe seafront. To add to the odd situation, an adult Med Gull was also present in the Broadway area of Morecambe at the same time (36W's usual haunts)! Another unringed adult Med Gull between Carlisle railway bridge and the Millenium footbridge. Ross's Goose not seen in the LDBWS recording area today but still present as per yesterday. Brambling in a flock of Chaffinch near Star Bank (SD55).

Yellow-legged Gull surprise and more Little Gulls

This Little Gull was ringed and successfully released this morning


Rubbish digijam of the somewhat mobile Yellow-legged Gull

Heysham Obs
An adult Yellow-legged Gull was briefly at rest on Half Moon Bay before flying along the north harbour wall and over the wooden jetty. The adult Little Gull was ringed and successfully released this morning off the end of the north wall (see yesterdays posting).

Heysham 2 outfall
Little Gull 8 adult + 1 2nd winter, just 2 left late pm

Harbour entrance
Little Gull 1 adult morning

NHW/Near Naze
Yellow-legged Gull adult at c1200hrs - on the beach then flew south along the seawall
Little Gull 2 2nd + 1 1st winter - 'treading water'; just one 2nd winter left at lunchtime, none late afternoon.
Mediterranean Gull 2nd winter

Twite 15-16 at Sand Plant Gate
Linnet 2-3 at above location

Middleton IE
Male and female Pochard, 1 Little Grebe, 28 Teal, 12 Coot, 8 Mallard, 3 Moorhen, 4 Tufted Duck, 4 Goldeneye

Elsewhere
4 Bewick's Swan Aldcliffe Marsh 'flood'. No evidence of any cold weather movement past High Tatham. Ross's Goose just outside the area in north Fylde with Pinkfeet (roosting within off Lane Ends??). Purple Sandpiper off the Stone jetty at Morecambe. Pale-bellied Brent Goose off Sunny Slopes

More Little Gulls & one sent to 'rehab'

Rough Sea & Herring Gull & either Little Gulls or Little Gulls & Kittiwake over the water (or perhaps nothing at all) :

Answer: one Kittiwake and one Little Gull

Heysham Obs
Fortunately all the people on the Riverdance were successfully rescued. This is the trouble with polar-air gales, as opposed to warm-sector south-westerlies; very nasty squalls can locally alter the sea conditions for the worse.

A Little Gull became trapped in the strong winds between the perimeter fence and the steep slope along the seaward side of the mound. Fortunately managed to retrieve it and discovered how good plastic A4 wallets were for settling down Little Gulls, allowing you to drive legally. It should be ok to release tomorrow.

North harbour wall 1130-1600hrs
Some excellent views of Little Gulls with up to 8 below the seawall in the surf and a further c17 further out/sat on the sea during late morning. One was actually in the harbour. All Ads except for one 2nd and one 1st W. In the afternoon, there were at least 12 Little Gulls and 9 Kittiwakes inshore along the base of the north harbour wall
Med Gull - the usual 2nd W patrolling

Stage 2 outfall
8-9 adult Little Gull at 1225hrs, similarly 1430hrs

Elsewhere
4 adult Little Gulls in fields near Jeremy Lane along with large numbers of other gull species early afternoon. Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone Jetty. 13 Whooper Swans visible from the A683 between Hornby and Melling. Nothing on Pine Lake. Nordic Jackdaws at Farleton (nr Claughton) & between Scarthwaite and the M6 along A683 - the forner particularly 'obvious'.

Plenty of Little Gulls but delayed ferries

Heysham Obs
A not unusual combination once or twice a winter during gale or near-gale force onshore winds. The Ben My Chree struggled in just in time to avoid a 'white-out' & extra-strong gusts at c1415hrs

IOM ferry followers
Difficult to watch to put it mildly
Fulmar - 1
Kittiwake - c35 with at least 10 1st W
Little Gull - one adult

North harbour wall
Little Gull - 23 out 1150-1220, 22 of these a long straggling "flock" covering c1/2 mile of sea, followed by a single right along the seawall. All Ad or 2nd W. At least another 9 out 1400-1600hrs
Kittiwake - 2 out plus an adult patrolling the wall with the 2nd W Med. At least 18 out 1400-1600hrs
Med Gull - 2nd W patrolling the north wall
Pink-footed Goose - 1 'out'

Stage 2 outfall
2 adult Little Gull and an adult Kittiwake at 1225hrs. At 1430hrs, just after a major squall, there were 8 adult Little Gull and 2 Kittiwake

Elsewhere
Not much 'posted' evidence of any punters on the prowl today! Ad Spotted Redshank with Redshank amongst the boats just south of the Strathmore Hotel at 1125hrs. Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone jetty.

Treecreeper seen again

The usual 2nd W Med Gull is now showing a more adult base colouration on the bill. It was quite 'washed out orange' as recently as mid-December. Thanks Mark.

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
2nd W Med Gull along wall

15 Twite - mound
3 Linnet - mound
Mistle Thrush - mound

Red nab area

Long-tailed Tit flock accompanied by Treecreeper

c150 Pink-footed Geese NNW 1005ish

Elsewhere

The only new sighting was a 1st W Med Gull on Glasson basin.