Monday 6 April 2015

Selective migration

Heysham Obs
Difficult one this morning - limited time - late arrival - no other birders/ringers .............and plenty of birds by recent standards..............except a complete lack of Wheatear!  Visibility very limited - no chance of covering the sea.  Times at each site after 1000 approximate


Office area 0900-1000
Meadow Pipit - 312 north
alba Wagtail - 8 north
Reed Bunting - 1 north
Redpoll - 1 north
Chiffchaff - minimum  of 6 around office
Goldcrest - 2 round office


Ocean Edge 1005-1010
Meadow Pipit - 40 grounded, 10-15 over
Chiffchaff - one amongst the rocks


North wall 1015-1045
Meadow Pipit - 60 grounded, 30 flew off plus another 118 heading north
alba Wagtail - 18 north
Rock Pipit - one north
Goldcrest - 4 in the twite sea buckthorn, one in the sea buckthorn at south end
Surprisingly nothing in the gorse e.g. wren, dunnock, robin


South harbour 1050-1105
Robin - two
Goldcrest - 1
Phyllosc - shot out of brambles and over the fence - prob Chiffchaff
Meadow Pipit - 13 north
alba Wagtail - 2 north


Middleton NR 1115-1135
No audible sign of Cettis (not heard yesterday either but this morning's visit was accompanied by a lot of other song
Water Rail - one still in main reedbed western marsh
Meadow Pipit - 24 north


Mammals
Two hedgehog dead on Moneyclose Lane, one from 5 days ago, one from yesterday


Moths
Double striped pug x 2 and Diurnea fagella new for the year


So much for coming to do some work before working away for an evening/early morning!