Monday 4 March 2013

Stonechat migrant and returning Purple sandpiper

Heysham Obs
Dont know what happened with yesterdays posting but its is now below this one - maybe it was such inconsequential rubbish, the blog refused to post

Red Nab
Stonechat - adult female - pics later (thanks for the info Janet -first successful twitch of the year!)
Thanks Janet for this and the Gadwall pic below

North harbour wall
Purple Sandpiper - one just the south side of harbour on rocks with Turnstone
Eider - c153
Twite - 95, 7 unringed, one Machrihanish bird and at least 18 with rings pre-winter 2012/3
Med Gull - remaining wintering female (unringed), new male displaying to her with not much summer pluameg on head & 3CY trying to muscle in and indicating that he is also a male.  NO sign of Czech-ringed adult, presumed gone (as usual by now)

Heysham NR
Small influx of thrushes with 5 migrant Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and 3 Redwing
Jay - plucked feathers from this species in eastern woodland - Sparrowhawk?

Middleton NR
The usual quota of ducks, including:

Chimney pot Jackdaw sensation

Heysham Obs
The first ever Jackdaws sat on chimney pots for the Heysham (as opposed to Middleton) area today by the Trumacar stores - a very strange absence in this area which is good for determining migratory flocks in autumn

Late news for yesterday - a Red-legged Partridge of obviously dubious (but arent they all) origin by the office yesterday afternoon

Trumacar stores early morning
Jackdaw - two on chimneypot over the road

North harbour wall
Hazy early morning so just c200  Eider noted offshore
Twite - eventually 102 but very flighty - 6+ unringed, later 4/60 unringed

Moths
An Acleris hastiana of the stripy form was disturbed by the office and a Dotted Border was in the trap