Friday 8 May 2015

Nice sunny morning dribs and drabs

Heysham Obs
The hint that there might be some Dotterel around (located at Cockersands in the afternoon) was provided by quite a noticeable day for Whimbrel movement for here.  A decent drop of Wheatear on to Ocean Edge, but grounded migrants otherwise seemed a bit sparse, especially given good coverage with mist nets

Nice ringing recovery of a Goldcrest.  Ringed in Essex on 9/10/13 as a 1CY female, caught Heysham NR on 8/4/15 and, as suspected by the tail, obviously an adult probably on its way to completing its second long-distance migration (303km).  The vast majority of captures are of birds in their first autumn or first spring migrations

Middleton NR
Mute Swan 2+2+6 - pair on Tim Butler still sitting
2 shelduck
6 gadwall
1 Tufted Duck
4 mallard
1 heron
3 poss 4 singing Grasshopper Warbler
Thanks Janet
Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls
24 wheatear (mostly females)
White Wagtail - 3
Little egret - 3
Turnstone -190

Vis mig
Swallow - 190 north - mainly over Middleton 0900-1000
House Martin - 21 (as above)
Sand Martin - 2 north
Wheatear - 2 in-off north wall
Whimbrel - 17+14+7+4 north, at least 3 off-passage
Arctic Tern - flock of 6 north
Sandwich Tern - 20 blogging early on soon melted away
Jackdaw - three purposefully north
Carrion Crow - big cluster on Heysham NR may have included migrants
Grounded
See above for Wheatear
Garden Warbler - one ringed Middleton
Sedge Warbler - single figures of migrants
Whinchat - female moved rapidly inland Middleton
Blackcap - 2 unringed birds Heysham NR
Willow Warbler - conspicuous by absence with only one ringed

Mammal
Harbour Porpoise off harbour (probably the same three days ago)