Saturday 8 December 2012

Birds still on the move in the pre-frontal calm

Heysham Obs
Two activity 'threads' to today; a lengthy Twite-ringing session and a power walk circuit from the office back to the office via the harbour/south wall/outfalls/dogwalk track

North harbour wall
Meadow Pipit - 2
Little Egret - on on the rocks below the wall - very rare between Red Nab and north Morecambe
Twite - 22 unringed birds caught, just 12 retraps and the regular Machrihanish-ringed bird.  All present during the morning were thought to have been caught.  A bit of a change of personnel from yesterday, based on ring or lack of details
Goldfinch - 9 unringed birds caught and just one retrap
Linnet - unringed bird caught
Robin - 4 different birds seen during the morning around the feeder
Wren - 1

Harbour circuit
No sign of the seal
Med Gull - 2CY on mudflats by wooden jetty
Waxwing - heard twice whilst negotiating the steps near where the Obs tower was - either in the tank farm or around the nearby power station security lodge.  No sign when reached the bottom of steps, but did not search this access-restricted area
Blackbird - c15 either side of the steps below the Obs tower site
Redwing - one with above
Meadow Pipit - two flew from the non-op land over the dog track towards the golf course - presumably part of/ the remaining birds from the small flock which has been around for a few weeks

Pink-footed Geese
112 - flying south-east
285 - north, then east
Two other 'large flocks' heading north offshore and perhaps yet another flock heard but not seen during the Twite ringing session

Moths
Two Winter Moth in trap