Wednesday 4 May 2011

By no means running out of steam

Heysham Obs
...........unlike Heysham One Power Station during a big chunk of the early morning!!  Another good day today, but suffered numerically in comparison with yesterday, although the species range was pretty good!

Heysham north wall 0530-1030, then intermittent to midday +/- outfalls side
Little Gull - flock of 4 2CY flew in-off at c1050hrs, then fed on outfalls
Bonxie - one 'in' pre-0630
Arctic Skua - dm 'in' 0730, d(ish)m in 0757hrs
Arctic Tern - 466 'in'/NE with 156 still on the outfalls (1050hrs) & similar numbers mid-afternoon
Black Tern - just the one seen migrating, with a maximum of 11 still on the outfalls late morning, still 10 mid-afternoon
Common Tern - 3 on the outfalls and area late morning, 8 in afternoon
Little Tern - one 'in' very early on
Redpoll spp - 2 north
Swallow - 55 north
White Wagtail - 3 north (also 3 Pied of unknown status seen)
Blackbird - female seen gathering food alongside the mound
Common Sandpiper - 2
Wheatear - 1

Middleton NR
Marsh Harrier - probably a 2CY male flew high to the north on a line east of Middleton NR at about 0935hrs
Tree Pipit - one north
Shoveler - male flushed from the 'fence' pond - flew east
Reed Warbler - 2 singing
CES ringing revealed a few Willow Warbler moving through 0600ish as the nets were being set and a small influx of (still migrating) male Sedge Warblers (7 ringed), much to the annoyance of the established locals!

Moth
One, but a good one, by no means annual:  Male Muslin Moth

Mammal
Grey Seal inshore