On an away day but, luckily, Heysham was covered by John Wood who saw 2 x 1st winter Little Gulls, 7 x 1st winter Kittiwakes and 4 adult Kittiwakes, 18 Shags.
Sunday, 17 December 2006
December 16th 2006
Heysham
Thanks for the coverage Stuart (Meredith). Calm weather leftovers around the harbour/outfalls/wooden jetty comprised 17 Shag, 3 Little Gull (2 1st W - typical that this age, although greatly outnumbered during the gales, comprises a majority of the lingering birds), 16 Kittiwake (50% ad).
Heysham
Thanks for the coverage Stuart (Meredith). Calm weather leftovers around the harbour/outfalls/wooden jetty comprised 17 Shag, 3 Little Gull (2 1st W - typical that this age, although greatly outnumbered during the gales, comprises a majority of the lingering birds), 16 Kittiwake (50% ad).
Friday, 15 December 2006
15th December 2006
A day of continuous drizzle/rain saw just 10 minutes or so around Heysham inner harbour where there were 20 Shags and 7 Kittiwakes. There was also a small trawler working backwards and forwards in the normal feeding area for the Shags!
A Leach's Petrel off Heysham yesterday was a belated pager message - very odd, given the conditions but possibly one of Ray's birds of the previous evening (off Morecambe Town Hall) managing to exit the Bay at lastl
The famous toilet moth trap at Heysham nature reserve hut produced the first Winter Moth of the year, giving a record 204 species of macro moth therein this year. This trap is a blended 160watt (tungsten-ballasted MV) hung inside the room fairly close to the window which has been removed and the gap "prison-barred" to exclude humans but include moths. Egg packing is strewn around the floor and the toilet seat covered. A full count is made every morning. Other than during howling easterly gales and driving rain (east-facing window), this trap is operated all year. The advantage of this trap is that, apart from one accurate pebble-thrower (the window is 3.5 metres above the ground), it can be left to do its job without fear of being trashed, unlike anything left outside.
Nothing on the pager for the local area but a request for any sightings of the hybrid female Ferruginous type on Pine Lake to be posted on the Lancaster and District Website and/or phoned in to the pager
A day of continuous drizzle/rain saw just 10 minutes or so around Heysham inner harbour where there were 20 Shags and 7 Kittiwakes. There was also a small trawler working backwards and forwards in the normal feeding area for the Shags!
A Leach's Petrel off Heysham yesterday was a belated pager message - very odd, given the conditions but possibly one of Ray's birds of the previous evening (off Morecambe Town Hall) managing to exit the Bay at lastl
The famous toilet moth trap at Heysham nature reserve hut produced the first Winter Moth of the year, giving a record 204 species of macro moth therein this year. This trap is a blended 160watt (tungsten-ballasted MV) hung inside the room fairly close to the window which has been removed and the gap "prison-barred" to exclude humans but include moths. Egg packing is strewn around the floor and the toilet seat covered. A full count is made every morning. Other than during howling easterly gales and driving rain (east-facing window), this trap is operated all year. The advantage of this trap is that, apart from one accurate pebble-thrower (the window is 3.5 metres above the ground), it can be left to do its job without fear of being trashed, unlike anything left outside.
Nothing on the pager for the local area but a request for any sightings of the hybrid female Ferruginous type on Pine Lake to be posted on the Lancaster and District Website and/or phoned in to the pager
Thursday, 14 December 2006
The gales are over?
December 14th 2006
Very poor visibility today and a marked reduction in wind speed over the middle part of the day. There appeared to be a reduction in the number of Shags in the harbour with just 20 counted around the intake area. Little Gulls were lingering around the harbour mouth area and outfalls with at least 8 adults. About 25 Kittiwakes were seen around the harbour/outfalls but neither the IOM nor any of the freight ferries were checked for 'followers'.
Elsewhere
Just some late news from Ray Hobbs who had two Leach's Petrels off the Morecambe Town Hall during the last half hour of daylight yesterday (13th) - this brings the total sightings for the 13th to four. The Glossy Ibis was on the pager for Fluke Hall area.
Very poor visibility today and a marked reduction in wind speed over the middle part of the day. There appeared to be a reduction in the number of Shags in the harbour with just 20 counted around the intake area. Little Gulls were lingering around the harbour mouth area and outfalls with at least 8 adults. About 25 Kittiwakes were seen around the harbour/outfalls but neither the IOM nor any of the freight ferries were checked for 'followers'.
Elsewhere
Just some late news from Ray Hobbs who had two Leach's Petrels off the Morecambe Town Hall during the last half hour of daylight yesterday (13th) - this brings the total sightings for the 13th to four. The Glossy Ibis was on the pager for Fluke Hall area.
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