Decent early morning coverage, routine reward

Heysham Obs
Spring has sprung with the first annoying fly of the year in the office

A Swallow flying north over Middleton early morning was the only new species for the year but bits and bobs were going over for most of the morning, with quite a significant northbound Carrion Crow movement early morning worthy of mention

Grounded
Wheatear - 6
Chiffchaff - at least 5 new birds
Goldcrest - 10ish around the office area

Chiffchaff showing pollen-stained feathers above the bill - typical of some of the newly arrived migrants at this time of year

Vis mig office area/north wall to midday (north or north-east unless stated)
Redpoll - 1
Meadow Pipit - 205 including a sample of 60 north in 30 minutes from north wall
alba Wagtail - 26
Grey Wagtail - 1
Goldfinch - at least 14 vis mig
Reed Bunting - 1
Linnet - 6
Jackdaw - 1 high to SW
Carrion Crow - 17 purposefully high to NE (6,2,1,3,2,3)
Swallow - one north over Middleton early am (per Justine)
Sand Martin - 2

Offshore
A few Common Gull on the move with 25 north in 30 minutes
Eider - 214
Great-crested Grebe -1

Middleton
Cetti's Warbler - singing male usual area
Tufted Duck - 5 mbp
Gadwall - male mbp

Wet morning, sunny aftenoon

The following records are from a quick walk around Middleton Nature Reserve mid afternoon (MD)
Three separate sightings of single buzzard. Probably same individual doing the rounds.
6 mute
8 tufted
3 mallard
1 male gadwall
1 common snipe
1 Cetti's warbler (just one burst of song)
2 chiffchaff
c20 meadow pipit grounded

Barn Owl over Central Marsh this evening (ref Justine)

A bit more action in the limited time available

Heysham Obs

Seawatch etc. 0830-0900 north wall
Red-throated Diver - 2 in
Ducks - an 'ill-disciplined' flock of 10 dark things heading north-west miles out looked like Common Scoter
Rock Pipit - one on seawall - looked like littoralis but only seen very briefly
Twite - the only finches seen were four on the fence by the sandworks - all un-ringed - disappeared whilst sea-watching.  No food left at feeding station
Eider - 160 and counting - 35 in four flocks flew in during the half hour spent seawatching and joined the usual flock off the skeers
alba Wagtail - 5 north
Meadow Pipit - at least 11 north

Ocean Edge (low tide)
Nothing notable

Middleton Nature reserve
9 tufted
1 male gadwall
1 little grebe
1 water rail
1 Cetti's warbler (singing 11:45 fence pond road side)
1 chiffchaff (fence pond)
1 kestrel over to NE

More quick checks

Heysham Obs
Migration appeared to be at a standstill today but we didn't exactly give it much chance outside

Model boat pond
Tufted Duck - 9
Gadwall - male
Mallard - 6
Coot - 4
Mute Swan - 2
Teal - pair

Middleton Western marsh
Cetti's Warbler - sang once then observer left!

Offshore low tide
Eider - 180
Great-crested Grebe - 2

Ocean Edge
No migrants
Little Egret - 2

Sand Martin battles north

Heysham Obs

Just a single Wheatear Ocean Edge

Sand Martin north whilst watching the Eider flock

Eider - increase again to about 280

Meadow Pipit - not even a perceptible trickle

Saturday Wheatear plural

Heysham Obs
At least 4, probably 5 Wheatear landfalling and moving inland on Ocean Edge

11 Linnet north wall

Meadow Pipit - trickle - about 20 seen with the 20 minute sample count producing 4 of these!

Chiffchaff

Two chiffchaff in willows at Tim Butler pond, one singing.
Cetti's warbler singing almost continually at 10:10 but totally silent at 10:40 - In scrub edge of Western scrape between reeds and recently cleared dyke. (MD)


Ocean Edge/Red Nab
25 wigeon
4 little egret
2 small tortoiseshell


Middleton Nature Reserve
8 mute
7 coot
4 moorhen
3 tufted
2 mallard
1 cetti's warbler
2 chiffchaff
1 pheasant
1 small tortoiseshell

Heysham Nature Resarve (ref Jean)
1 chiffchaff singing

At last!

Heysham Obs
Pretty thorough coverage up to now of Wheateary habitat drawing a blank until a single male this morning

Ocean Edge
Wheatear - male near slipway

Still very slow

Heysham obs
Enhanced security all around the port and power station perimeter. Please carry photo  id with you if you are eg around the outfalls - means you can be processed more quickly. Thanks

Pretty non existent passage today with just a few meadow pipit recorded.  The Cetti's was singing early morning at Middleton. The moth trap had its best night so far this year

Heysham NR
No proper counting of Meadow Pipit passage but did include a flock of 11 and a grand total not exceeding 50

North wall
Eider - 160
Red-breasted merganser - 5
Great-crested Grebe - 3
Red-throated Diver - 1  

Middleton NR
Cetti's Warbler - 1 singing male
Tufted Duck - 3
Water Rail - at least 4

Moths
Double striped pug new for the year along with shoulder stripe and what looks like a dark featureless version of acleris hastiana. Middleton actinic drew a blank

Reduced numbers of usual suspects, nothing new

Heysham Obs

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Wigeon - 29
Little Egret - 2
Ringed Plover - 4
Peregrine - 2

North Harbour Wall
Brief visit to replenish nyger seed.
Goldfinch - 5
Linnet - 3 (two ringed)

Middleton NR
Model Boat Pond
Mallard - 5,  all male
Tufted Duck - 8
Mute Swan - 2, being fed a large quantity of very unhealthy looking sliced white bread.