Chaffinches struggle through some inclement weather

Heysham Obs
The most likely new species for here at the moment seems to be glossy ibis but a prolonged scrutiny of the coastal areas predictably failed.  The early morning routine was a bit unproductive and the nets were quickly taken down as the wind became unacceptable.  No mega migrants in the moth trap, but double-figures of Silver Y.

Vis mig office dawnish to 0900
Chaffinch - 167
Rock Pipit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 0!
alba Wagtail - 32
Grey Wagtail - 1
Song Thrush - 3+1+2
Goldfinch - 7
Reed Bunting - 1

Grounded
Chiffchaff - no more than 4-5
Goldcrest - 3
Blackbird - just one or two perceived extras

Inshore Ocean Edge area
Med Gull - 2 x 1CY, 1 x 2CY, 2 x Ad
Shelduck - 402 visible - mostly distant to south
Bar-tailed Godwit - at least 950
Grey Plover - at least 350
Rock Pipit - 1

Moths
11 Silver Y and a very late Square Spot Rustic of note

Well worth a morning visit despite unpromising weather

Heysham Obs

Not at all birdless despite the unpromising weather synopsis, notably the starry night

Vis mig
0745-0945 plus a bit of casual observation earlier and later
Steady passage of Chaffinch which continued throughout the morning and appearance of cloud cover. The following from the two hour count period:
Chaffinch - 308
Meadow Pipit - just 10
Bullfinch - 1+ 3 high to south
Goldfinch - 36 (inc flock 22)
Redwing - c200 from NE at 0650hrs which circled over power station before heading mainly SE, hen 9 dropped into bushes along the eastern side of reserve, then a ?singleton heard
Grey Heron - 1
alba Wagtail - only 10
Pink-footed Goose - 4+24
Sparrowhawk - two singletons high to south (also seen Sunderland?)
Swallow - 3 (flock)
Blackbird one high inland
Reed Bunting - 2
Greenfinch - 7
Carrion Crow - 4
Raven - 2
Linnet - 3
Jackdaw - 2 (first of autumn - rare here!)
Dunnock 2
Siskin - 2                        

 

Grounded

Chiffchaff - at least 6 and again the trapped ones (2 ) were unringed  suggesting some new arrivals

Goldcrest - at least 2

Blackbird - c20

Song Thrush - c5

Blackcap - 2

 

Ringing

33 birds, mainly Chaffinch, but including a Blackcap and two Chiffchaff

 

Inshore

Absolutely dire!  A visit to Ocean Edge did not even record any Little Egret or Meds, despite a fair number of gulls around.  Horses splashing in the incoming tide off Potts Corner/Shorefields caravan site disturbed over 10,000 waders - apparently this is to "get the horses used to walking in the sea" which is at least one better than riding them along the highly dangerous rat-run between Slyne and Halton 

Westerly fare and a few leftovers

Heysham Obs
There is a possibility that the YBW is still present - whilst clearing a mist net ride in mid-afternoon - heard a distant call which sounded the part from the tall trees fringing the golf course or just over the road in the eastern NR woodland.  The key word is 'possibility' as couldn't trace it or hear a repeat call

Vis mig dawnish until 0930hrs
Grey Wagtail - 3
Chaffinch - 133
Meadow Pipit - just 10 but a few casually noted after 0930
Pink-footed Goose - 6 and a flock of  'c300' about 0950hrs
Dunnock - 2 high-fliers
Goldfinch - 5
Greenfinch - 2
Skylark - 1!
Starling - flock of 4 high to SW

Grounded
Difficult to know what to make of the Chiffchaffs -we have not had any retraps, nor seen any ringed birds in the filed and the impression again this morning was of birds on the move with at least 4 passing through by the office
Coal Tit - 6
Goldcrest - small arrival with at least 5 although one was surprisingly a retrap from over a week ago
Wheatear - at least 2

Inshore
Little Gull - adult following ferry
Med Gull - at least 4
Little Egret - 2 Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Moths
Scarce Bordered Straw at nearby Sunderland, but just Silver Y on the migrant front in the office trap plus actinic

Song Thrush influx 4th October

This looks like being the last day for a bit for any night migrants from the east - at least we managed to tick the Yellow-browed Warbler box but more obliging individuals(s) would have been gratefully received

Vismig 0710-1010
Meadow Pipit 330 Grey Wagtail 4 Song Thrush 54 Redwing 2+9 alba wagtail 50 Siskin x1 heard Chaffinch 67 Brambling 1 Pink-footed Goose - 1 flock heard Linnet 4

A walk round the reserve 0955-1045
Chiffchaff 5, Robin 23, Blackbird 9, Song Thrush 11, Mistle Thrush 1 Long-tailed Tit 2 flocks 1x7, 1x11, Blue tit 8, Great Tit 8, Wren 6, Greenfinch 6, Goldfinch 7, Bullfinch 1, Treecreeper 1, Carrion Crow 3, Magpie 3, Moorhen 2.

September ringing totals are quite interesting. Following the lack of Willow Warblers in August, September saw a similarly rather inexplicable absence of Goldcrest. Flocks of tits were also conspicuously absent, as were passage Reed Bunting. Grey Wagtail passage, on the other hand, was very good. The following were ringed: Swallow (161), Greenfinch (84), Grey Wagtail (76), Goldfinch (40), Robin (34), Blue Tit (27), Chiffchaff (25), Meadow Pipit (18), Chaffinch (16), Blackcap (14), Dunnock (14), Whitethroat (13), Great Tit (10), Long-tailed Tit (8), Blackbird (6), Wren (6), Coal Tit (3), Goldcrest (3), Sedge Warbler (3), Bullfinch (3), Willow Warbler (2), Reed Warbler (2), Sparrowhawk (1), Reed Bunting (1) 

Heysham Head Yellow-browed Warbler

Heysham Obs
One was heard calling three times in the Sycamore canopy at the north-west end of Heysham Head at 0915hrs but the situation, as far as we know, on the reserve was limited to a single possible/probable call

Vig mig until 1215hrs (thanks Bryan)
Blackbird - 3 inland
Song Thrush - 15 inland
alba Wagtail - 63 SE
Grey Wagtail - 2 SE
Meadow Pipit - 62 SE
Chaffinch - 162 S
Goldfinch - 71 S
Swallow - 2 SE
Siskin - 3 SE
Skylark - 4 SE
Greenfinch - 7 S
Bullfinch - 2+3 S
Kestrel - 2 together high to SE

Grounded
Apart from a few thrushes, all the rest could have been leftovers with at least 10 Chiffchaff and 4 Goldcrest.  See above re-YBW

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Wigeon - 85
Med Gull - 2 x 1CY, 1 x 2CY, 4 ad - one adult later on model boat pond

Moths another zero with the wind straight into the window.  One of the two actinics had 3 x Straw Dot, one Light Brown Apple Moth and one I cannot remember!  3 Silver Y noted

Butterflies
Red Admiral - 8 (inc 4 south), Speckled Wood 10+, Large White 1 south, Small White - 2 south, Peacock 1

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.