Tuesday 5 May 2015

Hirundines get going but terns still stutter

Heysham Obs
Easterly then SE plus rain to begin with - switch to SW near gale midday, then clearing up - stuff probably missed pre-0725.  Offshore visibility poor early morning with 'Gannet range' not discernable

Sea 0725-0900 then short spells at lunchtime as wind went SW plus Ocean Edge check
Swallow - 283 NE (220 of these 0730-0800)
House Martin - 1 NE
Sand Martin - 5 NE
Swift - 1 NE (IOY)
Arctic Tern - 30+2+5 NE
Sandwich Tern - 10
Whimbrel - 1
Wheatear - 4 north wall, 14 Ocean Edge
White Wagtail - 3 Ocean Edge (with c8 Pied of unknown status)
Meadow Pipit - 2 very late migrants NE
Kittiwake - 10 on sea
Med Gull - same 2CY outfalls
Common Gull - 182 outfalls
Black-headed Gull - much reduced - 28 outfalls
Knot - c1750 flew south along the tideline towards the Lune Estuary at 0919hrs as seen from OE
Dunlin - c250 out
Eider - c120 on sea
Bar-tailed Godwit - 10 in

one probable dark morph arctic skua in but unfortunately optics steamed up!
Turnstone not counted today