Saturday 17 July 2010

Three Manx, three Meds and a probable juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Heysham Obs
Early morning coverage in grottier weather than forecast saw three Manx Shearwaters flying out during a short period of offshore clarity and an adult Med Gull next to Heysham 2 outfall.  No sign of any terns, but a poor stage of the tide for the outfalls

Afternoon coverage (& Tom Walkington)
Med Gull - 2 adults & presumably the same 2CY although the legs were not seen for rings
Arctic Tern - 3 adults Heysham 2 outfall
Common Tern - one adult off north harbour wall

Last minute check of the outfalls area near high tide
This produced a 1CY large gull which flew in off the sea, then circled around Heysham outfalls, but unfortunately did not land on the remains of Red Nab, but headed north over the wooden jetty.  It looked a very good candidate for juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, quite a pale-headed individual but the level of individual feather detail required was not possible

Moths
More than expected, but no great surprises with the best (for this site) being Plain Golden Y, Latticed Heath, Dingy Shears and Southern Wainscot and a local speciality, Straw Underwing, reaching double-figures

Cetacean
Dead Harbour Porpoise photographed at Half-moon Bay