A gradually improving day

Heysham Obs
Awful first thing - no ringing and no vis and the latter just did not get going at all today other than a few albas.  A big fat Garden Warbler the best of the 'new' arrivals and the Yellow-browed Warbler gave occasional sequences of calls and one excellent view, but not when the visiting hordes were about at lunchtime!

Vis mig 0715-0815
alba Wagtail - 25 SE, probably a function of a nearby ex-roost but definitely on 'vis'
Meadow Pipit - 1
Chaffinch - 18

Grounded
Chiffchaff - at least 15, including 7 trailing a large tit flock
Yellow-browed Warbler - one NE corner but generally elusive - showed well late morning
Garden Warbler -one nature park
Blackcap - male nature park - pished out with the above -surprisingly no others around
Coal Tit - 5 with big tit flock
Song Thrush - at least 6

Miscellany
Linnet - 35 north wall
Med Gull - 5 adults, one 2CY
Wigeon - 77
Shelduck - 144
Rock Pipit - one OE
Kestrel (Heysham nature reserve)

Oh ye of little faith

Heysham Obs
"Progressive deterioration in migration corridor"  was todays original headline.  Straight afterwards, a circuit of the nature reserve was enthused by at least three chiffchaffs around the dipping pond and three further individuals in the NE marsh.  Then a Yellow-browed Warbler called twice as I passed through the gorse.  A backtrack revealed brief views as it moved through some hawthorn above ivy.  Then it disappeared and called further to the left.  Later it called a few times and then about 1510hrs showed in the top of a willow for a minute or so with most of the views being of underparts and the head pattern.  More vis today ahead of what looked like a band of quite organised cloud which reached here about 0830hrs.  Dawn was crystal clear with a fresh SE wind.  This depression to the SW is a pain - in many circumstances it would have filled by now and given us a decent light easterly airflow and a bit of murk.  Instead it has stayed and formed a pressure gradient and clear conditions, especially first thing this morning.  The other thing is the high is now developing into a 'ball' over southern Scandinavia, blocking stuff from north Scandinavia.  This was written prior to discovering the YBW: "Therefore we have a situation which might be ok for the odd Firecrest or Black Redstart but is increasingly looking poor for any more Yellow-browed Warbler and unfortunately sending many of the hundreds leaving the northern isles out into the Atlantic".

Vis mig dawnish to about 1030hrs
Chaffinch - 148 S
Meadow Pipit - 283 SE
alba Wagtail - 83 SE
Swallow - one gang of 11 SE
Pink-footed Goose - 2+69 SE
Grey Wagtail - 6 SE
Goldfinch - 9 S
Dunnock - 1+2 S
Siskin - 4 S
Linnet - 1 S
Raven - 2 high to the north

Grounded
Yellow-browed Warbler - NE corner of nature reserve mid/late afternoon at least but elusive in dense vegetation although calling reasonably regularly (& Pete Cook, Janet Packham, Jean Roberts).  Obviously no idea whether this was the same as two days ago but it was behaving as though it had a circuit
Wheatear - 1 north wall
Chiffchaff - at least 9 Heysham NR
Goldcrest - at least 4

Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Wigeon - 51
Med Gull - 5 adults
Little Egret - 1

Insects
Comma -  5 together NE corner
Red Admiral - at least 15, most seeming to fly south
Speckled Wood - at least 30
Small White - 5
Small Tortoiseshell - 3
Peacock - 1
Silver Y - 6

Black Redstart headlines another rather hit and miss morning with incredible variations in wind speed

Heysham Obs
A female/immature Black Redstart was on the fences between Ocean Edge and the seawall to the outfalls at 0845hrs before eventually flying into the southern end of the power station site.  Otherwise the easterly airflow flattered to deceive and was generally too clear/high-clouded

Grounded
Chiffchaff - at least 20 with a small influx apparent mid-morning (5 ringed)
Whitethroat - one Red Nab area
Black Redstart - female/immature Red Nab area at 0845hrs (Andrew Cornell and Bryan Yorke)
Goldcrest - at least 6
Wheatear - one north wall, one ocean edge

Vis mig dawnish to 1200hrs
Very intermittent with a majority of the movement early or mid-morning
alba Wagtail - 52
Meadow Pipit - 354
Chaffinch - 40
Grey Wagtail - 5
Goldfinch - 45
Siskin - 9
Linnet - 16
Pink-footed Goose - 40 (one flock)
Skylark - 2
plus small numbers of Starlings which seemed to be on the move

Miscellany
Little Egret - 4 (2 OE saltmarsh, 2 Red Nab)
Wigeon - 32 Red Nab
Med Gull - 5 Red Nab/outfalls
Rock Pipit - one OE foreshore
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2 together flew over HNR office
Shelduck - 125 off OE

Insects
At least 12 Red Admiral flying south and at least 10 Speckled Wood casually recorded along with 2 Small White

Wheatear at Ocean Edge this afternoon.

Small White on the sea wall near the outfalls this afternoon.

Early morning Yellow-browed Warbler heads inland

Heysham Obs
A Yellow-browed Warbler was by the office at 0725hrs, calling twice, then flew into a willow next to the dog walk track, then back across the road towards the dipping pond where it was lost in the vegetation n the presence of quite a few Blue/Long-tailed Tits.  It may have joined them but they flew over the road along the line of trees towards the traffic lights/railway line

This was a period of quite strong winds and a few other birds 'dropped including up to 7 Goldcrest and 4 Chiffchaff.  The wind then dropped during the next 30 minutes and the place seemed to 'dry up' as regards night migrants as they moved inland rather than remaining in situ

There was another small influx of night migrants at about 0930 again coinciding with the wind getting up from the east

Hopefully more later as off to search the likely spots to hold something and/or tit flocks

The subsequent thrash round once the ringing had finished was singularly unproductive in breezy sunny conditions but did include a bird which has been like rocking horse dung the last couple of years - a Kingfisher along the stream by the dipping pond...................and a shedload of common butterflies

Grounded Heysham NR
Robin - minimum 13, perhaps only one migrant today
Goldcrest - at least 7, probably 9
Chiffchaff - 9-11 (3 ringed)
Yellow-browed warbler - see above
Blackcap - 2-3
Song Thrush - 4 - all got up and flew inland, typical migrant behaviour

Vis mig dawnish to 0930 (2.5hrs)
Meadow Pipit - 200 (exactly!)
Grey Wagtail - 6
alba Wagtail - 44
Chaffinch - 62
Dunnock - 2
Siskin - 2
Skylark - 3
Goldfinch - 17
Greenfinch - 4

Miscellany
Rock Pipit - 1 north harbour wall 0830, two later
Kingfisher  - one by dipping pond early afternoon
Arctic Skua - a major surprise was two juveniles blogging around the harbour mouth being mobbed by gulls before heading out behind a ferry

Insects
Lots of butterflies but amazingly no dragonflies in outer circuit of the reserve
Red Admiral - 28 (including 13 flying purposefully south)
Speckled Wood - 26
Small Tortoiseshell - 13 (3 south)
Small White - 7 (2 south)
Peacock - 1
Comma - 1 on ivy NE corner
Common Blue - still one female by office
Silver Y - 8

Yellow brows postponed for a day or so as clear-morning vis mig to the fore

Heysham Obs
Rather intermittent vis mig coverage this morning as tried to mix and match with covering likely spots for grounded stuff.  Good numbers were recorded, however.  Main components were alba Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch with the less regular species including Tree Sparrow and Rock Pipit and gangs of 2+8+10 Coal Tit in irruptive fashion - shades of last autumn's migratory 'highlight'

Grounded included male Stonechat, two Wheatear, a few Chiffchaff and Blackcap and a flock of 4 Song Thrush

The other main feature of the morning was insect migration, including the first Clouded Yellow of the year

More later when all the figures are gathered in

Vis mig 0700-1315 -  mobile around office, north wall, tank farm including going to the shop, therefore perhaps 60 minutes in total missed
Grey Wagtail - 45SE
Chaffinch - 180 S
Meadow Pipit - 953 SE
alba Wagtail - 201 SE
Coal Tit - 2+8+10 south then one ringed later
Dunnock - 2+1+2+2 south
Goldfinch - at least 22 migrants S
Sparrowhawk - 2 singletons south
Kestrel - one south
Jay - 2 singletons south looked like migrants on behaviour
Tree Sparrow - 2 together south
Rock Pipit - one south
Skylark - 10 SE
Raven - 2 SW - the first seen for a bit - a species which has been intermittent this year and we should have recorded more conscientiously
Swallow - 22 SE
House Martin - 2 SE
Siskin - 2SE

Grounded
Stonechat - male tank farm
Wheatear - 2 north wall (one large)
Goldcrest - only one seen - north wall and 2 on reserve
Chiffchaff - at least 5 (2 ringed)
Blackcap - at least 4 (one ringed)
Song Thrush - 4 on tank farm - headed south together
Robin - one dropped out of the sky and landed by the office at 1034hrs but not much evidence of many other migrants (2 ringed)
Green Woodpecker - one heard distantly early morning - see Malcolm's posting

Middleton & Ocean Edge (thanks Malcolm)

Middleton IE 10.30 - 12.00

3 mute + 7 cygnets

5 coot

5 moorhen

11 tufted

6 gadwall (2 male with 2 female + 1 female + 1 probable juvenile)

2 teal

1 little grebe

1 snipe

1 green woodpecker

1 jay

1 chiffchaff

4 swallow (South)

c120 meadow pipit in smallish groups SE (most in first hour)

Lots of common darter (2 pairs mating) + 2 common blue & 2 migrant hawkers.

Small white & small tortoise shells only butterflies seen

 

Ocean Edge

1 grounded adult male white wagtail (12.30)

1 grey wagtail

5 wheatear

c30 linnet

Insects
Included a Clouded Yellow heading south by the office at lunchtime and low double-figures of Red Admiral, Small White and Silver Y south by the office from late morning plus a single Peacock and c5 Small Tortoiseshell. Plenty of Small and Large white plus Small Tortoiseshell along the Ocean Edge section of coast late morning.  Also Painted Lady seen on North Harbour Wall, lots of Red Admiral and Small Whites plus lots of bees, hoverflies and other flies all coming in-off.

Another mainly vis mig morning

Heysham Obs
Missed out on the early morning rain showers and, in conjunction with a lot of 'useless' uniform high cloud at dawn, there was not a lot happening other than vis mig.  Best for a lot of effort was a Spotted Flycatcher grounded and two Common Buzzard overhead

Vis mig dawn to about 1130
Meadow Pipit - 270
Pink-footed Goose - 6+9+40+29
alba Wagtail - 65
Grey Wagtail - 7 (4 ringed)
Lesser Redpoll - 2 (IOA)
Mistle Thrush - 7 SW
Grey Heron - 2 high to north
Dunnock - flocks of 3+2 heading south
Chaffinch - 69 SW
Common Buzzard - two separately south near midday
Large bird of prey - either Common Buzzard or harrier on jizz south early morning, but only seen in distant escape flight
Swallow - 24 SE
Linnet - 1 S
Goldfinch - 20 S
No Skylark heard

Grounded on Heysham NR
Spotted Flycatcher - 1 eastern woodland in large sycamore
Whitethroat - 1 by office
Chiffchaff - 3-4 scattered
Blackcap - female with LTT flock
Goldcrest - one!
Robin - not so much in evidence today and only 2 ringed
Dunnock - see above
Coal Tit - 2 ringed and at least 3 with Long-tailed Tit flock

Inshore
Big nosedive in Med Gulls first noticed yesterday with only 4 seen
Sandwich Tern - 3

Moths
Still good numbers of Pink-barred Sallow, Silver Y and Treble Bar

Butterflies
Speckled Wood (25), Common Blue (2), Small Copper (2), Red Admiral (3) seen around reserve

 Silver Y feeding outside office.

A vis mig morning

Heysham Obs

Late news from yesterday
A late pager message suggested that the Bonaparte's Gull was present for a lengthy period on the latter stages of the incoming tide yesterday, by the outfalls, then on Red Nab (1430-1540ish).  Two of us just did a quick check from Ocean Edge late afternoon and only had Meds and Sandwich Terns - must do better!

Today's news
A gusty easterly this morning limited the mist-netting but it was evident that grounded migrants were a bit thin on the ground with a seemingly complete clear-out of yesterdays Chiffchaffs.  New for the autumn was a single Redwing at dawn which had obviously been grounded overnight and flew inland.

Vis mig (thanks to Bryan for taking over at 0830) dawn to 1030
Grey Wagtail - 7 SE (2 ringed - rather fortunately in the conditions).  Over 70 have now been colour ringed this month - please keep an eye open!
alba Wagtail - good passage for here - 160 SE in groups of up to 11
Greenfinch - 6 S
Swallow - 42 SE
Goldfinch - 34 S
Meadow Pipit - 406 SE
Chaffinch - 143 S
Golden Plover - 1 S (rare here)
Teal - 2 S (rare here!)
Cormorant - flocks of 6 & 8 SE just after dawn - not an established ex-roost feeding movement

Red Nab late afternoon
No sign of Bonaparte's Gull either on Red Nab, the outfalls or the harbour mouth.
2 Sandwich Terns
3 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults, 1 x 2CY)
Rock Pipit flew onto sea wall

North Harbour Wall
2 Mediterranean Gulls (adults)
Wheatear

The forecast doesnt half look good

Heysham Obs
Time to lock the hides and send everyone out to the bushes and coastal trees keeping an ear open for the vis.  This morning was a little 'taster' without any proper wind and probably limited to British migrants, although Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher at nearby Sunderland Pt may have been of non-British origin.  Tomorrow sees the easterly kicking in and a shedload of stuff already on the east coast to the north of us.............

A bit awkward today as there was a lot of ?steam release from the power station and the vis was badly under-recorded.  However, there were certainly 'plenty' of Meadow Pipit, alba Wagtail plus a few other odds and ends, but the main Grey Wagtail passage seems to be past, given the numbers in relation to other vis.

Vis mig dawn on and off until mid-morning
Meadow Pipit - 280 SE (see above)
alba Wagtail - 45 SE (see above)
Grey Wagtail - 5 SE plus one mid-afternoon (2 ringed)
Chaffinch - at least 17 S
Goldfinch - no noticeable movement
Linnet - 5 S
flava Wagtail - one sounding like flavissima south
Skylark - 13 S
Siskin - heard once
Hirundines - none!

Grounded
Stonechat - 2 female types north wall
Robin - plenty of migrants, at least 12-15 on mound/sandworks area first thing (6 ringed nat res)
Chiffchaff - at least 12 on nature reserve (4 ringed)
Goldcrest - 2 north wall just the one seen nature reserve
Reed Warbler - one seen in the field looked like a juvenile Reed Warbler
Blackcap - at least 5 nature reserve
Tits - a flock of Long-tailed Tits numbering 22 along with 5 Coal Tits were the first sign of any movements this autumn

Miscellany
Czech-ringed Med Gull north wall, 2P96 on Red Nab at high tide plus two unringed Meds
Sandwich Tern (3) Red Nab at high tide

Moths
Big influx of Silver Y and Pink-barred Sallow and Treble Bar added to SD36 list

Vis continues all day with little pulses of activity

Heysham Obs
One of those days when counting vis required the utmost concentration and that was not possible for lengthy spells due to various activities. Unfortunately we made the wrong call on the Grey Wagtail ringing and tried to conserved the large tape (only lasts three hours) and use the previously effective CD player plus accompanying MP3.  Fine for leisurely low-flyers but this morning's birds were higher and purposeful and, in association with background noise, I have never seen tapes so ineffective, notably a flock of five which were presumably listening to each other's contact calls and didn't even hesitate.

Under-recorded vis mig until about 1100hrs
Meadow Pipit - 242 SE
Grey Wagtail - 15 SE (including flocks of 4+5 which flew straight over)
Chaffinch - 19 SW
Pink-footed Goose - no over the sea observations & just one flock of 23 SE first thing
alba Wagtail - 37 SE
Siskin - heard once
Skylark - 3 SE
Swallow - just the one south
Little Egret - two purposefully south and high at 0725 (ex-Leighton roost?)

Grounded
A little more than yesterday, especially on the Robin front but goodness knows how many with so many territorial birds around as well.  The 'mound' is a good indicator of the potential numbers and a few found the mist nets

Robin - 9 on the mound (all but one migrants), 4 ringed - plenty of ticking and chasing
Chiffchaff - probably three passed through by office
Goldcrest - 2 very early on then nothing.  Where on earth are the British juveniles?
Wheatear - 3 Ocean Edge area
Song Thrush - at least 4 migrants

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Red Nab was flushed prior to the tide - this has not happened very much recently, even with the angling ban further down the seawall.  Gulls were also dispersed on the flying ant trail, very late for this activity
Med Gull - just 5 seen

Ringing
The nets were pretty ineffective this morning with just 20 birds ringed and just two of the main study species, Grey Wagtail

Moths
Red-line Quaker was new for the year (3) and Flame Shoulder was late for here

Night migrant-free murk

Heysham Obs
Late evening update
Middleton was investigated for Swallows this evening and after talking to two dog walkers a net was erected.  At first there was nothing around until a very tightly-packed high-flying gang appeared about 1900hrs.  These were targeted by a falcon spp, probably Merlin, over the golf course.  After a late (for here) Reed Warbler on the initial check, I was just about to take down when 38 Swallows entered the net.  As seems to be regular at this stage of the season, 9/38 were adults.  The total roost was estimated at 120 birds

Also seen were four Gadwall and a flighty flock of 3 Shoveler which appeared to head off east.  A Barn Owl has been seen recently and at least one sighting of a Little Owl (per late evening dog walkers)

The opposite of what might have been expected this morning.  Lowish cloud and murk produced a reasonable 'cross-bay' vis of Meadow Pipit and a few other odds and ends, all flying as high as they could without being out of sight in the cloud and also showing a considerable degree of urgency on a NW to SE heading.  In contrast, there was very little of the usual Chaffinch-dominated low-level vis from the direction of Heysham Head along the coast.  The other feature was a complete absence of night migrants - the AA rings are in danger of going rusty apart from the odd Wren - other than a very early calling Chiffchaff and a small gang of Song Thrush

Thanks to Bryan for help with the vis mig

Vis mig dawn to 1030ish
Skylark - 1
Meadow Pipit - 245
Swallow - 12
Chaffinch - 15
Grey Wagtail - 9 (unusually at least 3 birds seemed not to hear the tape)
alba Wagtail - 9
Reed Bunting - 1
Goldfinch - just 3 high-flyers

Grounded
Chiffchaff - 1
Song Thrush - flock of 3 headed inland

Red Nab/outfalls
Quick check produced 4 Sandwich Tern plus about 9 Meds

Ringing
5 Grey Wagtail was a bit below par given the perfect mist-netting conditions (see above), the rest of the 50-ish catch consisted of finches, couple of Dunnock, one Blue Tit and a few Meadow Pipit

Moths
A good catch e.g. double-figures of Pink-barred Sallow but the only surprise was a second brood Acleris forsskaleana