Thursday 11 January 2007

Routine winter seawatching in a westerly gale

HEYSHAM OBS
The afternoon tide produced the goods in the gale-force westerlies, especially displaced Little Gulls

North harbour wall
Morning seawatch 0950-1020
Kittiwake 35 out (including flock of 27)
Little Gull 3 ads out

Afternoon seawatch 1350-1500hrs
SIXTY ONE Little Gull (just 4 x 1st W) either out or milling around in Half Moon Bay
65-70 Kittiwake
1 Fulmar
2 1st W Razorbill on sea just off wall
Ad & 1st W Med Gulls patrolling the seawall

A check just before dusk produced another Razorbill off the NH wall

Harbour area
c25 Kittiwake behind a freight ferry
18+ Shag in the PS intake area of the harbour
7 Kittiwake in the PS intake area of the harbour with the Shag
3 Twite on the mound feeding site

Outfalls
Checked morning only and the 'usual' Ad & 1st W Little Gulls plus c8 Kittiwake were present

Penrod Way (road between Heysham Head and Harbour)
3 Linnet

ELSEWHERE
Stone Jetty
5 adult Little Gull during a brief visit at lunchtime

Leighton Moss
The mystery deepens over the drake Ferruginous Duck where the lime-green-ringed male has been replaced by a yellow-ringed male (after a gap of 3 weeks); both were on the right leg. It would be useful to know whether this is a 'watery' yellow which could indicate the green having faded or an obviously different colour.