Little time, but not windy enough for seabirds at this time of year?

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Brief visits during the morning and afternoon produced:

Purple Sandpiper - at least one, with morning sighting at the Near Naze (46A) and afternoon sighting beyond the locked gate (36V)
Med Gull - Just the 2nd W during the morning visit
Kittiwake - adult out in the afternoon

Stage 2 outfall
Just Black-headed Gulls during a morning scan from O. Edge

Elsewhere
Guillemot off the Stone jetty. Ringtail Hen Harrier and Great White Egret (& 9 Little Egret) Leighton Moss. Two Brambling at garden feeder near Thrushgill. NNEW on Ringstones lane Snow Bunting (see prev. postings)

Zero

Nothing doing today, it seems. First blank for a bit and only the third in twelve months. Thanks to all for what has been good coverage this year.

Elsewhere
Purple Sandpiper off the end of the Stone Jetty early morning

wet and the wrong kind of wind

Heysham Obs
......a north-westerly (despite Metcheck to the left - must have backed since I left).

North harbour wall
A brief visit at lunchtime saw Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls patrolling and a 1st W Kittiwake heading out close inshore

Elsewhere

Snow Bunting still on millet at Ringstones Lane/Slaidburn Road junction early pm (thanks Gavin). Purple Sandpiper still off the end of the Stone Jetty early morning. The "Warton flood" season has started with over 600 Black-tailed Godwits as well as other wildfowl/waders. View from Crag road. No sign of Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid on Pine Lake.

wet and no wind

Heysham Obs
As predicted, we were just too north of the wild and woolly weather and coverage comprised:

North harbour wall
Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls (Mark)

Middleton IE
Female Pochard, 2 Little Grebe, 34 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, 28 Snipe, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Reed Bunting, 6 Mallard, 5 Coot, 7 Moorhen (Malcolm)

Elsewhere
Male Snow Bunting still on the millet put out at the junction of Ringstone Lane and Slaidburn Road at at least 1135hrs. Male Snow Bunting also still at Fluke Hall ramp morning and late afternoon at least. Great White Egret still Leighton Moss.

Whooper Swan added to the list

Distant Whooper Swan through spray and rain (photo courtesy of Blurred Guides!! aka PJM) (lyrics by Dan Haywood and Jean Roberts)

Heysham Obs

North Harbour Wall

Highlight of the day was an adult Whooper Swan which was seen on the sea in both 36V and 46A as observed from the North Harbour Wall.

A juvenile Shag spent a short time in the harbour mouth.

2 Kittiwakes flew out of the Bay, far offshore.

The usual 2 Mediterranean Gulls were seen

Elsewhere

Two flocks of Kittiwake off JB Point late afternoon. Great White Egret Leighton Moss and best of all a Snow Bunting by the ramp at Fluke Hall (for the second day - this is just in the LDBWS recording area). NNEW on the Tatham Fells bird.

Not strong or rough enough

Heysham Obs
The only small bird I remember seeing today was the Snow Bunting near my house! (see below). John had a few bits and bobs of useful tetrad records around the harbour but the only birds of individual note here were 11+8 Shelduck flying purposefully out, the 2nd W Med on the north wall and at least one Purple Sandpiper on the rocks below the heliport

Moths
A very mild night saw single Winter Moth and Light-brown Apple Moth in the trap

Elsewhere
The male Snow Bunting was alongside Aitkengill Road near the junction with Slaidburn Road this am, therefore in SD66T (all previous sightings in 66S?). The hybrid female Ferruginous Duck x Pochard was on Pine Lake along with just about all the inland water diving ducks in the Carnforth/Leighton area by the look of it! Purple Sandpiper by Morecambe Stone Jetty this morning. 47 Winter Moths noted at 30mph in driving rain on the Mealbank Road near Millhouses early evening! This is a superb road for early and late season moths.

We need some gales

Heysham Obs
The only observations of note today were the usual 2 Mediterranean Gulls on the North Harbour Wall and an adult Kittiwake briefly on Heysham 2 outfall before flying out of the Bay.

Elsewhere


Male Snow Bunting still alongside the Ringstones to Petersbottom Lane section of the Bentham to Cross of Greet Road (SD6765). Thanks to Tony Moreton for this photo taken today at 11:30hrs.

Red-throat saved a dreary day

Showing the unobtrusive Czech ring on the adult NHW Med. Several schemes e.g. with Turnstone place the rings above the tarsus to avoid corrosion. This can make them less easy to see and it is worth carefully examining any Med Gulls.

Heysham Obs

North Harbour Wall

Purple Sandpiper - 2 on the rocks at the Near Naze, Med Gull - adult and 2nd winter, Red-throated Diver - single floated in then flew out of the Bay mid-morning (rather belated additional species for SD35Z and 36V. Knot - 3000 to 4000 on the heliport. Goldfinch - 1 on the Mound. Meadow Pipit - 3 on the Mound.

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Outfalls

Nothing worthy of mention.

Elsewhere

The Snow Bunting has been refound this last two days between Ringstones Lane and Petersbottom Road alongside the Bentham to Cross of Greet road. It was present at least this morning.

Snipe sensation for SD36V

Heysham Obs
north harbour wall/outer harbour 0945-1110 hrs
Twice round the NHW mound was going to be it until there was a short break in the weather which helped get things going a bit.
Wren 2 on mound + 1 near entrance to sand plant.
Robin 1 on mound + 1 by sand plant gate.
Meadow pipit 1 on mound
Pied wagtail 1 by sand plant entrance
Twite 6 over mound
Goldfinch 1 over
Starling c110 appeared to come in-off continuing south towards Obs.
Snipe 3 on inner harbour wall 36V - what a 'mega', John, completely unexpected
Shelduck 2 "out"
Magpie on wooden jetty (35Z)
Pink-footed goose 25 South
Eider 2 "in"
Med Gull adult over WJ
Knot 500 on Helipad but increasing as tide was coming in.
Gate "38": Robin & 4 Goldfinch

Elsewhere
Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone jetty.

RBMs drag the Light-bellied Brent into 36V!

Heysham Obs
North Harbour Wall 1320-1335hrs
A break from computer screens to do an intermediate tide count included a diversion to the NHW to recycle some mouldy bread in the direction of Med Gulls. Four sleeping "ducks" were offshore drifting out with the tide in dull light. One revealed itself as the Light-bellied Brent Goose [the Canadian-ringed juv usually to be found just to the north at Sunny Slopes] and so we waited for it to float into 36V. This it duly achieved [but see 'Elsewhere'], continuing the phenomenal run of scarce Lancs species in this tetrad since the Atlas commenced
Med Gull: the Czech-ringed adult and the usual 2nd W patrolling the north harbour wall
Purple Sandpiper: single bird along the seawall (46A section). Yesterday's information was incorrect. The location should have been the old lighthouse by the heliport = 46A, not 35Z.

Visible (or invisible) migration by the office 0930-1100ish
Skylark - 4 SE
Siskin 4 E
Starling N/NW 31,12,5,7,3,10,13 & 8. SW 46
Mistle Thrush 1 E
As we were leaving the office at 1720hrs, therefore 'well dark' at least one Redwing was heard flying over then appearing to fly in a circle (or more than one bird)

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Male Sparrowhawk and no small finches! 1st W Grey Plover close inshore

Elsewhere
Great White Egret still at Leighton Moss. Light-bellied Brent (see above) returned to the Sunny Slopes area as the tide uncovered the skeer at c1350hrs.