Mealy amongst the minions

Mealy Redpoll taken by phone being charged up!

Heysham Obs

Decent migration morning despite the best efforts of the sun on all the mist nets.  Whilst phylloscs were seeing the net and bouncing out, the Lesser Redpolls were in such large numbers that a reasonable total was ringed.  Two controls: X546179 and X948530 and a nice Mealy (pics above)

By the HNR office
Brambling - late singleton NE
Redstart - male passed through
Blackcap - at least 7 males passed through, singing intermittently, then moving north (2 ringed)
Willow Warbler - at least 20 migrants
Chiffchaff - at least 15 migrants
Lesser Redpoll - minimum of 135 heading north pre-0930hrs (when ringing ceased due to wind), some via the mist net, plus another 17 casually noted whilst at Middleton for 30 minutes late morning
Mealy Redpoll - 2CY male ringed
Tree Pipit - one north
Goldfinch - c35 north
Meadow Pipit - 17 north (possibly more)
Linnet - 16 north
alba Wagtail - 5 north

Middleton NR
Grasshopper Warbler - singing male eastern marsh
Common Whitethroat - one singing by no-swimming pond
Reed Bunting - 7 males on territory
Wheatear - 4

North harbour wall (one hour)
Sea dead
Linnet - 9
alba Wagtail - 6
Goldfinch - 6
Meadow Pipit - 10
Greenfinch - 1
Redpoll spp - just 4

Mammals
Grey Seal off harbour

Moths
Eventually got round to doing them and Diurnea fagella x 4 was more than a little surprising, given an average of under one per year until this year!   In general, there have been far more Clouded Drab and Common Quaker than usual, especially in proportion to Hebrew Character which has been in 'normal' numbers.  Shoulder Stripe has also been much commoner than usual

Butterfly
Male Orange Tip reported by a visitor just as I was leaving - this is really early

Elsewhere
1+ Lesser Whitethroat Aldcliffe area.  Great White Egret Leighton Moss & the Great Grey Shrike still on Dalton Crags