Saturday 14 March 2009

Big tide, fewer birds

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Eider - one male
Twite - 31 at 1315hrs: 7 unringed, 23 Heysham-ringed, one Askam-in-Furness (Duddon)-ringed [yellow over blue/white]

Wooden jetty
Purple Sandpiper - 3

Heliport
600 Knot in two flocks - none colour-ringed

Reduction in Black-headed Gulls noticeable with just 15 on Fisher's roof and 32 round the outfalls/Ocean Edge side

Middleton Insustrial Est
2 mute
14 coot
1 moorhen
4 little grebe
3 goldeneye
7 mallard
13 tufted
3 teal
Plus increased passerine activity
4 reed bunting
3 skylark
7 meadow pipit
2 bullfinch (probably pair seen intermittently over winter period)

Heysham Heah 7pm
Tawny owl (making all manner of strange noises - based round "Kivvick" call)

Elsewhere
Bean Goose, thought to be Taiga, by Aldcliffe Hall Lane alongside the 'cinder track' mid-afternoon (with PFG). Avocets increase by one yet again = now 8 at the EM Pool. Two Sand Martin Leighton Moss this morning