Nadined

Heysham Obs
Missed a clear slot 0700-0800 and that was the chance to post some vis to add to routine stuff observed in wet weather from a car.  Re-the national show-stopper: extracted lots of Magnolia Warblers from mist nets at Long Point in 1985 - superb birds, but not worth a charter.  Surprised it wasn't there this morning, but just don't understand meteorologically how this and the Swainson's Thrush arrived on Shetland accompanying a huge Yellow-browed invasion?  Redirecting from Iceland or Norway having been brought in by the remnants of Isaac's northerly track?

Ocean Edge
Wheatear - 1
Med Gull - 3 1CY, 2 2CY, 1 ad
Little Gull - ad

Middleton model boat pond
Tufted Duck - 18

Moths
A late Square Spot Rustic was unexpected; 5 Silver Y, Parsnip Moth, Pink-barred Sallow, Black Rustic

Weather falls between two stools

Heysham Obs
Not quite the cloud cover anticipated at dawn this morning and it was obviously too clear for any numbers of night migrants.  On the other hand, after a reasonable start, the SE wind 'kicked in' and knocked the vis mig on the head after about 0915hrs, especially Meadow Pipit.  However, the forecast certainly does look interesting this week, albeit hard to be certain of detail.  At the moment, it looks like 'game on' on Wednesday for the advice given yesterday, including finding the stuff which will be grounded in the bad weather the next two days!  A Red-breasted Flycatcher in one of the Sunderland Point gardens would be very nice!

Vis mig mainly by the office dawn to about 1000hrs
Tree Sparrow - one south
Grey Wagtail - just two south and another grounded on the NHW mound
Meadow Pipit - 411 SE (nearly all pre-0930hrs)
Chaffinch - 132 S
Goldfinch - 36 S
Sparrowhawk - 1+1 high to south
Pink-footed Goose - flock of 28 S
alba Wagtail - 44 SE
Linnet - 3 S
Redpoll spp 1+1 SE
Swallow - 36 SE
Greylag - 6 NW
Cormorant - one high to south
Coal Tit - flock of 4 moved through
Greenfinch - just 6 southbound highflyers counted as vis
Carrion Crow - 3+13 S
Grey Heron - 1 S

Grounded
Meagre fare
Willow Warbler - one by office early on soon moved inland
Chiffchaff - c10 located with some obviously in situ, including an old retrap.  Some migrants however with 4 ringed
Blackcap - Two unringed birds and a retrap from two days ago
Wheatear - 2
Dunnock - 3 ringed
Robin - little obvious evidence of migrants but 4 new birds ringed
Goldcrest - just the four migrants located

Ringing
New birds:  4 Robin, 3 Dunnock, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 10 Meadow Pipit, 7 Chaffinch, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wren

Inshore 
Med Gull - 2 Ad, 1 2CY, 1 juv

A nice sunny day improves with time

Heysham Obs
Today was a simple case of how you cannot mix coverage of 'high blue sky vis' with trying to do a multitude of other things, especially at a lowland site with quite a bit of background noise.  Basically my vis coverage was awful with an element of self-delusion that multi-tasking was possible in these conditions.  For example, the number of (albeit high flying and 'purposeful') Swallows passing unrecorded was in the region of 99% judging by results from people who were really concentrating on vis at nearby sites (and the number attracted by a short spell of tape playing!).  They were still moving in the 'hundreds', along with Meadow Pipit, over Thrushgill in the late evening.   Tomorrow looks tasty for something easternish - a day for grilling coastal trees and the like with a significant influx of Yellow-brows on the east coast and northern isles today (e.g. 24+ on Foula)  - Monday possibly if the rain is later than forecast.  Date-wise, the first record of Yellow-brow here involved three birds on 22nd September 1985 in minimal pre-work coverage, albeit in rather special weather conditions which also produced multiple Red-breasted Flycatcher at nearby Walney (narrow band of 'grounding' drizzle within an easterly airflow round a high pressure).  Wanted:  a decent birder used to bush searching for the next two mornings!  Sites which could do with some coverage include the gardens at Sunderland, Potts corner woodland, Heysham Head, Heysham Smithy Lane, North harbour wall mound, Jenny Brown's Point and basically anywhere along the paths at Leighton Moss providing you dont cut yourself off from the migrant activity by spending time in a hide.

Vis mig dawn to about 0930hrs
The original unedited comment was: "A bit tricky with the blue sky and multitasking" - this was before the extent of the movements at other nearby sites was known!
Meadow Pipit - c350 SE - "probable underestimate"
Grey Wagtail - 7 SE (probably accurate c/f tape playing)
Goldfinch - 20 S
Chaffinch - 38 SW
Swallow - 13 SE (more at Middleton but chronically underestimated)
Siskin - flock of 3 W
Sparrowhawk - high-flying male south
surprised no corvid passage
Reed Bunting - none over HNR but 7 migrants ringed at Middleton

Grounded
Mostly a net loss from yesterday, especially Goldcrest
Goldcrest - no more than 5 around
Chiffchaff - 4 HNR, 2 Middleton
Sedge Warbler - lightweight juv trapped first thing
Robin - not many with just 5 new ones ringed at Midd/Hey and not much ticking and chasing
no 'sylvia' warblers seen/heard

Coastal coverage 
Wheatear - two on the mound
Med Gull - 2 1CY, 2 Ad
Arctic Tern - ad
Common Tern - juv

Thanks Janet

Little Gull - ad
Little Egret - one in the saltmarsh creek in the morning (scarce this year!)

Thanks to Sandra and John

Waders - the numbers off Ocean Edge on the afternoon tide were unbelievable - almost like someone had flattened a wood ants nest with Knot & "presumed Dunlin" scurrying all over the place interpersed with more 'stately' Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew and Oystercatcher.  Light was awful and counting/identification of small stuff (good job there were no obvious 'peeps'!) very difficult so I just sat back and enjoyed the spectacle

Ringing at Heysham and Middleton
A lot of effort but, take away the Meadow Pipits, fairly poor fare for full coverage of HNR and Middleton:  Grey Wagtail (3), Meadow Pipit (34), Swallow (4), Reed Bunting (7), Goldcrest (4), Chiffchaff (4), Robin (5), Wren (2), Blue Tit (2), Greenfinch (4), Chaffinch (2), Great Tit (1), Dunnock (2), Sedge Warbler (1)

Butterflies
Red Admiral office buddliea for third day & one in the nature park, c6 Small Tortoiseshell, Comma
A circuit of the reserve mid-afternoon just added Speckled Wood but the main feature was not a single dragonfly seen!

Red Admiral nature park this afternoon - one of at least two around in what has been a scarce year for this migrant.  Thanks to Sandra and John

Mipit fest

An early morning burst of Meadow Pipits was curtailed by rain but once the rain stopped the mipits poured through again.

Heysham NR
Vis:
0720-1120:
Meadow Pipit 721 - obviously a highly accurate count!
Swallow 89
Chaffinch 48+
Pink-footed Goose 22 - in one flock
alba wagtail 21
Siskin 15
Grey Wagtail 9
Goldfinch 7
House Martin 6
Reed Bunting 2

Grounded:
Goldcrest 10
Chiffchaff 2
Blackcap 1
Whitethroat 1

Outfalls:
Mediterranean Gull - 4 juvs, 1 ad (unringed)
Little Gull - ad
Common Tern - juv

Ocean Edge
Eider 2 females
Shelduck 60

Middleton NR
Reed Warbler - juv
Goldcrest 10
Chiffchaff 5

What is Nadine going to do?

Heysham Obs
Wonderful weather this morning, no need to get out of bed other than normal work-related activities.  The next few days, however, are a bit of a forecaster's nightmare.  A 'dartboard' called Nadine is sat near the Azores and may end up over us by Sunday evening........or may not.  Tomorrow morning now has some possibilities with rain ceasing/very much easing off at dawn and a decent NE wind.  There is high confidence that Saturday will be a rare example this autumn of a calm clear good vis mig day with hopefully a few grounded bits and bobs, then Sunday morning may or may not produce the goods off a strengthening easterly

Ocean Edge etc (too late in the tide cycle for waders)
Med Gull - 4 1CY, 1 2CY, 1 Ad
Arctic Tern - one adult
Common Tern - one adult
Wheatear - 1

Thanks Janet

Office area
Goldcrest - 2

Moths
Not too bad.  Acleris emargana, a worn Ypsophola which has not yet been identifed, Eudonia angustea, Graden Rose Tortrix, a few Treble Bar & Common Marbled Carpet and single Silver Y & Pink-barred Sallow

Vis mig dominated by a high decibel active harbour

Heysham Obs
Heysham Harbour, with the exception of the IOM passenger ferry, is all about freight boats and associated lorries coming and going.  The associated racket, like a tuneless Motorhead track, propelled towards us by a wind which was still a fresh north-westerly, put the lid on any awareness of all but the most obvious migration this morning.  No doubt loads of Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch were missed, judging by the immediate response from height when a Meadow Pipit tape was played from 0945hrs

Office area dawn to 1000hrs
Pink-footed Goose - 130+79 S
Sparrowhawk - 2+1 S
Cormorant - flock of 6 high to the south (definitely not tidal displacement)
Grey Heron - 1CY high to the west
Carrion Crow - 5 south, then east
Chaffinch - 30+ S
Meadow Pipit - 50+ SE, c90 by 1200hrs
Grey Wagtail - 4 SE
alba Wagtail - 20+ SE
Goldfinch - 4 SE
Swallow - 5 SE
Goldcrest - at least 15 grounded first thing
Chiffchaff - one grounded
Coal Tit - 1+1 south

Ocean Edge and area
Arctic tern - adult outfalls
Little Gull - adult Red Nab
Med Gull - at least 4 1CY, 1 2CY and 1 ad
Wheatear - 3

The less said about the ringing effort the better with the emphasis being on wasted & sleep-deprived effort.  The only Grey Wagtail opportunity involved at least one bird on a pole, negating firing, and what was supposed to be the 'last shower on the radar' mysteriously re-materialised, notably at 0920 when all seemed to be clear.  A Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Blue Tit (rare this year!), Robin and a few finches & Meadow Pipit were ringed.

Moths
Two Pink-barred Sallow and a Treble Bar

A few terns and an overdue first Red-throated Diver of the autumn

Heysham Obs
No-one could make it first thing this morning and nearby vis suggested we missed a similar effort to yesterday as also suggested by the trickle of Meadow Pipit after 0900hrs

A couple of satellite- tracked Ospreys retrospectively graced "our" airspace:
'Rothiemurchus' flew south just to the east of/over the reserve late am on 30/8 on a long migration which saw northern France being reached by evening
'Fiddich' flew across Morecambe bay on an approximate line from Ulverston to Cockersands, well within our seawatching range (!), late afternoon on 11/9
See the Roy Dennis site on the links for further information

Ocean Edge/outfalls pre-tide
Common Tern - juv and ad on outfalls and area
Arctic Tern - ad outfalls
Little Gull - ad outfalls
Med Gull - 3 1CY, 2 2CY, 1 3CY, 1 Ad outfalls/Red Nab

Sea 1115-1315 (thanks Ian)
Guillemot - 1
Red-throated Diver - 1 (IOA)
Pink-footed Goose - 110 SE
Med Gull - about 6 1CY around the harbour/outfalls at high tide, also at least one 2CY and the Czech-ringed adult

Moths
All change as wintry showers with hailstones peppered the night.  Far from the expected 'zilch' as no Treble Bars graced the wall, the egg packing revealed two new species for the year in the form of Black Rustic (2) and Green Brindled Crescent and one new for the autumn, Parsnip Moth.  The only other moth was a worn Rosy Rustic.  A bit of a memo to moth trappers who select their nights based on "nice conditions" - the two "worst" nights this week have been the most interesting!   This kind of weather certainly seems to produce the odd hour or two of suitable flying conditions during the lengthening night

Clear gaps in the weather produce the vis mig

Heysham Obs
Vis mig 0700-0815
"Rolling" vis mig this morning - a mixture of checking the outfalls and listening, north wall and listening and outside the office produce the following obvious underestimate:

Meadow Pipit - 72 SE
Grey Wagtail - 2 SE
Chaffinch - c25 SE or temporarily grounded (all office area)
Linnet - 3 SE
alba Wagtail - 7 SE
Goldfinch - 6 SE (flock)
Swallow - 2 SE

Grounded
Goldcrest - at least 2 by office
a few 'ticking' Robins

Miscellany
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 3 together SW at about 1100hrs as seen from the north wall - couldn't subsequently find them on the mudflats south of Ocean Edge
Shelduck - flock of 8 SW
Med Gull - ad & 1CY north wall, 3 1CY, 2 2CY, 2 Ad outfalls/Red Nab and area
Little Gull - ad stage 2 outfall
Common Tern - juv stage 2 outfall, later in the bay by Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Fulmar - one out mid-pm
Whimbrel - late bird over nhw mid-pm
Wheatear - one heliport
Ringed Plover - 54 heliport (one cr bird read & sent in) and 23 Ocean Edge at high tide
Redshank - 410 Ocean Edge beach at high tide

Moths
A major surprise in the form of Toadflax Pug - very late in the context of the recent weather.   This is one of the few regular sites in the north-west and it seems to have become rather scarce here in recent years.  Other insects included a Common Darter and Meadow Brown by the dipping pond.  Acleris emargana by the dipping pond mid pm along with at least one Nettle-tap moth

A gap in the rain reveals a leachs

Heysham Obs
A short gap in the rain allowed better visibility from the north harbour wall and a Leach's Petrel was picked up slowly making its way out of the Bay at 1320ish.  Not without precedent, this was the only seabird seen.  Two cars bearing birders appeared, but left after about 5 minutes as the bird had moved on.  Clearly, despite all the efforts in the birding press with respect to seawatching and vis mig, there is still a long way to go on the educational front.........or a significant number of people are just not interested in birding which requires "speculative effort" after the known target has left.  I'll give the north wall another go in about 30 minutes time.

Ocean Edge/Red Nab pre-tide
Med Gull - 2 1CY, 2 2CY, 1 3CY, 2 Ad, plus adult Fisher's roof
Little Gull - ad
Wheatear - 1
Linnet - 46

Webs 'highlights' (most of the stuff displaced by high tide/wave action)
Cormorant - 64 wooden jetty and area
Turnstone - 261 wooden jetty, 31 Ocean Edge beach
Ringed Plover - 22 heliport itself, 15 Ocean Edge beach
Redshank - 260 heliport seawall, 21 Ocean Edge beach
Oystercatcher - 560 heliport seawall, 160 Ocean Edge

Moths
Very little: 10 Treble Bar, Silver Y, 2 Square Spot Rustic, Rhomboid Tortrix, Garden Carpet (= the most 'unusual'!) and Common Marbled Carpet.

Another little vis window

Heysham Obs
Calmer than forecast this morning and mist nets would have been an option.  The whoosh net, however, did the trick with 4 Grey Wagtail colour-ringed and four Meadow Pipit as we were packing up

Outfalls/Ocean Edge quick check prior to the tide
Med Gull - 5 1CY, 3 2CY and 2 Ad (4 of the 1CY on Heysham 2 outfall)
Little Gull - ad
No terns seen

Office vis mig approximates/gross underestimates (other than Grey Wag) 0700-0930
Meadow Pipit - 60+
Chaffinch - 25+
Grey Wagtail - 5 (4 ringed)
Swallow - 5
Pink-footed Goose - 45

Middleton
22 Tufted Duck on model boat pond

Moths
An excellent catch considering the overnight conditions with 30+ including 12 Treble Bar, 7 Silver Y and Rhomboid Tortrix