June 2006

Friday 30th:

Two Greenshank in the estuary were the first of autumn, other waders present included five Grey Plover, three Knot and a two Whimbrel. Elsewhere an Arctic Skua was still offshore with 90+ Sandwich and a Common Tern.

Thursday 29th:

An Arctic Skua was offshore with  167 Black-headed Gull, 100+ Kittiwake, 30 Sandwich Tern, seven Common Scoter and three Common Tern. On the beach the three Ringed Plover chicks remain safe from marauding Carrion Crow, other waders included five Dunlin, two Grey Plover and two Knot with 90 Curlew, three Redshank, one Grey Heron, a Little Egret and the family party of Canada Geese on the Railway Saltmarsh. Three Egyptian Geese northeast over the Dune Ridge were a surprise and perhaps the Axe birds on a second visit.  Elsewhere at least seven Reed Warbler, three Blackcap and a Reed Bunting were in Greenland Lake and a Sparrowhawk flew east. A reported Redstart is the earliest ever autumn sighting and the first June record for the reserve.
 

Wednesday 28th:

Offshore eight Manx Shearwater flew south and there were 80 Sandwich, 10 Common and two Roseate Tern.

Tuesday 27th:

Feeding conditions were good offshore with terns especially more numerous today, 93 Sandwich, 22 Common and two Roseate Tern were present with four Arctic Skua harassing them. Also offshore two adult Mediterranean Gull, 100+ Kittiwake, 80+ Gannet, 19 Eider and seven Common Scoter with four Manx Shearwater and 1two auk sp heading east. In the estuary eight Grey Plover, six Dunlin and a Knot were on Warren Point, 150 Curlew were on the Railway Saltmarsh with the family party of 10 Canada Geese, eight Mute Swan, a Whimbrel and a Grey Heron. Elsewhere the highlight was three Ringed Plover chicks on the beach with two Reed Bunting in Greenland Lake and 11+ Whitethroat on site.

Monday 26th:

Three Arctic Skua, one 1 pale and two dark phase, were offshore along with 12 Sandwich, nine Common and a Roseate Tern. Also offshore 18 Eider and 18 Common Scoter.

Sunday 25th:

In front of the hide there were 60 Sandwich and four Common Tern, a first year Mediterranean Gull, three Dunlin, three Sanderling and six Grey Plover, along with the first juvenile Black-headed Gull autumn. Offshore there were small numbers of Gannet, a Razorbill and the Black-throated Diver was reported again.

Saturday 24th:

A Coal Tit around the Entrance Bushes was the highlight on a quiet day, only the second record for the year. Elsewhere there were just three Sandwich Tern and six Gannet offshore, two adult Mediterranean Gull and two Dunlin in the estuary with a Sparrowhawk carrying food over the car park the only other sighting of note.

Friday 23rd:

Offshore three Roseate Tern were present along with 14 Common Tern, 44 Manx Shearwater, a distant Storm Petrel, a pale phase Arctic Skua, five Razorbill, three Great-crested Grebe and a Guillemot. In the estuary there were 117 Black-headed Gull on Bull Hill, 25 Curlew and eight Mute Swan in Shutterton Creek. Elsewhere 20 House Martin, 14 Swallow and 10 Swift were in the First Pond area, an adult Mediterranean Gull flew west over Greenland Lake and a Rook flew northeast.

Thursday 22nd:

No news was received for today.

Wednesday 21st:

The first summer Black-throated Diver was still off Langstone Rock with 19 Eider and two Razorbill.

Tuesday 20th:

The Black-throated Diver remained offshore today with two Eider, two Great-crested Grebe, Razorbill and Guillemot. Also offshore a Roseate Tern with nine Common Tern, 60+ Kittiwake, two Mediterranean Gull, first and second summers and a pale phase Arctic Skua. In the estuary there were 60+ Curlew on the Railway Saltmarsh and another two Common Tern.

Monday 19th:

Migration appears to be underway with four Mediterranean Gull present today, two second summers, a first summer and an adult. Terns have also increased with 50+ Sandwich and eight Common Tern today. Offshore the Black-throated Diver remains whilst 91 Kittiwake, 20 Gannet, 10 Razorbill, two Great-crested Grebe and a Guillemot were present with 11 Manx Shearwater south. The Bight held five Dunlin, four Grey Plover and two Little Egret with 125 Curlew and two Grey Heron on the Railway Saltmarsh.

Sunday 18th:

A return to more routine fare today, although the Black-throated Diver remained off Langstone Rock. Over the high tide there were 180 Curlew in the Railway Saltmarsh, with just six Dunlin, two Ringed and a Grey Plover in the Bight. At least 20 Sandwich Tern were in the estuary with nine Common Tern offshore.
 

Saturday 17th:

A sudden rush of notable records, with the first Nuthatch of the year the highlight. First seen flying across Greenland Lake, it landed in a Sycamore on the Dune Ridge briefly before flying off north, there are only 15 previous records for site, seven of which were last year. Another more frequent woodland visitor, a Great-spotted Woodpecker was around the First and Main Ponds, only the fourth of the year. The third surprise was a first summer Black-throated Diver close in off the seawall, only the third of the year. Elsewhere two Sand Martin south over the estuary were unseasonal, several Eider remain off Langstone Rock, 11 Sandwich Tern were offshore and over the high tide there were seven Grey Plover, four Dunlin, two Ringed Plover and two Bar-tailed Godwit.
 

Friday 16th:

No news was received for today.

Thursday 15th:

No news was received for today.

Wednesday 14th:

Offshore a further 13two Manx Shearwater headed south with three Common Scoter and six auk sp. Also present five Sandwich and two Common Tern, a Great Northern Diver, 79 Gannet and 50 Kittiwake. On the beach there were 17 Sanderling, eight Dunlin and five Grey Plover with 79 Curlew on the Railway Saltmarsh. In the estuary there were two Little Egret with five Shelduck and the Canada Geese still with their 8 young. Elsewhere c.20 Linnet were feeding on the ground in Greenland Lake, a Reed Bunting was by the Buffer Zone, with three at the Main Pond, 30+ Starling were on the Dune Ridge with a Whitethroat, four more of which were on Warren Point, with three more singing between the visitor centre and the car park.

Tuesday 13th:

A Green Sandpiper heard calling over the Golf Course at 10pm was only the second June record for the site. This is also either the latest spring or earliest autumn record!

Monday 12th:

Offshore 148 Manx Shearwater flew south with 91 Common Scoter, a pale phase Arctic Skua, a first summer Mediterranean Gull, two Common and a Roseate Tern also present. Over high tide on the beach there were nine Sanderling, six Grey and three Ringed Plover with four Dunlin. Elsewhere 60 Curlew were on the Railway Saltmarsh with three Little Egret, a Sparrowhawk flew west along the Dune Ridge and young Reed Warblers new out of the nest were at the First Pond.

Sunday 11th:

Two Common Tern were again offshore and at least 36 Manx Shearwater flew south, mostly distant. The only other news was from the high tide where there were just 15 Sanderling, 10 Dunlin and six Grey Plover.

Saturday 10th:

The strong easterly winds brought the first two Balearic Shearwater of the year, these flew east close inshore, also offshore four Sandwich and two Common Tern and a single Eider. However viewing was difficult due to a combination of glare, onshore wind and 30+ Kite-surfers. Waders in the estuary included 25 Curlew, 11 Sanderling, six Dunlin, six Ringed and two Grey Plover. Elsewhere fledged Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Linnet were all being fed around the shore of the Bight.

Friday 9th:

The only news received for today was of three Jackdaw east over the reserve early morning.

Thursday 8th:

A Red Kite seen over Eastdon would have been the fourth site record had it passed into Warren airspace! Two other records have been of birds seen from but just outside the recording area. What was presumably the same bird was seen earlier over Maidencombe, Torbay and then later over Exminster. A Cuckoo was in the alders behind the visitor centre mid-afternoon. The first reserve breeding record of Herring Gull appears to have been unsuccessful with no sign of any adults at the nest today, however an Oystercatcher nest found later on is the first breeding record here since a pair were present in June 1888! Fingers crossed it can avoid the tides and sunseekers.

Wednesday 7th:

It remains quiet with few birds around, the only news was from offshore were there were 14 Gannet, 11 Eider, 10 Black-headed Gull, four Sandwich and two Common Tern and a Great-crested Grebe.

Tuesday 6th:

No news was received for today.

Monday 5th:

A feeding flock of 100+ Gannet were offshore with four distant commic tern and 25 Black-headed Gull. On a low tide 25 Sandwich Tern were in the estuary with single Little Egret and a Lesser Black-backed Gull on Finger Point. Elsewhere 11 Reed Warbler were between the First Pond and Dead Dolphin Wood and four Shelduck came in off the sea.

Sunday 4th:

There was an influx of Sanderling with 90 present over the high tide, with them though were just four Dunlin. Also in the estuary 20+ Curlew, a Whimbrel, 30+ Sandwich Tern and the first summer Mediterranean Gull. Elsewhere 100+ Gannet and 14 Eider were offshore.

Saturday 3rd:

The summer doldrums have arrived early this year, no news was received for today.

Friday 2nd:

3two Gannet were offshore with two Great-crested Grebe flying east, 250+ Black-headed Gull were on Bull Hill along with threeLesser Black-backed Gull.  Finger Point held 20 Sanderling, 20 Ringed Plover and 13 Dunlin and a single Grey Heron with another flying north up the Estuary. Two Whitethroat and a Chaffinch were the only birds of note at Warren Point.

Thursday 1st:

Over the high tide there were 3two Sanderling, 18 Dunlin, 14 Ringed Plover and four Shelduck in the Bight with 47 Curlew and a single Whimbrel in Shutterton Creek. Also in the estuary 110+ Black-headed Gull and 20+ Sandwich Tern with a Peregrine in attendance. A Reed Warbler on Warren Point was a late migrant, also there four Whitethroat and six Swift and five House Martin flew east along the Dune Ridge. Elsewhere four Common Tern were offshore and 18 Common Scoter passed south.

Ringing News: A colour-ringed first year Lesser Black-backed Gull was recorded in the Bight on 25/5/06. This bird "WA8M" (yellow on Black) was ringed as a 30+ day juvenile at the colony on South Walney Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserve and Bird Observatory, on south end of Walney Island on 08.07.05.  The elapsed time is 320 days and the distance from the colony is 384 km. For more information on the Northwest Gulls project click here.

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