Better than expected

North Harbour Wall
5 Arctic Skuas (2 pale phase, 3 dark phase), 95 Arctic Terns, 9 Sandwich Terns, 1 Red-throated Diver, 9 Gannets, 1st summer Mediterranean Gull.

Wooden Jetty
Black Guillemot still living at The Hole, 3rd Post West of no. 9 Numbered Strut, Old Wooden Jetty, Heysham. If out, look on The Water, Just Below the Wooden Jetty, Heysham, Lancs.

Elsewhere
Leighton Moss: Osprey, 2 Spoonbills, Little Ringed Plover, and the mega - Egyptian Goose.

Unexpected RTD heading inland?

Heysham Obs
A look at the sea from 0730 to 0815, mainly from Ocean Edge foreshore produced quite a bit of variety

Manx Shearwater - 2 across the mouth of the bay
Kittiwake - 4 in (1 1st S)
Arctic Tern - 4 in and 2 blogging around outfalls
Common Tern - one around outfalls
Sandwich Tern - 19 around outfalls/fishing offshore - including the non-breeding plumaged bird
Red-throated Diver - one heading straight for me from the mouth of the bay climbed up & circled before heading high inland overhead/over Ocean Edge. It may, of course, have subsequently returned to the inner Bay but it certainly seemed to be intent on heading north-east. I've never seen this before at Heysham, although it has been observed (exclusively breeding plumaged birds?) at JBP.
Swallow - 17 NE
Purple Sandpiper - one with 48 Turnstone on wooden jetty - getting late for this species in this area.
Black Guillemot - seen briefly by the wooden jetty

In contrast to yesterday (& a much calmer sea to record them), NO auk species offshore but observations were at a lower stage of the tide.

Elsewhere
Hoopoe reportedly near Lower Hide, Leighton 0825 but nothing doing since - no idea whether observer familiar with brief rear views of Jay or indeed whether the sighting was 'brief'. 3 Spoonbill EM area. The main news today within the "local birding area" is the sad death of the Ross's Gull at Lytham - a bird which retrospectively hung on and on because something was clearly wrong - some of the photos seemed to indicate a bird with low fat and muscle.

Surprisingly good seawatch

Heysham Obs
North-east winds can sometimes produce the goods on spring seawatches and this morning suggested an earlier start should have been made!

North harbour wall 0815-0900
Auk spp - 27 in
Razorbill - 4 in
Guillemot - 2 in
Arctic tern - flock of 19 in
Red-throated Diver - flock of 6 1st summer in
Black-headed Gull - flock of 18 1st summer in
Black Guillemot - harbour entrance

Didnt have time to check wooden jetty properly but Turnstone seemed much reduced (c15?)

Ocean Edge foreshore
Sandwich Tern - 13 Red Nab (including ringed bird & one in non-breeding plumage), 2 feeding offshore
Curlew - 8 Red Nab
Oystercatcher - 550 Red Nab

Insects
8 4-spotted Chaser Middleton IE in quick check - spread throughout

Elsewhere
Drake Garganey EM Pool but not late afternoon? TWO Wood Sandpiper during the afternoon on EM Pool. The rear end of two white birds flew high to the north over Heysham head as I was at the Moneyclose Lane traffic lights at 1205ish. No time to use optics before they disappeared, so I'm not claiming them as the two Spoonbill which arrived at Leighton Moss ten minutes later (they could have been white Mallard etc etc!). At least one of these remained on the EM Pool/flood until at least 1800hrs. On the same sort of theme, but so far without a 'happy ending', a 'possible Black Kite' was claimed by an 80mph motorway driver near Carnforth. Osprey at Leighton from lunchtime and two seen together at 1600, one of which departed towards Haweswater. Two Yellow Wagtail (pair?) near the YOI at east Lancaster.

14th May rubbish!

Heysham Obs
A few bits and bobs from minimal coverage:

Sandwich tern - 2 off north wall
Arctic Tern - 2 seaward end H2 outfall
Black Guillemot - harbour entrance
Whimbrel - one OE foreshore
Reed Warbler - one in NR reedbed

Elsewhere
Osprey Leighton Moss until midday. Red Kite Brennand valley. Short-eared Owl Whitray Fell.

Rubbish for mid-May, although Purple Sandpiper still hanging in

Heysham Obs
This morning's fare was pretty rock bottom as regards migrants for mid-May. Did discover, by trying all sorts of scope angles to find something mentionable, that on a clear day you would be able to see anything large & obvious off Pilling Lane Ends/Fluke Hall - should have tried for the 'wee wire hopper. as a 'seen-from' earlier this spring [Ross's Goose]! White-throated Sparrow mentioned on Radio Lancs this evening, but the anchorman may have given the impression its still here - no it isnt unless its is really skulking. Unfortunately no chance in the interview to mention this website for further info/pictures.

North harbour/Ocean Edge foreshore 0740-0840
Swallow - 6NE
Whimbrel - 4 on the shore off OE
Black Guillemot harbour entrance
Purple Sandpiper roosting on wooden jetty (& 55 Turnstone)
Black-headed Gull - 16 1st S north
Sandwich Tern - one far offshore
Arctic Tern - as yesterday, one 'in'

Negatives: no terns on outfalls, just TWO Common Gull seen, no distant windfarmish range seabirds during regular checks along the horizon

Elsewhere
Osprey at Leighton Moss lower hide from lunchtime & Wood Warbler Winder Wood south, Roeburndale.

Birdless outfalls

Heysham Obs
Everything seems to have deserted the outfalls on the evidence of a very brief visit on the albeit less-favourable dropping tide

North wall for 10 minutes circa 0950-1000
Arctic Tern - single 'in' was the sum total of sea passage
Sandwich Tern - 2 blogging
Purple Sandpiper - summer plumaged bird as per recent pic still below the NHW
Black Guillemot - still present
Swallow - 2 NE

Outfalls
Zero

PS non-operational land
A huge male Wheatear

Elsewhere
The most intriguing report was of a radio transmitter on a female Marsh Harrier. Origin? That sets the theme for today: a Red Kite, almost certainly with wing tags, was phoned in to me as it flew SE over Leck JUST AFTER we had also seen a wing-tagged and radio-transmitting Red Kite near Slaggyford just west of Alston en route to work! The singing male Wood Warbler can still be heard if you listen carefully from the region of the top gate on the 5-gate road. It is in the extreme southerly section of Winder Wood over the river. Loads more Lapwing chicks in Roeburn/Hindburn catchments this year with a proliferation of stewardship schemes [34 ringed so far compared to about 4 last year!]

Bits and bobs

Heysham Obs
Very poor visibility this morning and a birdrace team achieved the nigh impossible and dipped out on Arctic and Common Tern this morning.
Nevertheless, Black Guillemot, Sandwich Tern and Purple Sandpiper were available

Heysham north wall early-mid am
Purple Sandpiper
Black Guillemot
14 Common Scoter in transit
14 or so Sandwich Tern blogging
NO Arctic or Common Tern!
The original 1st W-type Med Gull (not yesterdays 'fly-through')

Outfalls etc pm
Arctic tern 6 on end of Stage 2
Turnstone min. 100 Wooden Jetty
Peregrine over Power Station

Elsewhere
Cuckoo Upper Hindburndale. Crossbill heard distantly Thrushgill plantation [Bonapartes Gull still Stocks Res]. Yesterday, single Fieldfare near Botton head Farm and Hobby flew due north high over Lowgill as viewed from Botton Head road at c1730hrs (definitely not the local Merlin!). No sign Temminck's Stint. Ad & 3+ juv Long-eared Owl Leck Fell - latter 'squeaky gating' near dusk

Reed Warbler new in

Purple Sandpiper along the north wall today. Thanks Gavin. After going into print saying the 'wintering population has long gone', two birds wintered in 2007/8 with a third on at least one occasion. The problem is what to say about the recent sightings as previous years have shown that passage birds accompany the Turnstone. Possibly the above is the continuously present wintering bird and a return to two individuals for a short time during the spring passage indicates at least one passage bird. Most views have been distant under/on the wooden jetty, so not able to use subtle plumage differences, bill length etc.

Heysham Obs
A fairly low key morning, as the easterly element in the wind was lost, which included a CBC type survey of the British Energy land. This included two singing male Garden Warbler which do not usually breed here and may just be passing through and a singing Reed Warbler which will probably stay.

North harbour wall/outfalls
Poor visibility and a dropping tide are not a good combination, therefore the single Arctic Skua was a bit of a bonus!

Arctic Skua - dm in at 0955hrs
Arctic Tern - just 45 on outfalls, 19 'in' 1500-1600.
Sandwich Tern - max of 21 blogging
Med Gull - new 1st summer 'in'
Kittiwake - 2 1st summer - possibly following ferry
Black Guillemot around
Purple Sandpiper - one below north harbour wall

No Black Terns amongst reduced numbers of Arctic Tern.
Common Tern - one outfalls, later a high count (for here) of 12
"Trickle" of Swallows - no more than 10 per hour!

Middleton IE
Two Grasshopper Warbler

Moths
Puss Moth and Red Sword Grass were unusual records for here as the late spring moths emerged en masse last night. Light Emerald, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (4), V Pug and Bright-line Brown Eye were also recorded

Elsewhere

1st S BONAPARTES GULL just outside the LDBWS area at Stock's Reservoir this evening. Temminck's Stint causing problems at the EM Pools late afternoon where the hide juxtoposition in relation to the sun & height c/f heathaze is probably why this species is so scarce thereon.
Little Gull 1st S on Pine Lake but Black Terns seem to have all gone. Osprey Hornby Wood on Wenning. One Black Tern still left on EM Pool. Spoonbill still present Leighton area

Useless frontal edge in the morning, better later.....

Heysham Obs

A quietish day so we'll make up for this by another sparrow pic from Emma taken during the processing:

........It didnt 'drop' anything first thing!

North Harbour Wall

Black Tern - two lingering Heysham outfalls morning at least

Arctic Tern - some early morning movement with 106 'in', otherwise up to 50 on the outfalls

Whimbrel 7 in,

Greylag 4 in

Common Scoter 10 in

Swallow - just 73 in 3 hours & no other passerines/hirundines/swift on the move during the early morning.

Common Tern - at least three blogging

Sandwich Tern - at least 18 blogging

The high tide period

There was no known seawatching over the high tide but JBP was manned during this period:

Arctic Skua - 2 dark morph overland via Jack Scout late afternoon

Otherwise just 50 or so Arctic Tern, 5 Black Tern and a single Kittiwake

of note.

Other inshore/off-passage

Black Guillemot - usual routine, perhaps spending slightly more time than expected off the nhw, as opposed to in the harbour mouth

Purple Sandpiper - single with c130 Turnstone on the wooden jetty

3 Bar-tailed Godwit

3 Knot

Common Sandpiper

Middleton IE

Female Whinchat

Elsewhere

Black Kite - one of unknown origin seen at 0900 and 1015 in the Quernmore valley/Littledale area, presumably the bird over Lancaster late evening of 7th

Wood Warbler - singing male audible this evening, over the other side of the river on the dangerously steep slopes of Winder Wood south, from the Haylot gate at the start of the 5-gate road, upper Roeburndale

Black Tern - maxima at various sites: Heysham (2), Pine Lake (4), JBP (5), Leighton Moss (10) [Pine Lake and 4/5 JBP birds probably the same].

Curlew Sandpiper - one with RP & Dunlin, Halforth, upper Kent.

Short-eared Owl - one Jubilee Tower early afternoon

Cuckoo - Heard/seen at: Jubilee Tower, upper Tarnbrook (there since Monday), Birkbank, upper Roeburndale. Obviously a belated arrival

Spoonbill - still EM Pool

Reasonably good seawatching & Heysham One outfall producing the goods at last!

Heysham Obs
Five observers covered the north harbour wall seabirds 0715-1230hrs and were rewarded with (or missed!) some reasonable fare:

North harbour wall/outfalls observations 0715-1230 (Dan Haywood, someone who should have been at work, Pete Marsh (who also should have been at work), Brendan & Paula Smith)
Avocet - flock of 6 into the Bay - the third ever record & the third this spring!
Pomarine Skua - full-tailed ad light morph in at 1010ish - a bit distant, flying low into the bay
Arctic Skua - single dark and darkish morphs in 0735 & 0743
Marsh Harrier - one across the mouth of the bay heading for the north Fylde at c1135
Arctic Tern - not easy to document. c470 birds involved, mainly after the tide started to come in and invariably after gathering on the outfalls. Many of these headed straight up into the air and either NE over the harbour or high into the Bay. 91 of the total were birds remaining on the outfalls on the incoming tide when the observations ceased. c90 still on the outfalls (same birds??) at 1600hrs, then 50 headed off high into the sky NE (which suggests that they were not the same throughout)
Black Tern - at one stage there were two on Heysham 2 outfall but hard to see through the remnants of the wooden jetty. The accompanying Arctic Terns went off high into the sky and were presumed to have taken the Blacks with them. However, a single Black Tern appeared with more Arctics & remained until observations ceased. Probably 3 birds. One still on the outfalls at 1600hrs and two others flying SE past Red Nab
Common Tern - up to 4 blogging
Sandwich Tern - impossible - somewhere between 35 and 50 birds during the morning
Whimbrel - 5 in
Swallow - 506 in 0715-1130 - probably double this as birds sneaked behind observers! Still moving at about 4/minute late afternoon
Swift - 16 in
House Martin - 19 in
Sand Martin - 1 in
Tree Pipit - one NE
Lesser Redpoll - just 2 NE
Jackdaw - 2 in-off, then NE as yesterday (some moving at Walney this month as well)
Linnet - 2 NE
Meadow Pipit - 2 very late birds NE
Black-headed Gull - notable passage with 100+ flying in and 35 still on outfalls at 1200
Mute Swan - flock of 4 in-off from Walney direction and a flock of 7 across from Ulverston direction - most unusual!
Knot - flock of 40 out

Inshore/off passage (see above for tern species)
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2 - scarce here
Common Sandpiper - 2
Turnstone - 166 (no Purple Sands noted)
Black Guillemot
Guillemot - 2 floating in quite close (1st summers)
Common Gull - 287

Insects from north harbour wall
Large White - 13 in-off/NE
Small White - 6 in-off/NE
unspec white spp 22 in-off/NE
[no Red Admiral or other butterflies seen]

Elsewhere
Ad male Red-footed Falcon 'in-off' at JB Point - seen by two experienced observers. Just outside LDBWS area: 5 Dotterel on Little Ingleborough. Black Kite over Lancaster YESTERDAY evening.