No coverage

Heysham Obs
No coverage today

Elsewhere
Adult Long-eared Owl calling in the 'lower' plantation where they bred last year on the Leck Fell road. Very quiet call & wont be much use going in the forecasted noisy windy conditions. Any listening/watching MUST be done from the Leck Fell road. No taping please. 557 islandica Black-tailed Godwit at Broadway area of Morecambe - an unprecedentedly large number for there. Also the usual Spotted Redshank. The Chough arrived into the Warton Crag roost just before 4pm

First Gannet

Heysham Obs
A seawatch 0855-0925 was a bit more entertaining than of late

North harbour wall seawatch
Gannet - adult in
Little Gull - 3 1st w together in
Kittiwake - 5 + 17 out distantly
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 37 out [not sure of significance, but unusual]
Common Gull - 17 adults in

No sign 2nd W/S Med Gull on the one morning visit

Stage 2 outfall/Red Nab area
Little Gull - 5 adult, one obvious 2nd W, 1st W at 0930hrs. Late afternoon: 2 1st W & 2nd W.
Kittiwake - one adult all day
Twite - 22 Red Nab but only seen in flight

Elsewhere
The Chough came in at 1547hrs this afternoon, very early, and spent very little time perched up before disappearing, perhaps avoiding hail. Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes area

2nd W/S Med returns!

Heysham Obs
Used Heysham office as a base to make a big dent in the 2007 Annual Obs Report - sorry it is late this year - entirely my fault. Unfortunately two groups of people sent in what should have been the right direction for at least Little Gulls didnt reciprocate and report their sightings, despite an ever so polite request. So a quick dash round from 1515hrs was all the known coverage of the coastal areas. Pity, because putting 2 & 2 together suggested quite a few Kittiwake moving today and the early morning tide would have been worth a look.

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2nd W moulting into summer plumage cruising the wall as usual!
Kittiwake - Adult along the wall with the Med Gull and another adult in the harbour mouth. A tightly packed flock of 45 on the sea, slowly drifting into the Bay (1530hrs)
Goldfinch - one on the (Twite) nyger seed which was being decimated by rabbits!

Stage 2 outfall
A very brief look late afternoon saw at least 2 adult-type and 2 1st winter Little Gull

Middleton IE
Pair of Mute Swan nest building! 4 Tufted Duck, 1 female Pochard, 12 Coot, 3 Goldeneye, 6 Mallard, 1 male Teal (usually this bird with a female), 1 Little Grebe (low number for this time of year), just one Snipe and 2 Stonechat, presumably passage birds.

Elsewhere
Chough was already roosting in Warton Crag quarry at the usual site at 1700hrs. 1st W Kittiwake Pine Lake (very) late afternoon. Female Firecrest "about 6 minutes" along the Fleagarth Wood to Jenny Brown's Point footpath from the entrance c300m along Hollins Lane (SD465746) mid-morning. Tight flock of 28 Kittiwake lingering of Crook Farm, Lune Estuary mid morning (see intro. comment above) & the usual 3 Scaup on Conder Pool. Pale-bellied Brent Goose still Sunny Slopes groyne

Wintering Meds absent but Little Gulls remain on Stage 2 outfall

Heysham Obs
Stage 2 outfall
Little Gull - 17 first thing (2 1st W) reducing to about 6 mid-morning, 2 at 1430hrs then they increased again to 12 (2 1st W) on the late afternoon tide
Kittiwake - 2 ads late afternoon

North harbour wall
The only notable birds from three visits were a 1st W & Ad Kittiwake behind the dredger late afternoon

Quite a few immature large gulls around/passing through in the 30 minutes spent checking 'both sides' in the morning [but nothing much later on], especially feeding in the surf along the north wall. This is a good time, and following a good winter, for 'white-wings'.

There dont appear to be any of the resident winter Meds left.......but it is March and the Med Gull discussion group indicates that the colonies are being occupied in the Low Countries for e.g. with major passage counts to the SW e.g. Iberia.

Elsewhere
Chough reappeared in Warton Crag Quarry at 5pm (per pager message at 2300hrs). Two Whooper Swan Aldcliffe & Greenshank JB Point. No GWE reports but single Little Egrets at Griesdale and Jackson hides. Usual dearth of Saturday activity! Did anyone have time to check Pine Lake for Sand Martin in the 'ideal' late afternoon drizzle?

Not a lot for the leap year list

Heysham Obs
The weather looked quite promising this afternoon but was wet and miserable with the wind too far to the south in the morning. However, nothing behind the IOM ferry or on a 30 minute seawatch 1430-1500hrs and the only birds of note were:

Stage 2 outfall
1100hrs: 1st and 2nd winter Little Gulls
1425hrs: 5 adult type and 1 1st W Little Gulls
1505hrs: 9 adult type and 3 1st W Little Gulls
1715hrs: 16 Little Gulls, mostly adult-types

No doubt Ray has a fancy term for this sort of increase. No Kitts or Mediterranean Gulls!

Elsewhere
Great White Egret reportedly at the Grisedale Hide in the morning but definitely not later. No sign of the Chough at Warton Crag on Thursday=yesterday evening.

Very brief visit as part of low tide count

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Ad Little Gull dipfeeding with Black-headed Gulls somewhere in Cumbria i.e. miles out!
Ad Med Gull in the harbour

No coverage elsewhere in the recording area

Elsewhere
Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the tideline off Sunny Slopes (miles out!)
Ad Med Gull flew south close inshore at Sunny Slopes. Negative news on Chough roosting overnight (Wed/Thu) in Warton Crag quarry; NNEW, but presumably again absent, tonight.

Routine Fare

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Red-throated Diver - one out
Med Gull - adult summer behind the IOM passenger ferry to about the right-angle turn, then flew out[no Kittiwake]
Med Gull - 2nd W/S around the north wall

Outfalls/Ocean Edge
Little Gull - 1st winter Stage 2 (where else!)
Wigeon - 104 Red Nab

Kittiwake flock on early incoming tide

Heysham Obs
NHW 1000-1015, 1115-1215 and c1420-1430
Kittiwake - Flock of 65 adults in then sat on sea floating in with tide & a singleton, then 10 'in', at lunchtime. Just one behind the IOM passenger ferry
Med Gull - usual 2nd W approaching 2nd S, but no sign of any Ads

Outfall check
Quick checks at 1020 and 1435 just produced the usual 1st W Little Gull

Ocean Edge
3 adult Little Gull offshore mid-afternoon and 12 Twite on the south field; 5 unringed and 7 with Heysham rings on from 2008

Elsewhere
Chough came in to roost around 1630hrs. Ad Med Gull Bank End but no sign of the huge number of Rossall Little Gulls off the coast in our area.

First Woodcock, grounded Skylark & more late afternoon Little Gulls

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall/IOM passenger ferry
Ad Med behind ferry and two ad Kittiwake which peeled off very early [wind too far to south for a decent entourage].
2nd W Med patrolling the north wall. Turnstone roost not clearly visible enough on top of wooden jetty to sort any Purps out.

Heysham Nature Reserve
The first Woodcock of the year flushed from the scrub below the observation tower

Ocean Edge/outfalls
Little Gull - 1st W Stage 2 as usual - a check just before dusk saw 3 adults joining the 1st winter
Shelduck - 38 - significant reduction on recent weeks
Skylark - one grounded Ocean Edge - first of the year in obs recording area

Wigeon - 97
Mute Swan - 2 close inshore along the seawall heading north, one south from nature reserve marsh
Lesser Black-backed Gull - influx with 41 along Red Nab

Vis mig

Pink-footed Goose - 70 north & 18 east & 5 'grey' geese east in the morning. Right at dusk, c1000 flew south over Half-Moon Bay

Middleton IE

Two Stonechat

Elsewhere
Chough emerged from the Warton Crag quarry roost at 0730hrs and flew WSW towards the EM pools. It returned to the roost at 1600hrs. [Flight shots on LDBWS site]. 18 Twite on the slagtips (2 ringed on Duddon estuary). Pale-bellied Brent Goose sunny slopes groyne at HT [& record 442 Redshank, 15 Ringed Plover]

As you were.........

Heysham Obs
Migration: we have already had two days of minor Stonechat movement - Portland had their first major passage of this species today (see Links)

Purple Sandpiper - at least one in wooden jetty high tide roost
Med Gull - Ad & 2nd W patrolling the NHW - the latter seems to have got rid of the fishing line & is coming into summer head plumage.
Knot - another colour-ringed bird read on the heliport today - the fourth this week
Little Gull - 1st W Heysham 2 outfall - the only bird on it at high tide!
Twite - 6 Red Nab area

Elsewhere
The Chough left the Warton Crag roost at 0733, perched nearby and flew silently SSW at 0758. Note the droppings indicate that this roost site has been used for several nights. Site = NE side of the quarry face about half-way up at the top of a crevice. Returned at 1703 hrs (later arrival than yesterday in a much more 'open' late afternoon) and gave good views on the rock face before returning to the crevice after 3-4 minutes.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes groyne at high tide. Water Pipit reported at Conder Pool (& at least 2 Scaup). 6 Crossbill Dunsop Valley