Friday 25 September 2009

Pick a number between 6 and 22mph

Heysham Obs
We are officially 'on the boundary' between the high pressure and mist and low pressure/jetstream and cloud & wind. So the forecasters have been all over the place with e.g. XC giving actual wind speeds considerably higher than forecasted ones (in Wind History section).....which then increase as the time approaches. The admirable Eno has been the most accurate, actually mentioning 'breeze' and backing up with at least low teens of wind speeds. Our area seems to be behind the back of the BBC national forecasters as they do a clockwise 'circular' tour of the British Isles and miss out the middle = us.

So we've been getting up with good mistnetting/vis intentions and largely failing on both counts on the last 5 mornings. This morning was just too windy for any nets by the office and the vis was feeble, although an 'in-off' Dunnock was a nice quirk and the first clear-cut e.g. for a few years. As on previous occasions, it was with Meadow Pipits coming from the direction of Walney

Ocean Edge/outfalls pre-newspaper 0730-0800hrs
Dunnock - one in-off with Meadow Pipits, then landing on the shore contact-calling before flying south
Meadow Pipit - 26 SE
alba Wagtail - 5 SE
Grey Wagtail - 3 SE
Black-tailed Godwit - 3
Shelduck - 114 on shore

North harbour wall with newspaper 0807-0830
Eider - 5 inshore
Meadow Pipit - 3 SE