West coast scraps

Heysham Obs
For various reasons the coverage was not very attentive this morning, especially early vis mig. More 'how do you get to the hide' this morning - thanks Mr Miles!

Vis mig dawnish to about 1000
Redwing - 77
Fieldfare - 5
Mistle Thrush - 6
Brambling - 1
alba Wagtail - 30
Chaffinch - 107
Meadow Pipit - 6
Siskin - 5
Redpoll spp - 1
Skylark - 5
Goldfinch - 16

Grounded
Blackbird - c20
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - 1
Song  Thrush - 6
Stonechat - 1 female - chased off by Robin

Moths
Blair's Shoulder Knot for the second night running - different individual and 5 other 'usual' species, including Large Wainscot

Dawn then dead as regards thrush movements

Heysham Obs
Plenty of birds first thing and very little difference between today's and yesterdays weather other than the wind being less gusty.................but the on-going passage of Redwing and Fieldfare was certainly not via the corridor between the coast and the Morecambe-Middleton road

Vis/grounded dawnish to 1130hrs
Redwing - 199, almost all grounded birds heading inland at or soon after dawn
Song Thrush - at least 8 as above
Blackbird - c15 as above, possibly more
alba Wagtail - 16
Lesser Redpoll - 2
Chaffinch - 42
Meadow Pipit - 5
Skylark - 2
Coal Tit - 4
Robin - 4 unringed birds, one very light weight

Mound/north wall
Robin - three orange-coloured migrants being hemmed into the end of the mound by a red-breasted resident
Lesser Redpoll - one with Linnets
Reed Bunting - one in sandworks
Rock Pipit - 1
Meadow Pipit - 3 grounded
Linnet - 15

Moths
Quite a flurry after yesterdays blank

More Redwing eventually get going

Heysham Obs
Thanks very much to Andrew Cornall this morning.  Invaluable coverage as the rest of us had to go and do other things, one of them unscheduled.  So sorry you were left on your own with tricky multi-height Redwing passing north on both the seaward and landward sides.  Single observer concentration on the landward side movements was the only sensible option, but inevitably some were missed on the other side

Vis mig dawnish to 1200hrs
Redwing - 4,125 north (see above), a majority after 0935 and virtually none between the dawn birds (c200) and 0900.  Then a further 780 in the evening (or noticed that they had started again in the evening on a reserve circuit) - including high straggling flock of 420 -all still heading north although the last 25 landed in the tank farm = 4,905 recorded during the day will little/no observation 1200-1700
Fieldfare - 111 (none in evening flurry)
Mistle Thrush - 14
Chaffinch - 50
alba Wagtail - 10
Blackbird - 20+ at dawn, just the one high-flying migrant
Meadow Pipit - 29
Goldfinch - 7
Siskin - 9
Pink-footed Goose - 13
Whooper Swan - 3+9

Grounded
Blackbird - see above, but zero left by evenng
Song Thrush - 5
Goldcrest - 3
Chiffchaff - 1
Water Rail - 1

Inshore
Med Gull - 2 ad & 2 x 2CY

Redwings and thermals

Heysham Obs
A late start but, for a change, this may not have missed a great deal as the Redwing passage seemed to increase in intensity after about 0900hrs

Vis mig 0815-1300hrs
Redwing - 5,632 - most of the movement west or north-west 'out to sea'
Fieldfare - 1 (first of autumn)
Chaffinch - 137
Siskin - 1
Meadow Pipit - 26
Coal Tit - 2
Pink-footed Goose - heard + 22
Common Buzzard - two from the south-west - one headed north, the other east
Kestrel - one east, one blogging
Linnet - 7
Skylark - 1
Grey Wagtail - 2 but both registrations may have been the ringed bird doing the rounds
alba Wagtail - just 2
Goldfinch - 17
Carrion Crow - flock of 6
Green finch - at least 9 perceived to be migrating
Greylag - two south

Grounded
2 Chiffchaff and at least 3 Song Thrush

North wall
17 Linnet ringed

Moths
2 Pink-barred Sallow

Frustrating Day

Heysham Obs

A bit of a frustrating day bird-wise with most of the plaudits at the moment going to a significant arrival of migrant moths where last night was most definitely the last chance weather-wise.
So the Millhouses trap was emptied early at the expense of early vis mig (one Vestal) and the Sunderland trap emptied later in the morning (Delicate, Rusty Dot Pearl, sev Rush Veneer).
In between times the Heysham trap was emptied(just Rush Veneer).

The outfalls and mound were visited, but in retrospect the wrong way round.  The very distant (from Ocean Edge foreshore) seaward end of Heysham One outfall held an interesting seemingly adult gull with rather contrasting grey/white upper wing, relevant size and white underwings.  Bonaparte's?
Unfortunately a Stena Line ferry then loomed past the wooden jetty with a long pure-white side and the gulls were completely lost against this background and the bird could not be relocated as it 'probably' followed the ferry and shifting the car also meant the scope was affected by wind-shake.
Annoying - could have nailed this on way or the other if I'd been on the 'other side' looking from the north wall. So a 'no claim' but 'keep a look out'.  Interestingly it last appeared during rough seas and a westerly sector wind.  No time to check later in the tide on Red Nab.

Inshore

Med Gull - at least 4 adults, one 2CY

Grounded

Goldcrest - 2 by office
Meadow Pipit - 11 mound, 7 Ocean Edge foreshore

Vis mig

Only managed 0915-0945ish
Chaffinch - 23
Goldfinch - 7
Meadow Pipit - 1

Retrap Grey Wagtail and Scarce Bordered Straw surprise

Heysham Obs
A mundane day today with two notable exceptions, a rare moth and an unexpected retrap Grey Wagtail.  A bit of early morning ringing saw one of the presumed passage Grey Wagtail ringed on 9/9/13 retrapped and obviously the bird which has been doing the rounds in the last week or so (and obviously prior to that!)

Vis mig 0745-0930
Chaffinch - 73
Meadow Pipit - 2
Goldfinch - 8
alba Wagtail - 10
Three Bullfinch flew high to  the north

Grounded
At least one Chiffchaff and two Goldcrest

Inshore at high tide Ocean Edge
Med Gull - two adult
Little Egret- 1
Grey Heron - 2

Moths
The first record of Scarce Bordered Straw was perhaps overdue at this coastal site

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)