Monday 9 September 2013

Decentish morning once the rain stopped

Heysham Obs
Not too clever for the Grey Wagtail study with 6 of them "overtaking" the end bit of the heavy rain before the nets could be opened, two being caught as the self-same rain hid the sun and then at least three having a whale of a time balancing on the top shelf as blazing sunshine on the net took over.  They are either very easy to catch in dull conditions or hopeless when it is sunny, which of course also makes them fly higher!  Quite a pulse of cross-bay vis at the back end of the dawn rain - you could tell there was no more wet stuff this side of Furness and no need to walk to the top of the hill and look!

Vis mig dawn to about midday (good to see you Bryan (Yorke))
Grey Wagtail - 13 SE (just two ringed)
Meadow Pipit - 135 SE
Chaffinch - 16 S
alba Wagtail - excluding presumed ex-roost, 8 SE
Tree Pipit - 3 singletons SE
Linnet - 1 S
Goldfinch - a minimum of 36 SE & other lower birds may have been migrants
Dunnock - "fidgety time" with 3 noisy ones flying S
Crossbill - at least one and probably two flew south at 0803 but could not be found as they were to the west of the office with limited viewing
Swallow - 22 ESE
House Martin - 1
Bullfinch - a bit of activity which could be interpreted as vis mig with two lots of two heading south over the office
Carrion Crow - a highflying flock of 6 came from the east, then headed north before swinging S
Greenfinch - 2 high to the south
Siskin - heard (one?) flying south

Grounded
Wheatear - at least 9 along coastal bits
Whitethroat - at least three new in
Blackcap - two new birds
Chiffchaff - c3 around office
Willow Warbler - one around office
Sedge Warbler - one ringed by office but not new in (F2, 12.6g)
Song Thrush - one presumed early migrant heard in the dawn twilight (early British-type migrants are a feature of September)

Coastal
Med Gull - at least 7