Wednesday 3 March 2010

'Early' morning low tide rewards

Notice and apology
Anyone recently using the contact e-address for Reuben Neville by shading and right-clicking on properties has not been receiving the correct address.  The correct address was showing on the blog, but a false address was showing on the properties.  This was obviously the reason why e.g. the Sandwich Bay group could not get through on e-mail the other day and we are really sorry about that.  The address showing under links IS correct and is also now the one on properties!

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Whooper Swan - 22 on the sandflats to the north 0925hrs
Dark-bellied Brent Goose - two, at least one of them adult, flew past the wooden jetty, along the channel and landed on Aldren's Hedge skeer off Sunny Slopes at 0905hrs
Red-throated Diver - one early on, then two later floating in
Eider - 105 visible at low tide
Red-breasted merganser - 10
Great-crested Grebe - 7
Wigeon - flock of 54 floated into the bay - not the Red Nab birds
Pink-footed Goose - 60 south 0850hrs
Purple Sandpiper - 2 on wooden jetty
Twite - c50 - 32 examined on the ground contained two unringed & the regular Askam bird.  Please view these birds ONLY from the road.  Thanks.
Grey Wagtail - one north - the first migrant this year
Med Gull - 2 adults

South side
Black-tailed Godwit - 2
Wigeon - 71
Med Gull - one adult Red Nab, then flew south

Elsewhere
Male Snow Bunting Teal Bay 0930ish but disappeared south.  An unringed Great White Egret is now back at Leighton; in front of Jackson hide during the day and roosting at 1728hrs in the evening (the ringed bird of last autumn/early winter is now near Cardiff).  A visit to Thrushgill plantation gave 35 minutes without seeing or hearing a bird - is this a record for daylight hours in this area in recent times?