Good, but did I miss a Black Kite by not staying at home!

Heysham Obs
Sea/vis 0700-1530 plus 1715-1915

Arctic Tern - 2,102, easily a record day count with some of the strongest movements in the last hour of seawatching. Maximum flock size 151. Many of these birds cascaded down on to the outfalls from the SE, and, especially in late afternoon when faced by a low-tide channel cul-de-sac, rose high in the sky within viewing range of Heysham and headed off NE

Unlike the early years of recording this movement, when there was little evidence from the Fylde of coastal passage, today suggested an even higher passage rate along that coast, including (and rather oddly?) large numbers past Starr Gate. These were either mainly different birds to those passing Heysham or perhaps were birds which had started to climb into the sky up the north-easterly-orientated Lune flightline and either saw the churned up water (=, as tide races, favoured feeding) at the end of the outfalls and changed their mind or did not like the look of the route anyway. Anyone with any ideas on this may wish to reply to the post on the LDBWS site.

Given the north-easterly orientation of the movement, it was not surprisng that JBPoint only recorded two flocks - 18 & 70 - which headed up the Kent estuary


We are not photographers - the best we could get before the battery went flat. Unusually, just one bird in this piece of airspace

Arctic Skua - 2 light morph together at 0813, dark morph 1246 - all flew/floated into the bay
Osprey - One fishing in the channel just SW of No 8 Buoy, then flew up the Kent channel towards Humphry Head at 1735hrs. First of the year
Black Tern - one flew in with a flock of Arctic Tern at 0743hrs. First of the year
Common Scoter - 8
Common Tern - 1(!)
Fulmar - 1
Manx Shearwater - 5
Red-throated Diver - 3
Sandwich Tern - 8
Kittiwake - 5

Swallow - 226
Sand Martin - 5
Swift - 1
Whimbrel (just) 3
Kestrel - one north up the centre of the Bay

Inshore
4 juvenile Shag
Purple Sandpiper flushed off the long skeer (opp sand plant entrance) by an angler late afternoon
Med Gull - at least one first summer with a late afternoon influx of c70 Common Gull

Grounded
Again, impossible to really quantify - there were 5 migrant Whitethroat in the feeder area next to the hut. One of the two Wheatear on the north harbour wall was watched descending from a great height. 'New' Grasshopper Warbler just in the recording area by the sub-station at the end of the bypass. No ringing.

Insects
As predicted c/f numbers on Portland Bill etc., 8 Red Admiral butterflies flew rapidly north along the harbour wall during the afternoon/early evening
The first Blue-tailed Damselfly of the year was in the NR marsh

Mammals
Bull Grey Seal off the north harbour wall, catching a huge flatfish spp late afternoon

Elsewhere
Northbound Black Kite seen just outside the recording area, and almost certainly flying north through it, perhaps via rather close to my house, at Ribblehead viaduct. Spoonbill throughout the day and a late afternoon high northbound Osprey at Leighton Moss. Two ad Med Gulls still present and the even rarer (in Lancs) Great Black-backed Gull nesting on the public mere.
The photogenic Grasshopper Warbler (see LDBWS site) still at Aldcliffe

One that got away?

Heysham Obs
Sea/vis from the north harbour wall
Only time for two hours birding today from a single (known) observer - on the NHW between 0730-0930, although a quick check late afternoon suggested no more Arctic Tern movement at that time.

Arctic Tern - 326, possibly 400+. Usually these are easy to document but the strength of the easterly upperwind seemed to inhibit onward migration to the NE and birds went high into the sky before swirling around and returning to the sea surface. Eventually, all birds still present (the 326 count) flew out towards Fleetwood. Some of the birds may have gone overland prior to this but certainly no more than 70-80 or so.

Tern spp - As the experienced observer described: 'a distant white tern with long tail streamers' was with an unfortunately distant flock of Arctic. That is all that could be said about it with no discernable flight mode difference at that range, therefore leucistic Arctic remains an (unlikely?) possibility. Light very good with all the Arctic Terns nearby showing 'consistent' plumage.

Red-throated Diver: 1
Sandwich Tern: 7
Linnet: 2N
alba Wagtail: 3N
Swallow: just a handful early in the morning but impressions of a steady movement later. Sorry to be so vague but a 'work work' day!

Inshore
Purple Sandpiper still present with 118+ Turnstone

Thanks to David and Jackie Moreton

Shag - just 2 juvs seen today

Grounded
No proper coverage but the early morning mist nets were unproductive

Elsewhere
Ad Spoonbill EM Pool

More small-scale migration

Common Whitethroat: A definite influx of singing males today. Thanks Simon.

Please note that the 1930hrs LDBWS meeting tomorrow night is at Hornby Institute, not Bare. See LDBWS site for further details

Heysham Obs
Sea/vis c0730-1030
Arctic Tern: 8+11+23+4 in
Arctic Skua: dark morph in 0823hrs
Common Scoter: 6
Guillemot: 5
Gannet: 3
Red-throated Diver: 2
Sandwich Tern: just 4
Whimbrel: 6 in
Pink-footed Goose: 2 in
Auk spp: 1

Swallow: 24
Swift: 1 (belated first of the year)
alba Wagtail: 3

Inshore/wooden jetty
Shag: 3 juvs
Purple Sandpiper: Seen on the wooden jetty over the tide. See LDBWS site under 'Photos' for pics
Turnstone: c135
Common Sandpiper: 1

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler: Just 3 singing male located this morning
Lesser/Common Whitethroat: 6 of each - definite influx of Common Whitethroat this morning with a further 2 additional birds on the NR

Elsewhere
Pair of Garganey, almost fsp Spotted Redshank and 2 Grasshopper Warbler Aldcliffe area
Ad Spoonbill still at Leighton Moss. Singing Wood Warbler Barbondale. Redstart with 3 eggs & completed Pied Fly nests upper Hindburn

Record numbers of Grasshopper Warbler

Heysham Obs

Singing male Common Whitethroat - Heysham NR - thanks Simon.

A peculiar day with obvious arrival of some species yet the mist nets in the scrub below the Obs Tower remained resolutely empty

Middleton IE
SEVEN singing male Grasshopper Warbler in the central and western marsh area & immediate surrounds. Please observe from the raised concrete road bisecting the two wetland areas. Also 10+ singing Sedge Warbler [definite arrival], 2 Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, singing Garden Warbler (new for the year) and several Whitethroat & Lesser Whitethroat. Thanks Malcolm & Jeff.

Seawatching/vis from the north harbour wall
Marsh harrier female 1022 hrs sighted to the south took 10 mins. to get level with the NHW low over the sea about half a mile out in the Bay continuing in Leighton Moss direction.
Arctic Skua 3 (1+2) light morphs in/across; the singleton landed on sea
Arctic Tern 6 'in' (where are they?)
Gannet 3
Manx Shearwater 7
Sandwich Tern 13
Whimbrel 3
Red-throated Diver summer plumage out/across
Common scoter 1 'in' 4 'out' + 1 across

Also: Great crested Grebe 1 'in', Shelduck 8 'in' 3 'out', Red-breasted Merganser pair 'out', Eider male 'out'

House Martin 7
Swallow c25

Inshore/Wooden jetty
Shag 3 juv
Purple Sandpiper with the Turnstone roost. All the recent reports considered to involve this same 1st S bird - giving two definite records from Heysham during the spring passage.

Grounded
See Middleton. Wheatear: At least 16 in the recording area. Garden Warbler singing below the Obs Tower

Elsewhere
Garganey still at Aldcliffe but exact location not specified, along with a staggering 20 Lesser Whitethroat & single Grasshopper Warbler. Spoonbill at Leighton Moss - mobile - last seen on 'flood'. After its towering departure to the south-west yesterday, predictably no sign of yesterdays Ring-billed Gull.

Soporific seawatching

Heysham Obs
Sea/vis 0730-1030 from north harbour wall
Reasonable species list but mostly singletons:
Red-throated Diver, Gannet, Fulmar, Razorbill, Guillemot - one each
Arctic Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 2
Siskin - 2
Meadow Pipit - 2
Manx Shearwater - 2
Auk spp - 3
Swallow - c25 plus about 10 later
Sand Martin - 1

Grounded
12 Wheatear OE foreshore. 3 Willow Warbler ringed

Inshore
Shag - 3 juveniles
Purple Sandpiper - one on the wooden jetty with 90 Turnstone

Mammals
Roe Deer by reserve entrance early morning

Elsewhere
2nd summer Ring-billed Gull on the Lune Estuary on the mudflats on the west bank opposite the Conder estuary from lunchtime until 1445hrs when flew high into the sky and circled heading SW over Sunderland Point. Osprey high to the north-east towards Wennington as seen from High Tatham at 1940hrs. 15+ Pied Flycatcher of both sexes Upper Roeburndale & one Tree Pipit on territory. Another Tree Pipit at Birkbank

Even useless weather can produce birds with 'saturation' coverage!

Heysham Obs
Seawatching/vis
.........from 0630-1000hrs along the north harbour wall

Yellow Wagtail - male flew north (first (and possibly last) of the year)
Linnet - 7
Meadow Pipit - 2
Swallow - 24
Siskin (heard)
Greenfinch - 1
Goldfinch - 2
Reed Bunting - very late definite migrant (in-off, then NE) - Scandinavian?

Arctic Tern - 53 'in' (5 flocks)
Common Scoter - 2 in
Common Tern - one blogging
Greylag Goose - 3 north
Skua spp - [original text: distant dark bird in - almost certainly Arctic]. No, this was a bulky bird at extreme range and logic suggests probably the Bonxie seen flying into the Bay at Walney. Sorry for the mistake - getting mixed up with a record from another day.
Sandwich Tern - c24
Whimbrel - flocks of 5+13

Inshore
Purple Sandpiper - one on wooden jetty
Shag - just one logged
[Little Gull not logged for today]

Moths
First Common Pug of the year

Elsewhere
Nothing new of major interest reported in LDBWS area.

Overlanding skuas

Heysham Obs
Seawatching/vis
Bits and bobs of seawatching during the day comprising about 4.5 hours between 0900 and 1700 by three observers. A bit slow.

Arctic Skua: single dark morphs in at 1245 and 1445 and a flock of three (2 dark one light) watched from Jenny Brown's Point flying up the Bay after Hey observations had ceased (c1800hrs). These then spiralled high into the sky and headed overland. In addition, two distant all-dark birds wheeling 'in' during the morning were probably skuas.

Aythya spp: female 'out' was not seen until only rear views were available but was narrowed down to Tufted or Scaup
Manx Shearwater: 2 in
Common Tern: 4 seen (first of the year)
Arctic Tern: just 2 seen
Sandwich Tern: probably no more than 35 seen but difficult to be sure
Gannet: 24 in during the morning
Kittiwake: Flocks of 30 + 10
Whimbrel: 8 out
Swallow: 45 north
Goldfinch: 6 north
Meadow Pipit: 3 north
Grey Wagtail: one "in-off" - very late for migrants

Misc
Shag: Up to 4 juvs around
Little Gull: Ad still around in the morning

Grounded
19 Wheatear and two White Wagtail. "Quite a few" Willow Warbler around in the morning but ringing hampered by wind and only 4 trapped along with a 'new' Blackcap. In common with Walney, this has been a record spring for Blackcap so far.

Mammals
A tiny deer spp crossed the road at the reserve entrance late afternoon - it was not seen very well but could, I suppose, have been a Muntjac. Nothing however is being claimed at this stage. Please keep an eye open and look for tracks. Thanks

Elsewhere
Male Garganey at Pine Lake this morning. Nothing new of interest on the LDBWS postings although the two Ad Med Gulls continue to be seen at Leighton Moss

Reasonable, but what was missed from first light to 0915hrs!

*Please note the LDBWS meeting next Monday is at HORNBY INSTITUTE

Heysham Obs
What a pity that the best migration morning of the spring so far was only "picked up" by one observer from 0915-1115 [and he should have been working!]. An unfortunate combination of key observer's cars being serviced, being out of the area.........or on fixed working hours! The same workshy observer returned 1515-1645.

Sea/vis 0940-1040
This was done from the car with telescope fastened to the window, therefore some 'call-based' vis could have easily been missed:
LONG-TAILED DUCK - adult male in winter plumage flew into the Bay at c1000hrs and is probably on the sea in a low tide channel as I type this. Could not find it on a 'trawl' along the prom mid-afternoon.
Common Scoter - flock of 6 in
Gannet - 10+7+2+1 in (then all out on the 'far side')
Arctic Skua - dark morph in rather distanrly at 0942ish
Arctic Tern - flock of 4 in (how many earlier on?)
Sandwich Tern - c25 - 23 in & 2 blogging
Whimbrel - flock of 7 in
Swallow - 106 north

Sea/vis (phase 2!) 1515-1645hrs
Arctic Skua - dark morph was sitting on the sea next to the yellow buoys on arrival at 1515. It was then mobbed by two passing Sandwich Tern, flew for a short distance then landed on ther sea, floating into the bay on the increasingly speedy incoming tide.
Arctic Tern - the first two decent flocks of 45+40 were already gaining height as they passed the north wall
Sandwich Tern - the maximum count of several pans of the whole sea area from the NHW was c150 at c1615hrs. Most were 'blogging' but numbers increased until about 1620hrs, then most slowly drifted out
Red-throated Diver - 1+3 floating in
Swallow - just 5 north

Interestingly, I had no watch on and the best way of timing the sightings was to check Barrow Town Hall clock as there was no heat or any other haze whatsoever!

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler - 2, possibly 3 singing males (stay on the concrete roads if you are visiting, please)
Sedge Warbler - 3 singing males
Garganey - pair on the central marsh pond unfortunately flushed but appeared to land on the Tim Butler pond in the NE corner.
Willow Warbler - c30 migrants in the bushes
Whinchat - 4 along the entrance road - well spread out

Other grounded birds
Wheatear - 41 grounded birds found in the usual coastal circuit
White Wagtail - 5 on Ocean Edge football pitch and two on the grass near Red Nab
Common Whitethroat - singing male near Ocean Edge

Misc
Ad Little Gull still around Stage 2 outfall (why?)
Shag - at least two around

Mammals
One Harbour Porpoise close inshore and two beasties together much further out fitted this species

Elsewhere
Similar spread to Heysham of the more 'obvious' migrants located at Aldcliffe viz: 5 Whinchat and 23 Wheatear. The pair of Garganey at Middleton were much warier than the Aldcliffe Marsh birds and this was duly confirmed via a pager message indicating the Aldcliffe Garganey were still present. The first Garden Warbler reported this year (from Scorton). JBP late afternoon observations only produced a small 'flock' of Kittiwake - observers were puzzled why they could not see at least the Sandwich Terns i.e. deception caused by crystal clear visibility making the likes of the wooden jetty look much closer (and perhaps larger) than it really was. Rather severe flooding of the Lune valley will unfortunately have destroyed all shingle nests and flooded quite a few Sand Martin holes (water max. c1ft from top of bank at Gressingham colony). 63 Common Toad on the road between Wray and High Tatham 0002-0010hrs!

Very little migration yet again.....although no-one here early morning

Heysham Obs
Inshore
Purple Sandpiper first summer below wooden jetty
Sandwich Tern - 6
Little Gull - usual ad
Shag - at least one

Vis mig
Rubbish: c1.5hrs on seawall
Swallow - 9
alba wagtail 1

Sea
Even worse:
Eider 3m 1f 'in'
Shelduck 2 'out'
flock of 3 Ringed Plover and one Sanderling out mid-afternoon

Grounded
No early morning visit but just one Wheatear located 'on the rounds' and no obvious arrivals based on singing birds. However, the first Sedge Warbler 'for the Heysham area' was singing at Heysham Moss along with a Grasshopper Warbler

Elsewhere (LDBWS recording area)
Summary of Bittern and Marsh Harrier situation at Leighton Moss on LDBWS website

More useless winds from due south

Heysham Obs
As was also the case at Leighton Moss (see LDBWS site trip report), this was a really disappointing day for migrants and the key, at Heysham at least, is the long-standing trend of winds from the due south producing few birds. This was despite the 'perfect' intermittent drizzle.

Grounded
Two year ticks which were a product of good coverage - Whinchat on Middleton IE early morning and a singing Common Whitethroat by Half-moon Bay car park. No Wheatear on the usual circuit, but most of it post-dogs! Lesser Whitethroat singing males on BE property alone numbered at least 6.

Inshore
Elusive 1st S Med Gull, usual Ad Little Gull (why has it not gone?), at least 4 juvenile Shag, 2 Sandwich Tern (afternoon)

Vis Mig
Vis on the north harbour wall for 3 hours (= work!) produced a nice simple piece of mathematics with Swallow (3), Meadow Pipi (3) and alba Wagtail (3). Less easy were Linnet (2) and Siskin (heard but not seen). More exciting was a Greylag flying 'in-off', perhaps one of those subsequently on Middleton

Middleton IE
3 Greylag, 7 Tufted Duck, and 3 Grasshopper Warbler. Two of these were singing males - please watch from the raised concrete roads.

Elsewhere
Nothing new of any interest other than another Whinchat at Sunderland and 6 Swift at Hornby