Highlighted by 1st W Med Gull

One of five Little Gulls on Stage 2 outfall today. Thanks very much Mark. Further image of adult on the LDBWS site

Heysham Obs
Coverage gratefully received Wednesday & Thursday this week as the two of us are working away from the office. Please send e-mailed sightings to johnc_wood@hotmail.com NOT Pete Marsh or Jean Roberts. The other alternatives are to text Pete Marsh or put sightings on LDBWS site. Thanks very much.

Stage 2 outfall
5 x Little Gull (2 1st W - the age which normally lingers, 2 x 2nd W, 2 x Ad - most of which usually clear off fairly quickly once the wind has dropped)
1st W Med Gull late afternoon on the tideline [Lune bird from the other day??]

Ad Med Gull at lunchtime, presumably the usual unringed south of the harbour bird

Red Nab
71 Wigeon and a packet of peat compost but no sign of the more politically correct crisps or McVities biscuits adorning Blackpool beach [Riverdance cargo escaping]

North harbour wall
Czech-ringed Ad Med Gull (first sighting for a bit) and 2nd W Med at lunchtime

Mound area
7 Linnet and c18 Twite (possibly including some more Linnet)

Elsewhere
Pale-bellied Brent Goose and unringed Ad Med Gull Sunny Slopes area. Purple Sandpiper Stone Jetty. Ad Med Gull Regent Road groyne = 36W after its trip to Lancaster City football ground! 4 Bewicks Swan and Barnacle Goose of unknown origin Aldcliffe [& unread neck-collared Pink Footed Goose/191 birds]

Little Gulls remain & returning Lesser Black-backed Gulls join the small winter population

A poor picture of a distant adult Common Gull off Red Nab with mantle/upperwing coverts approaching an average graellsii Lesser BB in tone. Unfortunately could not persuade it to sit next to a significant number of adult Common Gulls for comparison. The light was completely 'flat' and gull-tone friendly.

Heysham Obs
Half-moon Bay foreshore
The adult Yellow-legged Gull was present briefly early morning and again mid-morning

Stage 2 outfall
6 adult and one 2nd W + 2 1st W Little Gull & at least 2 further adults offshore feeding with other gulls

Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
1000hrs: Quite a lot of gulls including what was presumably the usual regular large adult Med Gull and a noticeably dark-mantled Common Gull. Lunchtime visit produced even more gulls with 2 adult Meds, probably including the morning bird, 350 Black-headed Gull, 45 Common Gull, 35 Lesser Black-backed Gull (many in pristine summer plumage), 15 Great Black-backed Gull (mostly juveniles) and 45 Herring Gull.

Ferry followers
Three Kittiwake (2 1st W) behind a morning freight ferry

Mound area
17 Twite & 6 Linnet north harbour wall by sand entrance the maximum count of small finches today (some of presumably the same birds also seen south harbour wall)

Vis Mig from the north harbour wall
Pintail 4 'out'
Golden Plover 14 'out' - this is a quite exceptional record for here!

Elsewhere
'Obvious' Nordic Jackdaw in a field near Wray (perhaps the Farleton bird?). 2 Red Kite reported Abbeystead yesterday. Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes Groyne. Single Purple Sandpiper Stone Jetty/Wooden Slipway. Belgian ringed Med Gull 36W on Lancaster City football ground whilst the usual incumbent P96 was on Lancaster cricket pitch. This is the first known occasion 36W has been seen during the winter months away from Morecambe seafront. To add to the odd situation, an adult Med Gull was also present in the Broadway area of Morecambe at the same time (36W's usual haunts)! Another unringed adult Med Gull between Carlisle railway bridge and the Millenium footbridge. Ross's Goose not seen in the LDBWS recording area today but still present as per yesterday. Brambling in a flock of Chaffinch near Star Bank (SD55).

Yellow-legged Gull surprise and more Little Gulls

This Little Gull was ringed and successfully released this morning


Rubbish digijam of the somewhat mobile Yellow-legged Gull

Heysham Obs
An adult Yellow-legged Gull was briefly at rest on Half Moon Bay before flying along the north harbour wall and over the wooden jetty. The adult Little Gull was ringed and successfully released this morning off the end of the north wall (see yesterdays posting).

Heysham 2 outfall
Little Gull 8 adult + 1 2nd winter, just 2 left late pm

Harbour entrance
Little Gull 1 adult morning

NHW/Near Naze
Yellow-legged Gull adult at c1200hrs - on the beach then flew south along the seawall
Little Gull 2 2nd + 1 1st winter - 'treading water'; just one 2nd winter left at lunchtime, none late afternoon.
Mediterranean Gull 2nd winter

Twite 15-16 at Sand Plant Gate
Linnet 2-3 at above location

Middleton IE
Male and female Pochard, 1 Little Grebe, 28 Teal, 12 Coot, 8 Mallard, 3 Moorhen, 4 Tufted Duck, 4 Goldeneye

Elsewhere
4 Bewick's Swan Aldcliffe Marsh 'flood'. No evidence of any cold weather movement past High Tatham. Ross's Goose just outside the area in north Fylde with Pinkfeet (roosting within off Lane Ends??). Purple Sandpiper off the Stone jetty at Morecambe. Pale-bellied Brent Goose off Sunny Slopes

More Little Gulls & one sent to 'rehab'

Rough Sea & Herring Gull & either Little Gulls or Little Gulls & Kittiwake over the water (or perhaps nothing at all) :

Answer: one Kittiwake and one Little Gull

Heysham Obs
Fortunately all the people on the Riverdance were successfully rescued. This is the trouble with polar-air gales, as opposed to warm-sector south-westerlies; very nasty squalls can locally alter the sea conditions for the worse.

A Little Gull became trapped in the strong winds between the perimeter fence and the steep slope along the seaward side of the mound. Fortunately managed to retrieve it and discovered how good plastic A4 wallets were for settling down Little Gulls, allowing you to drive legally. It should be ok to release tomorrow.

North harbour wall 1130-1600hrs
Some excellent views of Little Gulls with up to 8 below the seawall in the surf and a further c17 further out/sat on the sea during late morning. One was actually in the harbour. All Ads except for one 2nd and one 1st W. In the afternoon, there were at least 12 Little Gulls and 9 Kittiwakes inshore along the base of the north harbour wall
Med Gull - the usual 2nd W patrolling

Stage 2 outfall
8-9 adult Little Gull at 1225hrs, similarly 1430hrs

Elsewhere
4 adult Little Gulls in fields near Jeremy Lane along with large numbers of other gull species early afternoon. Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone Jetty. 13 Whooper Swans visible from the A683 between Hornby and Melling. Nothing on Pine Lake. Nordic Jackdaws at Farleton (nr Claughton) & between Scarthwaite and the M6 along A683 - the forner particularly 'obvious'.

Plenty of Little Gulls but delayed ferries

Heysham Obs
A not unusual combination once or twice a winter during gale or near-gale force onshore winds. The Ben My Chree struggled in just in time to avoid a 'white-out' & extra-strong gusts at c1415hrs

IOM ferry followers
Difficult to watch to put it mildly
Fulmar - 1
Kittiwake - c35 with at least 10 1st W
Little Gull - one adult

North harbour wall
Little Gull - 23 out 1150-1220, 22 of these a long straggling "flock" covering c1/2 mile of sea, followed by a single right along the seawall. All Ad or 2nd W. At least another 9 out 1400-1600hrs
Kittiwake - 2 out plus an adult patrolling the wall with the 2nd W Med. At least 18 out 1400-1600hrs
Med Gull - 2nd W patrolling the north wall
Pink-footed Goose - 1 'out'

Stage 2 outfall
2 adult Little Gull and an adult Kittiwake at 1225hrs. At 1430hrs, just after a major squall, there were 8 adult Little Gull and 2 Kittiwake

Elsewhere
Not much 'posted' evidence of any punters on the prowl today! Ad Spotted Redshank with Redshank amongst the boats just south of the Strathmore Hotel at 1125hrs. Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone jetty.

Treecreeper seen again

The usual 2nd W Med Gull is now showing a more adult base colouration on the bill. It was quite 'washed out orange' as recently as mid-December. Thanks Mark.

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
2nd W Med Gull along wall

15 Twite - mound
3 Linnet - mound
Mistle Thrush - mound

Red nab area

Long-tailed Tit flock accompanied by Treecreeper

c150 Pink-footed Geese NNW 1005ish

Elsewhere

The only new sighting was a 1st W Med Gull on Glasson basin.

Routine Fare

Heysham Obs
North wall/harbour/incoming ferry 1145-1220
Med Gull - Ad behind ferry, 2nd W 'all over the place'!
Twite - 16 on the mound/sandworks area
Kittiwake - 8 adult behind the IOM ferry

Vis mig
c225 Pink-footed Geese NNW at 0900hrs

South of the harbour
Just a Pink-footed Goose grazing on OE saltmarsh of note

No recent definite sightings of the Czech-ringed adult Med Gull

Elsewhere
Two Purple Sandpiper Morecambe Stone Jetty this afternoon by the wooden slipway

VERY brief visit - PF Goose passage missed

.........any records of goose flocks flying over today very welcome, please. JC at the Stone Jetty just after midday had 'a lot' crossing the Bay at extreme range for his location, but just to the south of Heysham. c5044 flew west over East Lancashire during the day and at least one c150 flock passed over south Lancaster/Torrisholme

North harbour wall 1145-1200hrs
Twite - 15 by sandworks entrance plus 2 Linnet
Med. Gull - 2nd W patrolling, ad behind IOM passenger ferry but returned out of the Bay before reaching the wooden jetty
Kittiwake - c28 behind the IOM ferry but all had returned out of the Bay well before red no 8 buoy!
Meadow Pipit - one by the sandworks entrance

Elsewhere
Yet another Black Redstart - the third this year & hopefully more obliging than the other two have been so far. Stock Car track at Warton where there was one two years ago. Purple Sandpiper Stone jetty by wooden jetty lunchtime. Juv Glaucous Gull "visible from LDBWS area" e.g. the Fluke Hall 'ramp' just east of Cocker's Dyke between Fluke Hall and Knott End

1st W Little Gull new in

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Kittiwake - Ad & 1st W behind Moondance freight ferry
Med Gull - 2nd W patrolling

Outfalls area
Pink-footed Goose - c225 N over the Bay 1207hrs
Little Gull - 1st W Heysham 2 outfall 1230-1245ish only
Raven - two on the Power Station perimeter fence

Elsewhere
Two Ad Med Gulls Golden Ball area of Lune - one of which was different from one of the two along the nearby A683 Heysham bypass yesterday. Polish-ringed Ad Med Gull P96 back on Lancaster City football ground. No sign of any corvids along Mewith Lane in New House Farm area late morning - big cycling event! Ad Med Lune Estuary along with 1st W Little Gull off Cockersands. Barnacle Goose on Aldcliffe Marsh with Canada Geese

A few bits and bobs but no proper seabird movement

Heysham Obs
The north harbour wall has been expensive recently - a double puncture the other week was followed by running over Mark P's carbon fibre tripod leg today. Fortunately you CAN buy the individual sections. Single Raven over south end of PS non-operational land - first reported sighting this year (but see tomorrow)

North harbour wall
Swan spp - one out
Wigeon - flock of 5 out (rare on seawatches)
Pink-footed Goose - one sat on the sea by the wooden jetty
Med. Gull - 2nd winter patrolling & Ad very briefly behind a freight ferry
Kittiwake - 1-2 ads behind freight ferry

Outfalls
Little Gull - Two adult on Heysham 2 and another adult following a ferry in
Kittiwake - one following a(nother) ferry in
Ringed Plover - 27 on shore by Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Middleton IE
12 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, 4 Goldeneye, 4 Mallard, 2 Pochard, 6 Coot, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Snipe, 4 Bullfinch, 2 Mute Swan

Elsewhere
'Good' Nordic Jackdaw by New House Farm in SD66Z on the Tatham to Keasden road plus another 'showing faint characters' [c60 Jackdaw]SD68935 67825. This one is therefore in the LDBWS recording area but Mike Watson saw 5 to the east of here outside the LDBWS area heading towards Austwick. See Links. Pale-bellied Brent Goose Sunny Slopes groyne area. Ad Med & Spotted Redshank Morecambe Stone Jetty. Ad Med Skerton Weir. 2 Ad Med along the A683 between the Overton roundabout and Heysham.