Sunday 22 August 2010

Slum weaver sensation

Heysham Obs
HNR Office area
A good wind direction allowed the top two nets next to the office and these helped to reinforce the impressions over the last three days that there are a lot of Common Whitethroat moving though (10-15 this morning, 5 ringed) and 3-4 Lesser Whitethroat are in vocal residence(? - at least two unringed this morning) in the brambles just north of the office.  Willow warblers, however, were at a premium this morning with just two heard, a big downturn on the last few days. Also:

House Sparrow - Juvenile ringed - the first for at least a millenium and a decade 
Grey Wagtail - first of the autumn south
Meadow Pipit - 4 south-east
Swallow - 35 SW
Sand Martin - one SW

Middleton IE
Tufted Duck - one
Wall Brown - one

Coastal sites (thanks Mark & Malcolm)
Med Gull - three adults outfalls area
Little Gull - winter ad on mudflats off OE
Little Egret - one OE saltmarsh creek
Sandwich Tern - one far offshore
Wheatear - one OE