Stoatally quiet

No moths to report, but superb view of a stoat from the office window mid-afternoon- briefly investigating rabbit burrows in the sandy bank

North harbour wall: Twite (c20), Linnet 2, Goldfinch (c6)

Thanks Steve & John

Bits of coverage

Heysham Obs

North harbour wall
Twite - 14 on the first visit, including a Machrihanish-ringed bird from 2011 (metal over green/white right leg, red/white left leg).  18 on a midday food top-up which didnt include the Mach bird, but there were 8 unringed birds!
Goldfinch - 16, several unringed
Linnet - one

Red Nab
2CY Med gull

Rapid reserve circuit
Blackbird - 17
Redwing - 1
Goldcrest - 2

No moths

Possibly more later

Heysham Obs

North harbour wall
Med Gull - adult (Czech-ringed) and 2CY
Finches - mobile flock with the ratios approximately 10 Goldfinch, 20 Twite, 2 Linnet.  Not helped by a photographer loitering far too close to the feeding station - his presence a direct result of pics being published elsewhere yesterday.  The reason for his location, on the far side of the feeding station, was obviously due to the time of day and blinding sunlight when trying to look from the car.  In other words, this site is not suitable for photography during the morning on sunny days as it is not possible to get 'on the other side of the birds' without disturbing everything

Middleton NR
Snipe - 12
Pochard - male
Tufted Duck - 13

Waders roosting at high tide between Potts Corner and Ocean Edge
Redshank - 175
Grey Plover - 13
Dunlin 2
Knot 5

Moth
Mottled Umber

..........and even more Waxwings!

Heysham Obs
At 1050hrs, 24 Waxwing appeared in the sky from the east and then swung to the north-east and appeared to land in the region of Smithy Lane.

North harbour wall circuit 0900hrs
No food, no birds but 8 Twite and 2 Goldfinch were located near the met mast.  Food put out.

Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Twite 26
Linnet 5
Jack Snipe 2
Snipe 27

Fisher's Roof (Harbour)
Mediterranean Gull 2 adults (including Czech ringed bird), 2CY on North Wall

Wooden Jetty
Purple Sandpiper 1

Reserve circuit 1030-1100hrs
See above
Blackbird - c15
Redwing - 1
Chiffchaff - heard but not seen in reeds/willow NE corner (collybita-like calls)
Bullfinch - 4
Goldcrest - 2

Moth
One Winter Moth

Elsewhere
Brambling 3 Thrushgill

More Waxwings

Heysham Obs
A circuit of the reserve was going very quietly migrant-wise with, for example, Longtailed Tit flocks just that and hardly any grounded thrushes, notably the north-east corner, until the area below the now ex-obs tower was checked.  This produced 5 Waxwings and a good collection of continental Blackbirds

Reserve circuit early morning
Waxwing - 5 below the obs tower feeeding on hawthorn, then flew into the tank farm area where they could still be heard calling
Blackbird - c30, with 25 of these below the obs tower/tank farm
Song Thrush - 3
Redwing - flock of 18 SW
Fieldfare - 7 SW with above
Goldcrest - just one found

Moths
Single very worn Red-line Quaker and Mottled Umber

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