Saturday 23 September 2017

Rather slow for a south-easterly

Disappointing this morning with nothing like the vis mig over my house (High Tatham) and grounded stuff limited to just a few Goldcrest.   So the ringing at two sites, Heysham and Middleton was a bit on the slow side, especially Middleton.  However, the inshore area was given a fair grilling on the incoming tide with 2CY Meds, as usual, coming out of the woodwork as the tide started to shift stuff hunkered down on the outer SW corner of Red Nab

Vis mig
Meadow Pipit - no more than 40 noted
Grey Wagtail - just 3 (1 ringed)
Common Buzzard - one struggling east followed by another which swung north-east
Chaffinch - 4 S
Swallow - eventually a relatively decent total of 56 S
alba Wagtail - just 5 or so SE and no influx on O Edge
Pink-footed Goose - 39 SE
Red Admiral - 4 S

Inshore south of harbour
Little Gull - two adults, one on the mudflats whilst the usual one was on Heysham one
Med Gull - 14 - 7 2CY, 3 1CY (3 following ferry in), 4 Ad
Knot - fairly accurate block count of 5950
Dunlin - very distant and not counted or possible to see identify else small with them
Bar-tailed Godwit - c450
Grey Plover - c430
Kingfisher - 1
Shelduck - 144
Wigeon - still just one Red Nab
Little Egret - 4

Ringing included: 10 Goldcrest, one Blackcap, one Chiffchaff and, as is typical in September, two unringed first winter Dunnock.  Perhaps a good time to say that Robin migration has been really below par this month with just one ringed this morning.  Two Pheasant in full flight narrowly avoided a Middleton mist net!

Grey Seal off outfalls