Sunday 20 January 2008

Uninspiring weather

Heysham Obs
Drizzle and poor visibility from the west is a poor recipe. No lunchtime passenger ferry today. NB Dont believe the Metcheck forecast for tomorrow (see Link)!

North harbour wall - early dropping tide
Single Purple Sandpiper feeding along the wall with what appeared to be another sleeping with Turnstone on the wooden jetty but light/distance difficult
Med Gull - 2nd W north wall
Twite - 2 around the sandplant area

Insects
Considering the number of moths seen at High Tatham last night (76 in 2km of road involving at least 3 species), it was disappointing to find none in the trap. Any readers with traps/sheet & light facilities - may be worth trying to find your nearest deciduous woodland [although tonight is Noah's Ark weather]. There are unprecedented numbers of moths for this time of year and, in the case of Spring Usher and Early Moth, it may be the only chance!

Elsewhere
Barnacle Goose of dubious but unknown origin with Canadas on Heaton Marsh (& Little Egret). Adult European White-fronted Goose still on Catshaw Fellside. Pale-bellied Brent still off Royd's by the Sunny Slopes Groyne. At least 4 Little Egret in the Leighton roost. Yet again, nothing of interest on Pine Lake but persistence will surely pay off! The Ferruginous Duck x Pochard has disappeared again and may be the bird back at Stocks Res. See above re-moths - Dotted Border, Pale Brindled Beauty, Early Moth, Spring Usher, Dark Chestnut and Chestnut recorded at High Tatham last night/morning trap check.