<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Newsletter
Newsletter of the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society
Bird watching in SD36
May 2003
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The 'nine squares' (SDs 45-47, 55-57, 65-67) are regularly referred to as comprising the LDBWS recording area.  Yet the highest proportion/square of individual records published in the LBWS Annual Report come from none of these.  Welcome to SD36!

SD36 was the easiest Lancashire Breeding Bird Atlas square to cover and scarcely deserved my name being mentioned in the same type-size as the people responsible for clough-ridden, rather road-less Bowland-edge squares such as SD66.   A request to British Gas for any signs of nesting by feral pigeons etc. was met with a negative response.    The remainder was 'under reconstruction' during most of the Atlas period resulting in a (new) 'sandplant' and the famous 'mound'.  Conclusion: NO breeding birds!  One sympathises with the character that completed a comprehensive vegetation survey (as an unrecorded 10km square) just prior to the equally comprehensive clearance of every square centimetre of soft ground.  The rest of it is either intertidal, including food-rich skeers, or comprises permanent sea.     

It has been very well watched this spring.   The wintering Twite gathering was subject to an intensive ringing programme in association with its status as a BAP species.   The aim of this is to find out where the birds are breeding and also assess the mobility during the winter months.    A by-product of this was the discovery of an early morning Snow Bunting.   Later Pete Fletcher commenced regular walks around the mound and the back of the sand plant and was rewarded with a male Ring Ouzel as well as migrant Goldcrest, Willow Warbler, Wheatear etc.    Looking upwards this spring produced single Osprey and Marsh Harrier as well as a good range of 'visible' migrant passerines.  Looking out has also been rather impressive with over 40 Arctic Skuas and 10 Pomarine Skuas to date (5th May) along with over 1,500 Arctic Terns and Kittwakes and three-figures worth of Gannet, Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver & Sandwich Tern.   The rarest seabirds have been two groups (2 + 3) of Long-tailed Duck, three Shags and a single Little Tern (a bird which used to be regular in this area).  The incoming tide sends the outfalls 'slick' within visible range and up to four Mediterranean Gulls have been seen amongst much larger numbers of Common and Black-headed Gulls.  A rough count gives 87 species for the square to date this year.  Not bad considering the tallest/densest vegetation is Dock and Scentless Mayweed and anglers, walkers, loose dogs etc regularly disturb the whole site.       

How to work it:

a)     Spring sea watching:  The ideal conditions are an early morning incoming tide (high tide 11-12 middayish) with an alternation of showers and sunlight and a force 3-4 WSW. This will produce skuas, Gannets etc.  However, Arctic Terns seem to occur in their highest numbers during easterly-sector winds, either early morning or during/following any heavy showers at any time of day.   Look out for the occasional Black Tern accompanying them.  What appears to be totally useless is a due south mod/fresh wind e.g. the recent Bank Holiday Sunday (4th).   Suggest wide-angle lens on 'half-horizon' looking between No 8 buoy and Barrow.

b)     Passerines:  Get there early during calm conditions, especially with drizzle.   Search the ground ahead of you carefully, there may be no 'second chance' if you fail to see the bird and flush it at close quarters (limited number of places for it to land again).  If it is of interest to other birders (e.g. even Snow Bunting and Black Redstart), get on your mobile straight away and phone Birdnet (01298 73052) or RBA  (01603 456789).  It is unlikely to stay long here; therefore speed of communication is essential.  Thanks in anticipation?

Access

Take the A683 to Heysham Port.  Take the right turn at the traffic lights by the Duke of Rothesay pub.   Turn left at the 'T' junction by the heliport, then immediately right.  Follow the road right to the end but be very careful when lowering your vehicle on to the seawall.    




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