Heysham Obs
Anyone own up to Goldcrest CXK886- a veritable pitfall of a potential misread! It was treble-checked by two observers plus a magnifying glass
Another Yellow-browed Warbler found by Jean Roberts this am and seen by Pete Marsh, but unfortunately flew over the top of the nets into the tank farm. Quite a bit of early morning stuff (mostly Goldcrest) but then died off quickly, perhaps surprising for cloudy conditions and a species which usually lingers a bit but the wind of change was making itself felt by lunchtime
The other feature of the morning was a 'mutt meet' for bulldogs and large brown things - no prior knowledge of this and initially we wondered what on earth was going on!
Vis mig office area
Meadow Pipits in the cloud - grossly underestimated but not absolute hordes
Meadow Pipit - 42
alba Wagtail - 13
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Grey Wagtail - 1 plus a 'blogger'
Chaffinch - 15
Coal Tit - 3
Pink-footed Goose - 54+23+36
Grounded
Rock Pipit - north harbour wall
Wheatear - female Heysham Head
Goldcrest - 50ish on reserve
Chiffchaff - 5-8 reserve
Robin - small arrival
Treecreeper - 1
Blackcap - only one seen
Song Thrush - at least 3 migrants
Ringing on Heysham & Middleton NR (net not set in front of feeders to concentrate on migrants)
Goldcrest (44, including one ringed elsewhere), Chiffchaff (8, including bird ringed Leighton Moss), Blackcap (2), Robin (5), Chaffinch (1), Lesser Redpoll (18), Reed Bunting (1), Meadow Pipit (3)
Midddleton NR Vis
Meadow Pipit - 123
Pink-footed Goose - 48+60+32
Corvid sp. - 21 North
The observatory was set up in 1980. It involves ringing,'vis mig' counts (including seabirds) and general monitoring in the Heysham Nature reserve/power stations/harbour area. The statutory moth trap is in place and also a daily log for butterflies, dragonflies etc. We share an office, kindly provided by EDF Energy, with the County Wildlife Trust. This is located next to the Nature Reserve car park. Do call in. Please leave sightings in the letterbox, ESPECIALLY 'fly-by' seabirds.