Heysham Obs
Martin Cade summed up the feeling perfectly on the Portland Obs website - just about had enough of these E/NE winds producing slowly diminishing levels of interest as they stubbornly refuse to include poor offshore visibility in the agenda - need a break - learn how to get wet and windswept again - maybe even see something which qualifies as a seabird!
Vis mig office area
Goldfinch - 5
Redwing - just 43
Blackbird - 8
Song Thrush - 3
Chaffinch - strong movement in first half hour of daylight then stopped dead as cloud cam in from NW - 86 S
Bullfinch - 2+3 high to S
Pink-footed Goose - 120N + 93 NE + 520 N
Kestrel - 1+1 high to south
alba Wagtail - 8 S
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE
Sparrowhawk - 1 high to S
Reed Bunting - 2
Mistle Thrush - 3
Grounded Heysham NR
Blackcap - 1m
Goldcrest - c15
Chiffchaff - 4
Blackbird - 30
Song Thrush - 19 (highest nos so far this autumn)
Redwing - just 7
[Treecreeper - one retrap]
Vis mig Middleton (thanks Andrew)
Woodpigeon - 55 S
Reed Bunting - 2 S
Chaffinch - just 7 S
Redpoll spp - 2 S
Siskin - 2
Grey Wagtail - 2
Mistle Thrush - 2
Blackbird - 6
Jay - 2
Meadow Pipit - 2
Redwing - 302
Pink-footed Goose - same as HNR plus 200 S (way to east)
Snipe - 1
Goldfinch - 18
Miscellany
Teal - 10 Middleton
Ringing - combined new birds
Goldcrest (14), Blackbird (1), Song Thrush (2), Redwing (9), Coal Tit (1), Great Tit (1), Chiffchaff (1), Reed Bunting (5), Dunnock (1)
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.