Arctic Terns - River Ribble, BAE Warton - 2nd May 2007.

The huge passage of Arctic Terns moving through Morecambe Bay saw me head to the Ribble Estuary at Freckleton/Warton for the tide in the hope that some would be moving upriver intent on migratiing overland to the North Sea.

Between 11:35-12:36hrs, I was rewarded with 52 Arctic Tern as follows: 1 at 11:37hrs, 1 at 11:40hrs, 3 at 11:41hrs, 1 at 11:42hrs, 1 at 11:50hrs, 10 at 11:52hrs, 10 at 11:54hrs, 18 at 12:03hrs, 1 at 12:05hrs, 1 at 12:21hrs, 3 at 12:35hrs and 2 at 12:36hrs.

No more were recorded up to 13:15hrs, coinciding with the falling tide, so I called it a 'day', concluding that I must indulge in this fabulous migration spectacle annually from now on.

Other species seen in the area included 2 Common Tern, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover and a Greenshank. A female Hen Harrier briefly seen heading NE over fields near Naze Farm was unexpected.

Afterwards I drove to Mythop Flood on the outskirts of Blackpool where good scope views were had of a Wood Sandpiper. I'll add an image of this to the blog entry when more time allows.