Today was another good forecast for some more Arctic Terns moving and arriving at the point just after dawn the first bird seen was a
2CY Great Northern Diver circling over the sea, it then flew off high
east.
Arctic Terns started moving into the bay in small parties, then
another Diver was picked up flying high east along the shoreline which
turned out to be a full summer plumaged Black-throat! It gave fantastic
views as it flew by; see photo below. Also seen offshore this morning was a
male Scaup, 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Little terns, a single Black Tern and 618
Arctic Terns.
In the late afternoon IG nipped back to Rossall to check the waders and to see if any Arctic Terns were still moving. A few parties of
Terns were seen so it was a quick dash home for tea then back out for an
evening
seawatch; an old birding master used to say "time out equals birds
in"!
Arctic Terns were passing in small parties and then three superb Pom
Skuas came into the bay. After they passed IG was writing them into his
notebook and looked up to see a bird flying east along the shoreline; bins up,
F****** Hell a Caspian Tern! The bird then flew north-east low over the
sands towards Wyre Light before being lost. IG managed to fumble a few
record shots while trying to watch the bird! This is the second record
for the site after a bird flew past in July 2007.
Caspian Tern
Offshore
10 Shelducks east, 1 male Scaup east, 133 Common Scoters east, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers east, 4 Red-throated Divers east, 1 Black-throated Diver east, 1 Great Northern Diver east, 6 Manx Shearwaters east, 40 Gannets east, 3 Arctic Skuas east, 22
Kittiwakes east, 1 Little Gull east, 2 Little Terns east, 1 Black Tern east, 9
Sandwich Terns east, 1 Common Tern east, 618 Arctic Terns east, 3
Guillemots east and 11 Auk sp. east.
Black-throated Diver
Kittiwakes
Further observation during the evening produced 6 Common Scoters east, 3 Red-breasted
Mergansers east, 2 Gannets west, 3 LM Pomarine Skuas east, 1 Arctic Skua
east, 2 Little Gulls east, 1 Black Tern east, 4 Sandwich Terns east, 187
Arctic Terns east and 1 Caspian Tern east.
Arctic Terns
Visible Migration
24 Whimbrels east, 5 Swifts, 3 Sand Martins
north-east, 207 Swallows north-east, 11 House Martins north-east, 5 Tree Pipits
north-east, 11 Goldfinch east, 7 Linnets east and 5 Redpolls east.
Grounded Migrants
1 Whinchat and 2 Wheatears.
Others
180 Ringed Plovers, 5,000 Knots on Kings Scar Island, 170 Sanderlings, 800 Dunlins, 33 Whimbrels, 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4
Black-tailed Godwits and 35 Turnstones.
