Friday 1 February 2008

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'.