No migrants recorded today

Heysham Obs
The only things worthy of any mention today were two Guillemot and an adult Med Gull around the harbour mouth early afternoon

Unfortunately the available food had all disappeared at the feeding station on arrival at 1000hrs morning and there were just 5 finches around the general area but this built up to 40 ish by early afternoon but seemingly mainly Linnet (at least 23 of which at least 10 were unringed plus at least 8 Goldfinch).  The Twite seem to be moving through and not staying at the moment with the only 5 definitely seen all being unringed

Half an hours seawatching was unproductive with the wind too nw.

A Mottled Umber graced the moth trap in contrast to 78 in the trap at Millhouses! 

Another Brick on the wall

Heysham Obs

Still very finchy.

Vis 0730-0830
Chaffinch 29
Greenfinch 5
Bullfinch 3 (in one flock)
Goldfinch 35
Rock Pipit 1

Grounded
Redwing 1
Goldcrest 2
Blackbird 7+

A Green Woodpecker was on the plateau.

Moth(singular)

A Brick was unusual at this time of year.

Moth revival

Heysham Obs
Vis 0715-0815

Skylark 1
alba wagtail 4
Chaffinch 26
Greenfinch 1
Meadow Pipit 2 north
Grey Wagtail - blogging
Starling 250 out of roost

 Moths comprised 3 December moth and singles of winter moth, feathered thorn and angle shades. Ringing produced an unexpected unringed dunnock a species which has been in unprecedented numbers this year

Wet and miserable

Heysham Obs
A circuit of the reserve produced 8 Blackbird, a Reed Bunting and 6 Goldcrest

One Mottled Umber in the trap

Finches disturbed by the guy in a blue estate car who is becoming a real nuisance with his dogs but there appeared to be very few Twite but what was seen (four) were all unringed

Clear weather efforts highlighted by decent view of flyover Snow Bunting

Heysham Obs
The main feature of interest this week has been finches ringed elsewhere with two Greenfinch from unknown locations, a Goldfinch ringed on Walney and two Twite ringed at Machrihanish.  One of these was caught today and found to be a 'new' bird, not as previously thought from field views (and Janet's pics) a returning bird from previous winter.  The other one was definitely ringed this autumn and therefore new.  A Twite ringed at Sanda Isle and caught last winter was also retrapped today

Vis mig 0725-0830
Woodpigeon - our contribution to coordinated vis mig count was zero!
Chaffinch - 51
Goldfinch - 5
Meadow Pipit - 2
Greenfinch - 11
Snow Bunting - male south at 0800hrs
Redpoll spp - 2
Bullfinch - notable was a flock of 5 south followed by two singletons
alba - 2 south (definitely not ex-roost)

Grounded
Blackbird - much reduced as expected in clear conditions - just 8 seen by office
Chiffchaff - one by obs t pond first thing
Goldcrest - 4 by office


 

A rapid visit

One mist net for an hour produced a greenfinch ringed elsewhere. No moths. Pretty good vis in the hour covered with 175 chaffinch , 18 wood pigeon, one field fare, 35 goldfinch , 36 greenfinch. No chance to check grounded other than round office but this produced the highest nos of blackbird this autumn with c40 also at least 3 goldcrest. North wall sightings included Machrihanish ringed twite and a load of unringed linnet

virtually no coverage

A few Chaffinches moving in the weather breaks early morning and at least 3 Goldcrest by the office the only things of note today

Yellowhammer and six corvid species top a decent late autumn vis mig morning

Heysham Obs
A cool morning with the hitherto active wasps nest near the office all on their laptops ordering zimmerframes.  Zero moths and very few other insects seen this morning.  Birds were mainly limited to quite high vis mig, other than a few Blackbird gangs passing through the bushes

Vis mig rather too late (0720) to 0930
Chaffinch - 124
Greenfinch - 120
Goldfinch - 115
Woodpigeon - 26+14+6+1
Bullfinch - notable this morning were the following southbound high-flyers: 4+2+1+2
Carrion Crow - at least 8 migrants
Raven - 2 singletons south
Rook - 2 singletons south
Jackdaw - 11+13 south (& 2 Jay and several Magpie round the office)
Brambling - heard early on (singleton?)
Siskin - 2 singletons - scarce this autumn
Whooper Swan - flock of 7 really high on NE-SW heading - structure seemed to rule out Bewicks
Sparrowhawk - one male appeared to come 'in-off' from NW and spiralled off to the SE until a tiny dot in the sky.  Undoubtedly a late migrant!
Meadow Pipit - 1
Linnet - 2
Yellowhammer - male flew from the NE, and appeared to land in the direction of the power station

Grounded by the office
Blackbird - 23
Redwing - 1
Song Thrush - 2
Goldcrest - 3 early on

Miscellany
Sunlight prevented assessment of finches on the north wall but at least 8 Goldfinch and a male Chaffinch
Guillemot - 1 harbour
Med Gull - adult north wall
Twite - Machrihanish autumn 2013-ringed bird seen mid afternoon

Ringed Twite

Rusty Dot Pearl tops some late autumn migration

Heysham Obs
Missed a probable Snow Bunting flyover due to being in an enclosed space extracting birds from a mist net (just a single 'teuk' call), so a small migrant moth headlines - the only moth in the trap!   Southbound Chaffinch and Goldfinch were the order of the day with quite a few grounding themselves on the tank farm.  The main reason for getting up early - the possible thrush fest - was conspicuous by its absence, but was certainly (Fieldfare 500+) reaching my house in the first two hours after dawn (but not Bryan's vis site at Burton)

Vis mig dawn to 0930hrs
Chaffinch - 156 SW with several almost certainly missed
Goldfinch - 97 SW with comment as above
Greenfinch - at least 25 migrants but difficult to be certain about status
Brambling - 1
Meadow Pipit - 1
Redwing - heard high in the sky early on

Grounded around the office
Blackbird - conspicuous first thing with 26 moving through the bushes
Song Thrush - 3 as above
No evidence of Goldcrest other than one with a long-tailed Tit flock mid morning

Miscellany
Chaffinch - one grounded on the south harbour wall - unusual
Guillemot - one in the harbour
67 finches seen on the north harbour wall including a reflection of the Goldfinch arrival (c8) and at least 32 Linnet
Meadow Pipit - at least two north wall
Rock Pipit - one north wall
Green Woodpecker - a very welcome highlight of a wet power walk around Middleton - seen within the EDF strip
Snipe - 4+ Middleton

Moth
Single Rusty Dot Pearl - classic 'quality not quantity' as the only moth

Quick I phone posting
Med gull - at least one north wall, 2cy following ferry
Twite - c14
Linnet - c30
Chaffinch - m and f north wall
Rock pipit - one north wall
Meadow pipit - 2 north wall

Moth
Mottled umber