Of moths and a few birds, notably late vis Meadow Pipit

Heysham Obs
Counted 145 moths this morning in two traps with one still to go at home.  The office trap produced: Agonopterix heracliana, December Moth, Feathered Thorn, 2 Mottled Umber, the first Winter Moth and a perhaps surprising 2 late Red-line Quaker

Vismig by the office
Song Thrush - 1
Redwing - 56 mainly SW
Meadow Pipit - an amazingly late 11
Chaffinch - 12 SW
Greenfinch - 4 SW
Goldfinch - 3 SW
Blackbird - a few grounded early morning

North harbour wall
Rock Pipit - 1
Twite - 11 - 6 new ones ringed and the four already ringed contained a Machrihanish 2011 bird - this individual has been caught here on three previous occasions (twice in autumn 2011, once in February 2012).
Goldfinch - single-figures ringed

Early morning finch flurry

Heysham Obs

Vis mig/eating breakfast/topping up feeder 0730-0800hrs
Chaffinch - 47 SW
Brambling - 2 SW
Siskin - heard heading S
Goldfinch - 15 SW
Greenfinch - 11 SW
Redwing - 2 S
Song Thrush - 1 S
Blackbird - c15 around office first thing
Woodpigeon - flock of 11 S
alba wagtail - possibly a late migrant headed SE

Later stuff by the office
Pink-footed Goose c450 south in one flock
Ringing by the office saw a surprising unringed Robin, 4 Blackbird (3 continental), one Chaffinch and low single figures of Green and Goldfinch.......plus a heap of retraps, including Goldfinch from the whoosh netting on the north wall

Moths
None in the office trap - perhaps surprisingly but the wind was a little too south and blowing slightly into the window.  Just the one December Moth in a portable trap in SD46A (thanks Justine)

Same routine - a few more birds

Heysham Obs
A bit of an overcast morning saw a few grounded thrushes with double-figures of Song Thrush a bit of a surprise.  No obvious'vis' other than Redwing heading inland

Heysham NR early morning circuit
Blackbird - 25-30, including behaviour, typical of continental migrants, of forming small flocks - 8 were in one small isolated hawthorn
Song Thrush - minimum of 12, perhaps up to 20
Redwing - 9 - flew inland
Goldcrest - 5, including very mobile and noisy flock of 3 which looked like new arrivals
Chiffchaff - 'collybita calls' heard from near the dipping pond but bird not seen
Water Rail - 1+

North harbour wall
Dogs accompanying anglers were a problem, but there were at least 20 finches, including c8 Twite (thanks John)

Moth
Light-brown Apple Moth surprisingly the only candidate after a mild night

Pre-work minima

Heysham Obs
Just a quick walk round the reserve pre-rain and a very quick check of the noth wall

Grounded on reserve
Blackbird - c15 - more than yesterday!
Redwing - 7 - flew inland
Goldcrest - 5 (4 more than yesterday)
Chiffchaff - one NE corner - a silent rather brown bird but not looking very siberian

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2CY patrolling - very intermittent bird this one, also 1CY
Twite - 6 - flew off before rings could be checked for
Goldfinch - 14
Linnet - 2

Moths
Single December Moth, Feathered Thorn and two Mottled Umber is above average for November!

Same place, same time?

Heysham Obs
Two Waxwings dropped in, again at 0745hrs, before flying east, then another singleton arrived at 0930hrs and ate a few hawthorn berries.  Good late-season vis today:

Vis  mig dawn(ish) to 0930hrs unless stated
Waxwing - 2 circled down from height at 0745hrs, landed briefly, circled around then flew high inland at about 0755hrs, perhaps those two seen later in the morning on Brier Drive, Heysham village (thanks Susan).  Another 'appeared' on top of a bush at 0930hrs and remained until about 1000hrs, eating some hawthorn berries before seemingly heading towards the power station
Fieldfare - flock of 85 grounded, then 76 of then flew inland
Redwing - c15, including 3 with the above
Chaffinch - at least 55 SW
Goldfinch - 6 SW
Bullfinch - 2 SW
Meadow Pipit - 3 SE high
Twite - 2 S
Woodpigeon - flocks of 32+27+4 south
Pink-footed Goose - 85 SE at about 1030hrs

North harbour wall
No food and no finches early morning - nyger seed put down
1CY Med Gull patrolling
Afternoon saw:
Goldfinch - c15
Linnet - up to 4
Twite - at least 6 individuals, including Machrihanish-ringed bird from autumn 2011

Moths
Angle Shades and Feathered Thorn

Waxwings

Heysham Obs
Noisy flock of four flew south-west over the office and appeared to land at the southern end of the tank farm at 0745hrs

Vis mig until 0900hrs
Waxwing - 4 SW
Redwing - 11 SW
Meadow Pipit - 2 SE
Chaffinch - 42 SW
Goldfinch - 15 SW
Woodpigeon - flock of 32 south over golf course
Greenfinch - prob a few moving

North harbour wall
After several days of a small but steady increase in Twite, today saw a big step backwards, possibly due to the morning high tide and disturbance but a birder encountered by the heliport just as I was leaving came out with the statement that "there didnt seem to be any food and 5 Goldfinches were pecking around for a few seconds but didnt seem to be finding anything".  This immediately followed taking two people new to the area down there and similarly drawing a blank.  Something must have really hammered the food between late morning and early afternoon - rabbits?  Perseverance saw a brief visit by 15 Goldfinch and 3 Twite late afternoon (thanks Kevin)

Office area grounded
Very brief ringing session included a continental male Chaffinch with wing of 94mm

MothsNo moths in the trap but a Nettle Tap moth was in the mist net ride

Pre-rain whistle-stop tour

Heysham Obs

 

Waxwings: Two out of a flock of 15 located by Janet this morning at SD447634 (Westgate cycle track old railiway bridge) in appalling weather conditions.  Do let us know if you see any, please.

Heysham N Reserve circuit
A bit of a thrush arrival
Blackbird - c30
Redwing - c15
Song Thrush -  2
Goldcrest - 5

North harbour wall
Just one quick check of the feeder
Linnet - 3
Twite - 9 (including Machrihanish bird)
Goldfinch - 24
Rock Pipit -1
Meadow Pipit - 5
Purple Sandpiper- one at base of seawall

Moths
Two December Moth in one night may be unprecedented - certainly scarce here.  Also late Pink-barred Sallow, Feathered Thirn and Parsnip Moth

North wall exercise and a few moths

Heysham Obs

Seen leaving Red Nab.  Thanks Janet

Didnt get chance to scope the finches today, just a quick exercise circuit:

Twite - 13 at least
Linnet - 5
Goldfinch - at least 10
Song Thrush - one mound, then flew over harbour
Med Gull - 1CY along wall, ad in harbour mouth

Moths
Single Epirrita, Feathered Thorn and Light-brown Apple Moth

End of an era and a returning Machrihanish twite?

Heysham Obs
The Observation Tower, built to observe the construction of the power station, is no more.  Also no more of Britains most frequently asked question: "Why is the tower not open?"   "Why has the tower been knocked down?" will hopefully have a short shelf-life.  It has been the victim of risk assessments and 'unsafe design' for years, but knocking it down at an earlier stage was not straightforward.

North harbour wall
Twite - 14, including a Machrihanish-ringed bird from autumn 2011 which may have been one which wintered in 2011/12 - hopefully it will be caught and the number checked.  6 were unringed, one ringed bird was pre-2011/12 winter, but the rest seemed to be either from earlier this autumn or last winter period
Goldfinch - a cohesive flock of 25 made two visits to the feeder, displacing the Twite.  A minimum of 7 were unringed, probably more
Linnet - 4 - 2 unringed
Med Gull - 1CY 'working' the seawall
Purple Sandpiper - one on the rocks at the base of the seawall by the red gate

Heysham Nature Reserve
A lot of banging and clattering (see above),but two Goldcrests were heard calling by the office

Moth
Parsnip Moth

Purple Sandpiper and a much better ratio

Heysham Obs

Taken today along north harbour wall.  Thanks Janet

A few wintry bits today including a returning Purple Sandpiper and a welcome reduction in the multi-coloured 'nyger seed rats' (Goldfinch) and a proportionate increase in Twite to double-figures at last.  Please note that the nyger seed feeding station is part of a ringing study of Twite.

North wall
Purple Sandpiper - 1 (thanks Janet)
Twite - 11 (6 unringed)
Linnet - 3
Goldfinch - 5
Med Gull - ad & 1CY

Red Nab
Med Gull - ad
No sign of any Little Gulls on outfalls