Sunday 26 May 2013

Breeding bird pluses and minuses and gull census

Heysham Obs
A Lesser Redpoll over and some early morning Kittiwake flocks indicated that it is not by all means over for this spring, although it will probably have to involve decent easterlies or a howling south-easterly to produce any more notable goods i.e. the routine migration is probably just about over

Early morning seawatching (thanks Mark)
Kittiwake - flocks of 25, 30, 40 in, 12 out
Nothing else of note other than one of the two Meds below on Heysham 1 outfall

Red Nab high tide
Gull flock on the sea comprised
Black-headed Gull - 21
Common Gull - 22
Med Gull - 2 2CY - one of which was apparently ringed (thanks to the birder for info) with 3 characters (and head plumage) corresponding with the recent bird at Leighton Moss (and previously here, but legs not seen then) - this is a Dutch-ringed bird

Breeding bird census work
Lesser Redpoll - one north the only sign of migration - no Wheatear left
Ringed Plover - definitely two territories on the non-op land, the 'new' pair almost certainly having young but the original pair may have failed
Oystercatcher - breeding failure but the birds still hanging around
Great Black-backed Gull - pair nesting on the 'grey store' - the first breeding record for SD45E and the Power Station properties (another biodiversity notch!)

Gull census
Power Station non-operational land
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 13 nests
Great Black-backed Gull  - 1 nest
No definite evidence of nesting Herring Gull

Harbour area (one more roof to check)
Fisher's roof (harbour building - the one further back has not been checked yet)
Less than usual due to the hordes of roosting 2CY Herring Gulls, with most nests away from this at the east end
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 27 nests
Herring Gull - 10 nests

Centrica area
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 26 nests
Herring Gull - 6 nests
Great Black-backed Gull - 1 nest

Flat roof by rail terminal
Herring Gull - 13 nests (hard to see, possibly a few more - definitely the HG headquarters)

Roofs to the north of the freight access road
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 nests

Ocean Edge caravan site reception
Herring Gull - one nest
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 9 nests
Great Black-backed Gull - singleton hanging about but no evidence of nesting

Memo: Still to do:
Middleton IE
Back roofs at Fishers from Gate 38 area

Moths
Least Black Arches and Flame Shoulder