Thursday 15 March 2012

Goldcrests!

Heysham Obs
Significant Goldcrest passage today with only a limited ringing effort next to the office seeing as many as 36 new birds and one rather unexpected retrap from last autumn.  Up to 6 appeared 'in-off' the foggy sea on the north harbour wall mound, mainly after mid-morning

Becoming regular at Heysham NR but the first to be photographed - thanks Janet

Vis mig
Grey Wagtail - 4 (including 3 together)
alba Wagtail - c15
Meadow Pipit - c40, possibly many more, but mostly above the cloud level!
Siskin - 1
Chaffinch - at least 7 north

Grounded 
Still no Chiffchaff or Wheatear
Goldcrest - 50+
Robin - 3 unringed birds caught by the office

North harbour wall
Twite - odd - c27 early morning included 7 unringed birds out of about 12, then they all seemed to fly off to the SW and there were no further sightings all day
Shag - one
Eider - 110+

Ringing
Cant remember exactly but newly-ringed approx: Goldcrest (36), Chaffinch (2), Goldfinch (3), Greenfinch (4), Robin (3), Blur Tit (1), Meadow Pipit (2), Blackbird (1), Linnet (2)

Ocean Edge area
Nothing of interest passerine-wise
Little Gull - adult still on heyhsam 2 outfall on the incoming tide
Little Egret - one next to the sewage pipe
Wigeon - just 6 left

Moths
Early Grey, Clouded Drab, Common Quaker, March Moth, Hebrew Character and an agonopterix still to be identified but probably heracliana or an obscure form of arenella