Monday 26 April 2010

BTO challenge box-ticking

Heysham Obs
Two very contrasting additions to the BTO challenge - a singing male Grasshopper Warbler on the tank farm (plus another in the BE section on Middleton IE) and a male House Sparrow gathering nest material from the SE corner of BE properties, then flying 'behind' Ocean Edge reception.  Please note that the BTO Business challenge refers only to British Energy/EDF property and therefore not Middleton IE apart from the sliver of scrub/hedge/fence-line running around the edge of the golf-course.  If anyone can persuade a Coot to wander into that area, that would be very useful!!!

North wall 0705-0905
Gannet - 23 in, 9 out
Common Scoter - 47 in, 3 out
Arctic Tern - 10+12 in
Whimbrel - 2 in
Red-throated Diver - 5 in (flock of 4), 2 out
Swallow - 6 NE
Meadow Pipit - 2 NE
Guillemot - one out
Sandwich Tern - just the one out

Migrants by the office
Willow Warbler - 2-3 non-territorial
Lesser Whitethroat - singing male passed through north
Grasshopper Warbler - one singing on tank farm distantly, then closer for about 4 minutes 0705hrs
Sedge Warbler - one singing very briefly

One round of a single 60' net produced no birds, so taken down

Tufted Duck - pair again on Obs Tower pond but the Little Grebe have gone

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler - c8 singing males scattered over the whole site yesterday, Today there were 7 singing males in sunny weather at midday!!  One of these was in the British Energy/EDF corridor of land where it borders the golf course
Lesser Whitethroat - 3-4 singing males (mobile as usual)
Whitethroat - 4 singing males
Sedge Warbler - 7 singing males
Blackcap - one singing male
no sign of yesterdays Reed Warbler

Moths
May Highflyer was new for the year & 15 a good count for Early Thorn