Tuesday 22 April 2008

Shag, Shoveler & Arctic tern passage

Heysham Obs
Not without interest this morning but generally fewer birds than yesterday

North harbour wall sea/vis 0645-0930
Arctic Tern - 230 in, highest flock = 47
Sandwich Tern - c16 in or blogging
Shag - adult in the channel by the sandworks until about 0700hrs, then could not be found
Black Guillemot - appeared about 0715hrs then remained throughout but very mobile with many circling flights
Guillemot - 1st S on water
Shoveler - a pair in the harbour mouth c0800 - a completely unprecedented record. Disappeared whilst the camera was being sorted out.
Shelduck - flock of 5 high to the north
Whimbrel - just one flock of 3 north
Razorbill - flock of 5 floating in about 1030hrs
Purple Sandpiper - one beneath the wooden jetty with 191+ Turnstone = highest numbers of the year at present on spring passage
Kittiwake - 4+3+1 - a little unexpected in the conditions
Black-headed Gull - 75 in in three main groups

Swallow - 185NE
Meadow Pipit - 44NE
Linnet - 37NE
Sand Martin - 18NE
White Wagtail - 7NE
Goldfinch - 11NE

Grounded/ringing
Wheatear - not many with only 8 recorded along the coast
Willow Warbler - 17 ringed
Blackcap - 4 ringed
Lesser Whitethroat - one ringed
Goldcrest - one male ringed - late
Tree Pipit - one on non-op land

Elsewhere
Red Kite flew north over Nether Kellet at 0735hrs