Thursday 4 October 2012

Reasonable by this autumn's standards

Nice action shot taken today.  Thanks Janet

Heysham Obs
A good variety of clear still morning visible migration although the absence of jay (and corvids generally) or any hirundines was perhaps unexpected.  Interest included quite a number of Coal Tits, 'obvious' Bullfinch movement, high-flying Dunnock.  As is usual when multi-tasking in clear weather, some of the vis was missed.  A single Blue Tit descended noisily from the sky Falsterbo-fashion, the first such behaviour from this species noted this autumn.  Very early on we had to be very careful as the last of the showers passed over at dawn and this, combined with the ultra-stillness, led to the extremely humid air in the mist-net rides causing some problems with condensation on the nets

Vis mig dawn to about 1030hrs 
Meadow Pipit - 182 SE
Chaffinch - 110 S
Goldfinch - 28 S (underestimate)
Grey Wagtail - just two singles
alba Wagtail - 37 SE
Siskin - 3 SE
Carrion Crow - 1+3 high to south
Reed Bunting - 1 SE
Common Buzzard - 1 SE at 0815hrs, may have come 'in-off'
Pink-footed Goose - flock of 680 north-east (!) and 230 SE
Coal Tit - 27 south in flocks of up to 5
Dunnock - 2+1+1 high to the south
Blue Tit - one descended from the north, then headed off south
Mistle Thrush - 2 SE
Skylark - heard twice
Bullfinch - 8 S

Grounded
Chiffchaff - 2 (ringed)
Goldcrest - just 2 new ones ringed
Blackbird - a flock of 5 early long-winged migrants which eventually headed  inland
Song Thrush - 3 grounded migrants headed inland singly
Blackcap - one male and one calling from tank farm
Robin - certainly some new birds with four ringed and others being chased off

Inshore/outfalls
Common Tern - 2 juv and an additional juv tern spp reported by others which may be Arctic (waiting to see photos)
Black Tern - juv
Little Gull - adult
Thanks Janet
Med Gull - at least 5 1CY, 2 adults and 1 2CY
Red-throated Diver - imm or winter adult close inshore early morning
Grey Heron - one red nab area

Mound/north wall
Linnet - c20
Goldfinch - c20
Lesser Redpoll, one, possibly 2
Rock Pipit - 2 (1OA)

Insects
Red Admiral (SD46A), Migrant Hawker by the office and about 7 Common Darter seen, mainly SD45E.  2-3 Speckled Wood Nature park area.  Just two Pink-barred Sallow in the moth trap but at least one Nettle Tap moth still surviving in the mist-net ride by the office