Thursday, 12th May 2016

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.