Better coverage, more reward

Heysham Obs
Two things today produced the goods in a typical 'local patch highlight' fashion.  One was some early morning vis mig, despite unpromising weather, and the second thing was the WeBS count.

Vis mig, dawnish to 1100hrs with a 45 min gap during heavy rain
Fieldfare - 1,720 SW
Chaffinch - 165
Woodpigeon - 27 flew east early morning - unexpected - ex-roost?
Redwing - only 34 seen with Fieldfare flocks, others could have been missed but not many
Greenfinch - 6
Pink-footed Goose - 15+26+32
alba Wagtail - 20
Mistle Thrush - 4 assuming there were none lurking silently with Fieldfare flocks
Starling - 17+54 on the requisite high SW migrant heading
Meadow Pipit - 1!
Goldfinch - 22
Siskin - 10

Grounded
Meadow Pipit - 6 on mound and 8 on south harbour wall
Goldcrest - one south harbour wall and c5 reserve
Chiffchaff - one reserve
Blackbird - very few - <10 p="">
Webs
Cormorant - 82 wooden jetty
Shag - one thought to be on wooden jetty with obscured view confirmed by later sighting off Ocean Edge (amazingly including a record shot) whence it headed towards the Lune Estuary
Med Gull -  adults on Fisher's roof, north harbour wall and Red Nab
Redshank - a massive roost of 570 on the heliport seawall (and sure enough the sunny slopes groyne had been disturbed (just 34 Redshank)), 220 on beach south of Ocean Edge
Oystercatcher - 2,100 heliport, 420 remained around Red Nab (plus 1,100 SSG, 280 Battery, 520 WEG)
Turnstone - 56 wooden jetty, 30 with heliport Redshank
Ringed Plover - 16 heliport, 11 along shore south of ocean edge
Little Egret - one remained around Red Nab

Moths
Feathered Thorn, Pink-barred Sallow  and Light Brown Apple Moth



 

Dead early morning

Heysham Obs
Here are the pics of the two Grey Wagtails ringed at Heysham this autumn and subsequently seen elsewhere: from Skokholm (thanks to Richard Brown) and Seaforth (thanks to Chris Gregson).  Please do report any sightings even if you only manage to see one of the legs properly.  Thanks.

Nothing doing at first light either on the grounded front or the vis in the low cloud and rain - wind perhaps too southerly.  The coastal trek was similarly unproductive with just a Little Egret barely worth raising a pencil to a notebook - even the fishing hooked gull had disappeared

However, as it cleared up a mist net was erected and produced 20 unringed Green finch, a continental male Chaffinch (95mm wing) and what were 2/5 of a flock of Coal Tits passing thorough which had very yellow cheeks for this time of year

A Red-line Quaker and Light Brown Apple Moth graced the moth trap

Gull and Goldcrests

Today's posting is from Jean.

The posting heading could be a name for a funpub but it certainly wasn't fun for the Gull.  A young herring gull had found what it thought was some food, only to become snared by a discarded hook and fishing line.  It was impossible to rescue the bird as it was at the bottom of the sea wall and the tide was in.  It will be a slow, horrible and sickening death for the bird and just because of someone's thoughtlessness and carelessness. I intend to take a plastic bag with me every time I visit the North Harbour Wall and pick up any fishing line. I don't understand why some people think that it is someone else's job to pick up their rubbish.  Instead of hiding beer cans under rocks or just chucking fishing line on the ground I wish they would clear up after themselves. 

Hooked Herring Gull desperately trying to escape but this was as far as it could get.

Today's sightings:
Heysham Nature Reserve
Vis 0740-0940
Redwing 3
Chaffinch 39
Brambling 1
alba Wagtail 6
Rook 29
Starling 109 east
Greenfinch 9
Goldfinch 4
Grey Wagtail 1
Blackbird 1
Pink-footed Goose 150 west at 0845
Also 1 Skylark over at 1200hrs

On a walk round the reserve:
Blackbird 15, Song Thrush 1, Robin 20, Chaffinch 3, Goldcrest 18, Coal Tit 2, Chiffchaff 1, Yellow-browed Warbler? 2 calls heard but didn't manage to see the bird.  Wren 7, Great Tit 11, Blue Tit 9, Dunnock 5, Long-tailed Tit c16 in 2 flocks, Bullfinch 3, Moorhen 1, Water Rail 1, Magpie 4, Carrion Crow 4, Woodpigeon 7, Jay 1, Cormorant 1 ! - the latter landed on the fire pond near the hut.  Sparrowhawk 1

North Harbour Wall
2 Mediterranean Gulls - adults, one with yellow darvic, one with metal ring (Czech bird?)
Linnet 25
Reed Bunting 1
Robin 1
Scandinavian Herring Gull seen by Ian W.

South Harbour Wall
Goldcrest 1
Robin 2
Wren 1
Linnets commuting to North Harbour Wall

Red Nab
Oystercatcher - several hundred
Wigeon -28
Litle Egret 1

Nice for late insects...............................

Heysham Obs
.....but not for night migrants other than c30 Blackbird and a handful of Song Thrush on the reserve. A bit of Chaffinch-dominated vis will be added tomorrow. No specific highlights today

Insects
Common Darter x 10, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Small White, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell - all 1-5 sightings/individuals. Day-flying Silver Y x 4, but the moth trap only held a single plus an Epirrita, Rhomboid Tortrix and Pink-barred Sallow

Wasp 'traffic' about one per minute, even in the cooler early morning vis mig slot, on the same line past the office, obviously at least one nest still very active

Twite Information & Request for Sighting Reports

From this autumn onwards a new colour system will be used for Twite captured at Heysham Harbour that will uniquely identify individual birds.

The combination for this winter will be:  Right Leg below tarsal joint – Pale Blue over BTO Metal,  Left Leg below tarsal joint – White with dark engraved number between 1 and 99.  (The Pale Blue ring is the SITE colour for Heysham).

 

Sightings of colours only will be attributable to Site and Season, but individuals will be identifiable too if the numbers can be read (by telescope, digital camera etc).

 

Twite are a tricky species to check for colour rings with their short legs often concealed.  For any sightings of coastal Lancashire flocks, please try and concentrate on a quick check of ringed/unringed ratios and then the colour rings, with emphasis on the single colour rings. 

There may also still be birds with a metal ring on the right leg and two colour rings on the left, one a single colour, the other a two-colour striped. These will be birds ringed in previous seasons under the original scheme.

There may be plenty of Twite with Pale Blue site rings around between Knott End and Heysham, but also birds wearing other site colours e.g. YELLOW that is the site colour for birds ringed at Askam in Furness.

All records are important so please send any sightings to Alan (see contacts in right sidebar).

 

Thanks very much.                                                                                                   ajd

Red-throated Diver and the first autumnal Twite provide the interest

Heysham Obs
The early morning was ok if you are into poetry or fancy cloud names as the sky was filled by orangy red dappled things instead of the hoped for "clear sky meets clear-cut frontal edge at dawn"

Another colour-ringed Grey Wagtail seems to be taking up residence at Seaforth Nature reserve and has been seen there twice this last week.  Thanks to Chris Gregson.

Vis mig dawn to 1030
Redwing - 25
Song thrush - 3
Grey Wagtail - 1 (definitely a SE-bound high migrant)
Chaffinch - 93
Brambling - one in the half light - presumed just one
Meadow Pipit - 27
alba Wagtail - 50
Goldfinch - 29
Mistle Thrush - 2
Carrion Crow - 7
Sparrowhawk - 2 high to south together
Pink-footed Goose - 6
Reed Bunting - 1
Bullfinch - 3
Dunnock - 1
Jay - 1
Red-throated Diver - c0830: one appeared from 'over' the power station, turned north, then turned round, gained height and headed inland to the north-east and was a dot when last seen.  Seemed to be moulting out of summer plumage.  Unprecedented behaviour in autumn

Inshore
Med Gull - Czech adult and unringed adult north wall
Twite - one on glasswort on Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Linnet- 27 on nyger seed on north wall along with a male Chaffinch
Little Egret - one Red Nab
No sign (predictably) of any terns

Open-morning fare

Heysham Obs
A wet early morning at home with low cloud looked promising, but the skies cleared at Halton and, even further west, the Heysham fare was very much the clear sky variety. Not a bad morning however with dogs making a significant contribution in a "positive" and definitely negative way.  Pretty impressive for ringing with good numbers of Wrens, a few new Robins, quite a few finches and a surprising three Tree Sparrow..............but you didn't have the "feeling" of anything Scandinavian/Siberian being around with e.g. all the new Robins being Christmas-card red and the Wrens most definitely from this side of the north sea.  Similarly, very few thrushes.  Top bird during good coverage was a Snow Bunting.

Thanks very much to Skokholm for sending the Grey Wagtail pictures from yesterday

Vis mig on and off until 0930
Chaffinch - at least 61
Greenfinch - unknown but captures suggested quite a bit of movement (30 ringed)
Meadow Pipit - 16
Redwing - 25
alba Wagtail - 17
Jackdaw - 9
Rook - 5 with above
Carrion Crow - 4+36
Reed Bunting - 4
Rock Pipit - 2

Grounded
Wren - quite a few including 4 migrants on the mound
Chiffchaff - 1
Thrushes - virtually none
Tree Sparrow - three ringed at the feeder (flock)

Coastal stuff
Snow Bunting - one Ocean Edge saltmarsh shingle, then flushed by dog and flew towards the OE to Potts corner
Rock Pipit - one north wall
Arctic Tern - juv Red Nab then out to sea
'Commic' Tern - juv with above - probably Common - flew out to sea
Wigeon - 81
Med Gull - just one adult seen!

Slightly better west coast scraps and a message from Skokholm

Heysham Obs
A few interesting things happened this morning and we haven't really given the site any legwork coverage as yet (will have to be after work).  The best was a text message from Skokholm to say they had today seen and photographed a Grey Wagtail we ringed here on 4th October - virtually our last passage bird of the autumn.  Simplistically pushed west by the easterlies?  Thanks to Skokholm for contacting us promptly and a pic will be on their blogsite this evening.  Reminds me of one of my most embarrassing birding moments.  I was on Cape Clear many years ago checking mist nets in Cotters and a really nice elderly gentleman asked if he could do some ringing.  I asked if he had a ringing permit.  He then introduced himself.  Ronald Lockley.  I doubt if he had ever been asked that question before! Ooops.  If anyone from Skokholm is reading this, please could you tell me how to get in touch on line - couldn't find any 'comment' option on the blogsite or a contact email! 

Vis Mig dawnish to 1000hrs (thrushes north, rest south unless indicated)
Crossbill - four circled over the office then headed north-west at 0830 (cam from SE?)
Yellowhammer - two identical silhouettes headed south at 0820 and the only call was this species.  I think this may be the first non-singleton for here of what is a scarcity on a par with black reds and yellow-brows.
Redwing - 142
alba Wagtail - 9
Meadow Pipit - 18
Chaffinch - 127
Goldfinch - 16
Siskin- two separate 'heard'
Mistle Thrush - 2
Bullfinch - 2

Grounded
Redwing - only about 30 grounded at dawn - flew inland in half-light
Blackbird - very few - c6
Song Thrush - 8 - all flew inland
Goldcrest - 3 by office early on

Outfalls/Red Nab
Arctic Tern - juvenile flew in from out to sea at height & landed on Red Nab at 0900hrs
Med Gull - 4 Red Nab
Shelduck - 244
Wigeon - 68

Middleton late afternoon 'thrash' -western end only
Ring Ouzel - presumably the same female/imm seen twice (in different areas) within the scrub on the high part
Chiffchaff - minimum of 6, 4 with tit flock
Goldcrest - at least 5
Blackcap - female
Didn't cover the duck ponds

Thrush at Heysham Harbour

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