A bit below par for a south-easterly

Heysham Obs
South-east wind this morning but still very cold first thing with temperatures just above freezing

Seawatching highlights (0600 - 0900 hrs):
Arctic Skua - 2 dark morphs flew into the Bay along the Kent Channel at 0723 hrs
Arctic Tern - 216 flew into the Bay (largest group = 67)
Kittiwake - 28 in single flock circling offshore and gaining height
Whooper Swan - 4 flew north across the Bay at 0640 hrs

Also offshore: c.50 Eider, 8 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Common Scoter, 14 Sandwich Tern, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Swallow,

Inshore
Whimbrel - 2 below North Harbour Wall, flock of 9 off Ocean Edge

Dunlin - Just 70 off Ocean Edge

Bar-tailed Godwit - 21

No Grey Plover or Ringed Plover today

NR office area:
Slow with just a meagre trickle of birds:
Tree Pipit - 2 (1 ringed)

Thanks John

Greylag Goose - two prospecting the Obs Tower pond for a short time
Lesser Redpoll - 4 NE (2 ringed)
Sedge Warbler - two singing by office first thing
Grasshopper Warbler - male singing tank farm
Goldfinch - 35 NE including flock of 19
Swallow - only about 25 NE
Linnet - 5 NE
Willow Warbler - just 3 ringed and two bounced out of net very early on
A large accipiter was reported this afternoon behaving like it was an escapee and thought to be female Goshawk-size.  Last seen landing in a tree along Moneyclose Lane, calling.  Any more info gratefully received.  Thanks.

Mammal
Grey Seal offshore

Still no moths!

Arctic Tern passage

Heysham Obs
First of all the summer plumaged Black-throated Dover was seen earlier yesterday morning, again on the sea. from Rossall and obviously floated in with the tide.  


Steady northward passage up until 8.20 when the (too northerly?) wind got up, the tide was well-in and it died a death.  Little else other than Sandwich tern and a gang of 6 Swift heading north over the sea.  Whoopers were late for here

Sea 0700-0845, 1005-1035
Arctic Tern - 374 in, maximum flock 57 & another 45 in 30 mins mid-morning = 419 in total.  Quite a few of these birds were sat on the sea before moving up the Bay and this may account for the big discrepancy between the more extensively-covered Rossall (6.5hrs).  On the other hand, some may have come from overland as has been observed in the past when the feeding area off the outfalls available (it is not available this year due to 'outage' at Heysham One Power Station, therefore all Arctic Terns have been strictly on passage)
Sandwich Tern - c25
Little Gull - adult in
Whooper Swan - 2 N
Red-throated Diver - 1 in (fsp)
Swift - 6 (flock) NE
Linnet - 6 NE
Swallow - 1!
Whimbrel - 1 in
Can anyone explain the lack of Goldfinch over Heysham this spring (two experienced vis miggers covering most mornings!) compared to Rossall?

Ocean Edge
Wheatear - 2
Dunlin - 370 (mostly if not all schinzii in summer plumage)
Grey Plover - 21
Ringed Plover - 15 (tundrae)
no sign of any Barwits

Moths
None - what a surprise!

Very distant Black-throated Diver pieced together

Heysham Obs
A combination of zoom lenses and a lengthy time period narrowed a diver down to either summer plumage Black-throated or Pacific with the flank patch seemingly clinching the more predictable option.  The remainder of the seawatch flattered to deceive with the list looking "fairly good" until the small print of "five hours" is read.  On land it was pretty dire, just the right day to do the CES ringing at both Heysham and Middleton, as we are not supposed to be catching migrants, are we?  The vis mig was also rather paltry compared to recent days.  Thanks to Dan and Jean for running the seawatching event

Sea 0600-1050hrs (multi-observed), 1130-1300 (Tony)
Arctic Skua - dark morph in 0930, flock of three (one LM) in the mouth of the bay c1045
Skua spp - one in at 0847hrs
Black-throated Diver - the observer with the highest quality zoom lens was convinced that all the requisite features were visible on a summer-plumaged bird at long range with others in the 'high degree of certainty' camp and no dissenters. Visible c0910-0930hrs
Red-throated Diver - 8
Sandwich tern - 24
Arctic Tern - 183, maximum flock 30, again rather distant in the absence of any food on Heysham one outfall
Gannet - 12
Common Scoter - 18 out
Kittiwake - 3 in
Pink-footed Goose - three sitting on the water together - also floated out later on!
Mute Swan - 2
Whimbrel - 4
Guillemot - one on

Vis mig combined
Lesser Redpoll - 11 NE
Tree Pipit - 1 NE
Swallow - 58 NE
House Martin - 2 NE
Linnet - 13 NE
alba Wagtail -  NE
Goldfinch - 16 NE

Grounded
Redstart - female flew quickly inland through Middleton NR
Wheatear - just 3 seen today
Whitethroat - at least 2 migrants
Willow Warbler - no evidence of more than 2 migrants!

Mammals
Harbour Porpoise - one offshore c1040hrs
Grey Seal - three together

Early morning dross followed by a trickle

Heysham Obs
Interesting posting read yesterday gave a long list of birds enjoyed by the observer followed by "despite not being in the hide".  Along with several other early morning migration oddballs, I wouldn't touch a hide at this time of year, unless it was as a rest from birding.  There is so much happening overhead and within earshot as well as what might be visible in front of you.  However, the converse can be true, you can "sniff the air" at a ridiculous time of the morning, feel the wind is too far from the north, note the sky is clear and listen to the resident dawn chorus with no 'extra noises'.  In other words, its "dead" as happened at 0515 this morning!  Fortunately at this time of year, there are several options, notably staring at the sea, and this morning eventually livened up a bit and came up with a reasonable list

Sea 0610-0850
Swallow - 147
Linnet - 8
Goldfinch - just three!
House Martin - 4
Sand Martin - 1
Whimbrel - 15 (including flock of 11)
Sandwich Tern - c50
Arctic Tern - 95, most of them in one flock of 68
Arctic Skua - LM in 0615, DM in 0755
Skua spp - probable very distant LM Pom at 0720
Kittiwake - 25
Cormorant - two high to the NE overland
Gannet - 6
Auk spp - 2
White Wagtail - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 1
Swift - 2
Common Scoter - 8 out

Ocean Edge
Wheatear - 12
White Wagtail - 2
Little Gull - 2CY
Kittiwake - ad
Common Gull - 71
Black-headed Gull - 63
Med Gull - usual 2CY
Grey Plover - 22
Bar-tailed Godwit - 140
Dunlin - 120

Office area
Swallow - 25 NE
Sand Martin - 1 NE
Lesser Redpoll - 4 NE - all before nets set at 0515hrs!!
Willow Warbler - about 15 migrants seen (9 ringed)
Goldfinch - 21 NE
Grey Heron - 3 north at dawn

Moth
Brown Silver Line started its year

Grey Seal
2 off north wall

Nice varied morning of migration

Heysham Obs
Well worth the backtrack and 1.5hrs migration coverage from Jean (sea) and myself prior to returning back past my house to go and work in a mobile/internet-free dale near Hawes.  Alan also put in a major effort covering the mist-netting side of things from dawn.  John and Pete also helped the coverage and the only shame was missing the flock of four Poms which must have gone through us at about 0930 (tracked past Blackpool/Rossall but no seawatching here 0815-0935)


Anyone responsible for Lesser Redpoll L458922?

North harbour wall 0635-0810, 0935-1135

Pink-footed Goose - big departure (for early May): 220+80+140+120 north prior to 09.40

Common Scoter - 3 out

Gannet - 23

Peregrine - 1 in off sea flying E over HM Bay

Whimbrel - 3 in 

Pomarine Skua - single light morphs in at 0755 & 0805 (see above)

Arctic Skua - 3 in (2 dark at 10.18 / 1 light at 10.56)

Kittiwake - 59 in (4/ 17 / 38)

Sandwich Tern - 62 in/blogging

Arctic Tern - 154 in (largest flock just 29)

Swallow - 0935-1135: 139 NE along wall & offshore (probably only c.50% of movement - many coming in behind me)

Willow Warbler - 3 early one (one ringed on right leg, therefore not one of ours from this morning), 1m later singing in sea buckthorn

Wheatear - 10

Whinchat - one male

alba Wagtail - one north

Meadow Pipit - 19 NE (more heard)

Goldfinch - only 6 NE!

Linnet - 1 NE!

Office vis intermittently/ringing 

Lesser Redpoll - c27 NE (5 ringed and one control)

Swift - one NE

Swallow - c37 NE

Siskin - 5 NE

Tree Pipit - one NE

Sedge Warbler - one singing tank farm

Mist netting included the above Lesser Redpoll, 30 Willow Warbler plus a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroats and a single Common Whitethroat 


Insects
When these were received from Janet (thanks Janet) this evening, the first thought was that they were early (especially the Common Carpet moth).  However, it is early May, even thought the temperatures and those for the immediate future don't feel like it.  Anyone able to say whether these are Azure or Common Blue damselflies, please?

A much quieter and colder day

Heysham Obs
Bitty coverage due to work and maybe lack of incentive produced:

Ocean Edge 20 minutes 0930-0950hrs
Swallow - 102 NE (over 1000 in four hours 0600-1000 over Rossall)
House Martin - 17 NE
Dunlin - 85
Grey Plover - 3
Med Gull - usual 2CY

Sea
Arctic Tern - flock of 31 mid-pm headed up the bay after a bout of feeding.  I wish Heysham One Power Station would get back on line as the favoured feeding area seems to be food-less at the moment and many recent sightings have been quite distant (but identifiable range from Common) flocks heading straight past!
Sandwich Tern - 4 early morning
Swift - one NE
Just a handful of swallows reported
The north wall appears to be wrong side of the PS for hirundine passage in these NE winds, also many of the birds which are coming through this side flying 'behind' observers through the harbour

Grounded
Wheatear - c22 with a flock of 7 on Middleton NR and at least 10 in the Power Station non-op land but none on Ocean Edge!
No other indication of grounded migrants but no mist-netting today

Needed to be earlier and everywhere at once

Heysham Obs
Trawling other blogs a minute or two ago, apart from a "should have done better" personal rap over the knuckles for the inadequate early morning landbird coverage (see e.g. Hilbre and Rossall for how it should have been done), Jean and Pete, who conscientiously covered the seabird side of things,  recorded an unprecedented 5+3+1 of Little Egret.  It seems that the initial flock of 5 was tracked all the way from Ainsdale via Starr Gate via Rossall and the movement was obviously 'purposeful'.   It does not appear that the subsequent 3+1 (in themselves an 'unprecedented' movement past Heysham in spring) were recorded at the other sites, so their immediate origin is a puzzle

The trouble with a big fall on a sunny morning is that it all happens at once and the birds soon 'melt inland'.  It is also not helpful to turn up nearly 2hrs after dawn!  The other problem is whether to stay on the sea or prowl around the various landbird sites.  The following were seen by two observers covering as much as possible and one who had to do go to work after a token half-hour!

Whinchats on Middleton.  Thanks Pete

Marsh Harrier - female NE over Heysham NR at 0710hrs
Little Egret - completely unexpected and unprecedented was 5+3+1, as three separate lots, heading north across the sea towards Grange at about 0815-0825hrs
Gannet - 38 in
Razorbill - 9 in
Fulmar - 1 out
Auk spp. - 1
Sandwich Tern - 62 out
Arctic Tern - 4+15+11 in
Black Tern - 4 in
Turnstone - 79
Red-throated Diver - 1
Meadow Pipit - 15 NE
Tree Pipit - 3 NE
Swallow - 33 NE 0715-0830, increasing to 38 NE 1000-1015 (along coast)
Goldfinch - 60 NE in very intermittent vis coverage
House Martin - 5 NE
Grey Wagtail - late migrant NE, another Middleton
Whinchat - one north harbour wall and two Middleton NR
Garden Warbler - one singing by the obs tower pond 0700-0710
Grasshopper Warbler - one singing by Heysham NR classroom 0700-0705hrs (no extras at Middleton)
Willow Warbler - impossible to estimate as large numbers were present when arrived at the reserve at 0650 but these appeared to be the last of what was a significant fall e.g. two nets were quickly erected and 10 caught straight away but no further sign as the wind got up.  Needed to be here earlier and setting nets below the obs tower.  At least 50 around the office area at 0650hrs, all 'silent' females, contrasting with a migrant singing male on the north harbour wall mound!
Wheatear - at least 25, probably many more as OE not checked until after 'dog time'
Sedge Warbler - 6 singing males Middleton
Whitethroat - singing males Smithy Wood and 4 at Middleton
Lesser Whitethroat - singing male Middleton and the usual one by the office
Blackcap - unringed lightweight male caught by office

Four swifts, three skuas and a seal

Heysham Obs
Sea for about 3 hours early, then mid-am
Arctic Skua - lm & dm in at 0635hrs, lm in later in morning
Gannet - 5
Sandwich Tern - c8
Swift - 4 NE

Ocean Edge
Just four Wheatear visible this morning in the football pitch area

Mammal
Grey Seal off NH wall

Wheatear carpet at Ocean Edge

Heysham Obs
Thanks to Pete, Pete and one other observer for covering the sea this morning:

Highlights of a 4 hour seawatch from Heysham North Harbour Wall (0600 - 1000 hrs) 

Bonxie - singles into the Bay at 0840 and 0910 hrs 
Arctic Skua - 3 separate dark morphs in at 0905, 0945 and 0950 hrs 
Little Gull - adult in
Also offshore: 17 Gannet, 51 Arctic Tern, 30+ Sandwich Tern, 33 Pink-footed Geese (flock of 32 and 1 flew across the Bay towards Barrow), 11 Eider, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit (full summer plumage), 3 Swift (low over sea at 0810 hrs), 2 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow. 

Turnstone - 70 on wooden pier 

Wheatear

The biggest fall for some time with at least 60, most on Ocean Edge.  A very quick visit to Ocean Edge revealed 51 "obvious" birds on the grass or top of the 'seawall' - there may have ben others on the beach.  Most were on or around the football field - 35 in the bins at once!

There were 6 others on the heliport and 3 on the north wall/sandworks.  Most, if not all, were leggy, large birds with the vast majority males


Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding (or 'loose' arrangement made far too far in advance!), there was no coverage of grounded stuff around the office but a very brief visit indicated at least 5 'extra' silent Willow Warblers in and around the Obs Tower pond area.  Its really hard to predict when there are going to be landfalls in easterlies!

Swift added to the year list

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall early morning to 1030hrs
Not a lot during the final hour as the wind went west of north.   However, the forecast is for a week of east to north-east winds so should be pretty good for seabirds at least
Arctic Tern  - 113 'in'
"Commic" Tern - very distant flock of c150 'in', presumably Arctic
Sandwich Tern - 91 'in' and c200 blogging
Gannet - 2
Swift - 1
Swallow - 5
Arctic Skua - 3:  dark morph in 0839hrs, 2 dark morph in 0915hrs

Other sightings
Meadow Pipit - flock of 3 NE by the office
Goldfinch - 15 (flock) NE over office
Wheatear - 15 grounded at Ocean Edge and 3 at the north wall