An unexpected weather window of quality

Heysham Obs
Apologies, but there was no way I could predict the clear slot and swing to SW between about 1000 and 1115hrs before it closed in again.  This would have been a superb mini-event (c/f the cancellation of the migration event schedule for today) watching in the latter stages of the incoming tide on the outfalls

Outfalls area via Gate 38 and Red Nab (two observers) 1000-1115hrs
Leach's Petrel - Re-assessing the situation, it appears that there may just have been two, possibly three birds this morning (not 3-4), including two fairly close together flying out off the end of the outfalls at about 1045hrs.  No further sightings as the wind swung back to just S of SW and the visibility seriously reduced in heavy rain
Black Tern - Juvenile on outfalls (definitely not American, but prompting the walk out there to check!)
Common Tern - juvenile outfalls
Little Gull - adult outfalls
Med Gull - 12 on outfalls (commonest gull near high tide!) - 7 1CY, 2 2CY and 2 adult-types, one probably a 3CY - also two 1CY north harbour wall
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - one on the sea by the wooden jetty, then 'disappeared' - probably flying low to the south whilst scanning for Leach's
Pink-footed Goose - 15 south
Shag - juvenile in the harbour mouth - appeared to fly out to sea, certainly round the wooden jetty, not landing on it
Unlike more sheltered sites, there was no Meadow Pipit movement during 1000-1115hrs

North harbour wall
Just occasional visits from the wide ranging Black Tern and 8 Pintail out, the vast majority of the observations unfortunately after the weather had closed in again 1115hrs onwards
One man and his dog flushed all the Oystercatchers off the heliport at high tide, apart from about 300 re-settling at the cafe end

Outfalls late afternoon
Ringed Plover - 27 on shore by Red Nab
Black Tern - still present on Heysham 2 outfalls 1550hrs

Moths
One each of Black Rustic, Pink-barred Sallow, Green-brindled Crescent and Red-line Quaker

Sampling mediocrity

Heysham Obs
Playing catch-up with work today so, unless the exercise tick-box produces the goods with a walk round the reserve in a minute, the day's fare comprised 30 mins of vis & 30 mins of sea/outfalls in the early morning.  No other visitors reported anything of note:

Walk round Hey NR reserve late pm
........no it didn't with a singing Chiffchaff in the NE corner being an 'interest' straw-clutcher

Vis over the office 0815-0845
Meadow Pipit - 15
alba Wagtail - 7
Chaffinch - 9

Outfalls area & short seawatch
Pintail - flock of 11 south
Shelduck - flock of 4 south
Auk spp - two flying dots looked like razorbill
Med Gull - 3 1CY, one adult
Little Gull - adult
Common Tern - at least two juvs around

Moths
A few odds and ends including 5 Pink-barred Sallow and a Silver Y

Bonxie provides a second-rate 'b'-word

Heysham Obs
Nothing to compete with nearby Fleetwood's Blyth's Reed Warbler although I don't think anyone has really searched for any passerines after yesterday's unproductive blitz and this morning's stiff westerly.

Office area early on
Meadow Pipit - c50 SE
No other vis noted other than 2 alba wagtail SE on the walk round early pm

Sea early morning
Pintail - 6 out (first of autumn)
Greylag - 3 out

Sea mid-morning at high tide
Great Skua - one flew into the Bay and across towards Ulverston
Common Tern - now three juvs on the outfalls
Med Gull - 2 1CY outfalls, 2 Ads also around
Little Gull - sat on the sea off Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Thanks Janet - will add the rest tomorrow

Heysham NR
3 Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff the best which could be eaked out of rather windswept cover

Moths & other insects
Red-line Quaker new for the year.  8 Speckled Wood and a Peacock on the butterfly census route also 1 Migrant Hawker and one Common Darter

Sunday migration event cancelled
The worst conditions here for nothing happening in atrocious conditions are a southerly gale (to the south of south-west) and driving rain.  This is well-forecasted for Sunday covering the whole time-period of the proposed event.  Therefore there is no point even attempting to run it as it is an outdoor field event with no indoor contingency.  Anyone who was intending to come and contact me during today, please leave your details and I'll suggest a better day to come along and experience the routine coverage we try and give the area every morning during migration periods.  Please indicate whether you are available weekdays or weekends only. 

What migrant window?

Heysham Obs
The only reliable weather forecast was the "red sky in the morning..............." as the atlantic weather pushed in much earlier than originally forecasted, including a huge splodge of cloud at dawn over the whole of Morecambe Bay punctuated by darker patches producing rain.  Unfortunately this little lot was materialising from the west-north-west and did not appear to either be holding nor dropping any gems from the east and it certainly blocked the vis mig over Heysham with huge numbers of birds heading south-east around the northern fringe (e.g. Caton Moor vis mig data).  The vis belatedly kicked in in fits and starts after about 1000hrs as the skies cleared.  So the last chance of anything decent grounded-passerine-wise in what has been an awful month - a lot of effort for relatively little reward - as the "not strong enough for any sustained seawatching westerlies" kick in again for the foreseeable future

Vis mig and grounded birds dawn to 1200hrs Heysham NR
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - c8
Blackcap - 3
Coal Tit - notable numbers by this autumn's standards with at least 19 passing through in 6 flocks
Robin - 4 unringed birds caught early on
Blue Tit - one unringed bird
Wren - 3 unringed birds
Thrushes - no evidence c/f yesterday
Chaffinch - 149 SW, most early on
alba Wagtail - 39 SE
Pink-footed Goose - 31+77 SE
Meadow Pipit - 234 SE, almost all after 1000hrs, plus trickle after 1200hrs
Carrion Crow - one high to south
Redpoll spp - 2 SW
Grey Wagtail - 4 SE
Swallow - 23 SE, 12 seen late afternoon flying S together
Reed Bunting - 1 SE
Goldfinch - 19 SE
Siskin - heard once & one seen
Skylark - 1 SE

Outfalls area
Common Tern - juv
Med Gull - at least 2 1CY
Little Gull - Ad seen yesterday

Moths
A Herald (of not a lot!) was located in the trap first thing along with 4 Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Silver Y and a Green-brindled Crescent.  Drinker larva found by Linda & friend

Lapland Bunting leads a mainly vis morning

Heysham Obs
After a predictable start with migrant Song Thrushes prominent, the rest of the morning was slightly disappointing as other night migrants proved to be thin on the ground and it was left to the overhead stuff to provide the quality bird with the exception of three separate scattered Treecreeper in the mist nets - the highest daily ringing total for this species!

Vis mig dawn to 1030hrs
Skylark - 7 SE
Meadow Pipit - 349 SE (a steady trickle afterwards up to at least 1530hrs)
Lapland Bunting - one quite low to the SE at 0735 accompanying a flurry of Meadow Pipit
Goldfinch - 47 S
Mistle Thrush - 2 SW
Swallow - 69 mainly north!  A number of small parties observed flying northwards still during the  afternoon over Torrisholme.
Cormorant - flock of 3 high to south
Grey Wagtail - 4 S
alba Wagtail - 21 SE
Kestrel - 2 singletons high and purposefully SE
Chaffinch - 49 SW, almost all early on
Woodpigeon - 2 SE
Siskin - at least 14 S (two "lots" heard only and counted as one bird)
Carrion Crow - 2 S
Linnet - 1 S
No perceptible movement by Greenfinch

Grounded
2 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff, at least 3 Blackcap, 7 Goldcrest, one unringed Robin & Dunnock, at least 8 Song Thrush first thing which flew inland.  Three Treecreeper ringed.

Insects
At least 5 Migrant Hawker around (SD45E & 46A) but only one Common Darter seen.  Small Copper NE reserve, 3 Comma, Peacock, 2 Red Admiral and 3+ Small Tortoiseshell, at least 2 Speckled Wood.   Common Marbled Carpet NE reserve (SD46A) and c5 Nettle Tap seen in each of SD45E & 46A areas

Silver Y weather

Heysham Obs
Silver Y moths seem to be thriving in this weather with 9 in the trap this morning.  Otherwise some birding from the car was the only sensible option:

Miscellany
Little Gull - ad outfalls
Arctic tern - adult outfalls
Tufted Duck - 17 model boat pond Middleton

Migrant search lunchtime
A west-north-west wind unfortunately decided to get up during a very short break in the rain (surely a very local phenomenon relating to being near the centre of this low) and what would have been sheltered sites off north-easterlies, harbouring migrants, were suddenly windswept! About 45 mins possible.
Goldcrest - at least 5
Chiffchaff - 2
Blackcap - one

Moths
Silver Y (9), Pink-barred Sallow and 3 Treble Bar in the trap

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