Yellow-browed Warbler Reserve

Heysham is crawling with Yellow-browed Warblers. At least 8 of them today:
1 calling near the fire pond on Heysham Nature Reserve
4, probably 5 in the NE corner of the Reserve (including a ringed bird from yesterday)
2 in the Heysham Head bracken fields (with mixed Tit flock)
1 in the woods at the top of Heysham Head (with Long-tailed Tits)
There are likely to be more hidden away in the vegetation and much patience is needed to get the sort of views shown in the photos below. The little sprites flit about a lot and are only as big as a leaf so it’s a bit like playing hide and seek in which you, as the birder seeks and the Yellow-browed Warbler hides!

 A Heysham Head bird (pic by Kevin Eaves)

A Heysham Nature Reserve bird (pic by Craig Bell)

Other birds lurking in the trees and undergrowth were Chiffchaffs (at least 9), Blackcaps (5), Redwing (25), continental Blackbirds (5+), Song Thrushes (3+), Goldcrests (up to 5 early morning), and Cetti’s Warblers (1 ringed at Heysham NR, 1 ringed at Middleton NR)

and
Siberian Chiffchaff - calls and plumage - discovered late on by Shaun by the Greenfoot community garden on Smithy Lane
 

Overhead vis consisted of:

Pink-footed Goose 201

Carrion Crow 66

Meadow Pipit 5

Chaffinch 64

Jay 3

Alba Wagtail 15

Grey Wagtail 6

Goldfinch 4

Greenfinch 12

Merlin 1

Kestrel 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Skylark 6

Mistle Thrush 2

Song Thrush 1

Redwing 1 

Woodpigeon 5

Siskin 2

Grey Heron 1 

In addition about 60 birds were ringed including 9 Chiffchaffs and a Treecreeper. Full results on Trektellen tomorrow. 

Yellow-brow-fest

This was very much a starting from scratch morning with zero around small migrant-wise yesterday.  Therefore initial impressions of nowt around the office soon changed when the more 'arrival-type bushes' were visited below the old Obs Tower site by Jean.  Almost certainly two Yellow-brows and 6+ Goldcrest and at least one Chiff was the verdict

The rain alarm suggested a miraculous split in the two great splodges west and east of us and this corridor suggested a single net for migrants and a close watch of this rain alarm

This worked a treat with six migrant warblers caught, including two Yellow-browed Warblers, before the gap in the rain closed and the net hurriedly taken down

Later a circuit of the reserve produced a third un-ringed bird in the far north-east corner for Jean but not a lot of other migrants.  Later on one of the ringed birds joined the un-ringed bird in the NE corner. Then Malcolm located one by the white barrier at the southern end of dog walk track. This multiple YBW arrival in rain, but not vast numbers of anything else also happened with the first records in autumn 1985.

Grounded Heysham NR
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - c10
Yellow-browed Warbler - 3 HNR, one Middleton NR
Redwing - 1
Blackbird - c10

Vis Mig
Grey Wagtail - one, possibly local movement now

WeBs highlights
Little Gull - ad on sea by Red Nab
Redshank - 720 heliport seawall a good count
Knot - 3700 heliport seawall

Vis mig big bird day

This was going through the motions on a day of clear westerlies we wouldn't usually have touched with a barge pole.  Beggars can't be choosers in the current weather although tomorrow looks tasty apart from the rain.  As it happened it was marginally entertaining including high-flying Magpie action.

Vis dawn to about 1000
Cormorant - 3 high to south together
Meadow Pipit - 33 SE
Reed Bunting - 5 SE
Red wing - just 1-2 SW
alba Wagtail - 4 SE
Linnet - 16 SE
Skylark - 3 SE
Jay - flock of 5 plus 1+1 south
Chaffinch - just 2 south
Jackdaw - loose flock of 49 S
Pink-footed Goose - 270 N, 20 S
Whooper Swan - 6 high to S
Magpie - 3+2+1 high south
Carrion Crow - flock of 5 high S, possibly others lower down on the move
Bullfinch - 1 high S
no Grey Wags

Ringing
Ringing at Middleton included a Redwing, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and two Robin & Reed Bunting!  The feeder net at Heysham NR produced 13 new Greenfinch and two new Goldfinch

11th Oct - nothing of note

Med re-influx continues

Med Gull - at least 14 behind IOM ferry - 4 x 1CY, 1 x 2CY, 9+ x Ad, at least two additional 2CY around and two additional 1CY.  This is a lot for as late as 10/10.
Kittiwake - 3 x ad, 2 x 1CY behind IOM ferry
Common Scoter - Drake out
Wigeon - now c80 Red Nab
Shelduck - 13 passage birds out (c175 on sands south of Red Nab at low tide yesterday)

Middleton Nature Reserve
Shoveler mumbers have now increased to three, the "dubious" one is looking increasingly convincing  - this is possibly the highest count on here, certainly in recent years (MD),

Wednesday fare

Med - 17 around including 4 juv
Little Gull - 1 CY briefly seaward end Heysham one
Guillemot - two looking worse for wear

Ferry delivers the goods

Suboptimal strength winds/showers for this time of year were, as usual, pretty unproductive during the normal seawatch, but it is always worth waiting for incoming ferries.   Most of the Meds seem to have disappeared from around the outfalls/the sand mason worm area, leaving just two dip-feeding 1CY on the outfalls and presumably the usual adult around the harbour area.  Therefore it as a surprise to see an extra eight adult Meds behind the ferry 

Offshore/inshore/ferry late morning
Bonxie - one flew into the bay at mid-range just before the ferry arrived
Kittiwake - 3 ads behind ferry
Little Gull - adult winter behind ferry
Med Gull - ad harbour area, two 1CY outfalls, then a further 8 ad behind ferry
Razorbill/Guillemot - two out distantly
Wigeon - now 40 Red Nab
Rock Pipit - the lighthouse breeding pair were in situ with the female visiting one of the nesting holes!  Another on Red Nab
Common Gull - 6 juvs on outfalls and several behind ferry

Sunday and Monday

Middleton Nature Reserve
A couple of extensive circuits over the last two days have failed to locate any Yellow-browed warbler.  These are the "highlights" of the other sightings (MD)
No grounded or overhead thrushes either day.
Still plenty of Migrant Hawker and Common Darter on Sunday, but only in shelter from wind.
Coot 1
Little grebe - at least 2
Teal 2
Gadwall 6
Shoveler 1 male in eclipse plus the dubious looking female type

Water Rail 2
Common Snipe 4
Chiffchaff 2 singing

Yellowhammer and Linnet fest

One got away today, a high flying 'ticker' which looked like a bunting.  Much more tangible was a southbound Yellowhammer and we were also in receipt of something unusual for here but seemingly commonplace everywhere else - southbound silent Linnet flocks bombing south/south-east.  Quite a few thrushes, including the first migrant Blackbird

Vis mig, mainly Middleton
Redwing - 62 mainly SW
Grey wagtail - at least 6 but also a seemingly local bird confusing things
Reed Bunting - 7 S
alba Wagtail - 34 S
Linnet - 134 SE
Meadow Pipit - not many - 27 SE
Chaffinch - less than expected - 7 S
Yellowhammer - 1 S
Greenfinch - 1 S
Snipe - 2 E and one dropped down from E
Carrion Crow - at least 19 S (inc flock 9)

Crimson Rosella
A very gaudy thing seen by one birder and horse-riders by the entrance to Middleton NR near the cafe/height restricted road to gun club

Grounded Middleton
Chiffchaff - 6 ringed
Goldcrest - just 4 ringed
Blackcap - 3 ringed
Redwing - 30 plus
Blackbird - 20 plus
Song Thrush - at least 8

A bit of coming and going

Heysham Nature Reserve
Treecreeper 1 ringed - far from common here
Chiffchaff 6 located along dog walk track

Middleton Nature Reserve
Redwing c20 in one hawthorn
Still plenty of Migrant Hawker and Common Darter active between showers.

Rock pipit, still 2 feeding near lighthouse. Here’s one of them:

Wheatear

And a “few” Knot on the seawall.

Thanks for these pictures Kevin