Early morning seabird flurry

Heysham Obs
Fell a bit between two stools this early morning and missed what could have been 30 minutes of rather good seawatching whilst diverting to the office for Twite food (and washing up liquid/water 'screenwash'!).  The action started as soon as I arrived at 0745 but by 0845 it had reduced to a trickle of tidally-readjusting inshore Guillemot and a few Common Gulls heading south

Vis by the office for 5 mins 0730-0740
Chaffinch - 6
Brambling - heard call once

Sea 0745-0845
Bonxie (Great Skua) - one flew in at 0800 and seemed to land on the sea
Red-throated Diver - 3 out - two adults, one 1CY
Common Scoter - female out
Kittiwake - flock of 16 adults 'out'
Common Gull - a constant trickle of mainly adults south
Razorbill - 5+3+6+2+4+2+2 out (24)
Auk spp - at least 31 which were mainly in small groups further out than the Razorbills but looked likely to be that species.  Offshore auks stopped moving after 0815hrs
Guillemot - at least 5 inshore plus two in the harbour, at least 5 heading out further out with the close Razorbill line

Miscellany
Purple Sandpiper - showing well on the near naze on the incoming tide
Med Gull - 2 adults and 2Cy following the 'Arrow' into port
Twite - There was no available seed at all first thing and 5 Twite were sitting around and trying to 'dig' food out of the ground whilst 29 Linnet sat on the fence.  At least two were ringed (by us) one a split ring involving orange above pale blue, the other pale blue over green/white split.  Provision of seed resulted in two Twite and 29 Linnet during a quick check
 

Headline House Sparrow and Autumnwatch request

Heysham Obs
**Did anyone use ?301 and record any of the Red Button Autumnwatch yesterday late afternoon/early evening, please, especially the Med Gull sequence please?   Please get in touch with PMrsh123@aol.com otherwise its apparently lost in the ether.  Thanks.

A decent late autumn migration morning in what was always going o be a very narrow window prior to the mid-morning 'hooley'.  A surprising 40 or so birds were caught including two for the first time this year; House Sparrow and Treecreeper.  The former are common on the nearby estate but most records from the Obs are considered to be and certainly behave like migrants rather than wanderers from 'over the road'.  Treecreeper have been thinner on the ground than usual this year, perhaps because their "vehicle", dispersive tit flocks, have similarly been conspicuous by their absence

Vis mig dawn to c0930
Chaffinch - 236
Brambling - 13
Goldfinch - 16
Meadow Pipit - 3
Redwing - group of 4
Jackdaw - 4+1
Carrion Crow - 6+2 respectively with the above
Rook - adult on its own heading purposefully south - very unusual
Woodpigeon - flock of 14
Starling - 20+13
Great-spotted Woodpecker - the only strong candidate for a migrant this autumn was one heading south about 1.5 times the height of electricity pylon  
alba Wagtail - 2
Greenfinch - not counted as no obvious high-flying pattern to today's birds c/f nearby feeder
House Sparrow - see below

Grounded
Chiffchaff - one calling for a time next to the office but not seen - collybita calls
Blackcap - one female with an enormous amount of fat and weighing 22.3grams
Goldcrest - definitely many fewer than yesterday after a clearish night and only two unringed ones caught and possibly no more than 5 migrants around
Blackbird - c10
Song Thrush - 2

Miscellany
Treecreeper - one ringed
House Sparrow - one heard calling overhead, then perhaps the same (male) found in the net on the next mist net round
Linnet - 25 north wall
Meadow Pipit - just one north wall
Guillemot - one in the harbour

Moth
Mottled Umber

Red button Meds

Heysham Obs
Vis 0730-0900
Chaffinch 55
Greenfinch 18
Goldfinch 27
Redpoll sp 1
Song Thrush 1
Carrion Crow 4
Mistle Thrush 2
Redwing 1
Linnet 1
Starling 10
Siskin 1
Pink-footed Goose 20

Grounded
Lots of Goldcrest, but unfortunately no time to give the place full coverage
Blackcap - one female

Miscellany
Little Egret - one Red Nab
Red Nab most unfortunately disturbed by ?bait diggers just prior to the Autumnwatch filming so there might not be any footage from there.  The filming took place from Ocean Edge - thanks for the permission
Med Gull - two north harbour wall including Czech-ringed bird performed well for the camera
Linnet - 25
Goldfinch - 3 on seed
No Twite - getting later than usual (esp c/p 2011 and 2012) but not unprecedented c/f posting on another blog.  Similarly the Linnet are rather slow to depart.  Too warm and too much natural food?
Meadow Pipit 3 grounded
Guillemot 1 flew out of the Bay

Moths
Very good again, given the weather during a chunk of the night: Silver Y, Feathered Thorn, Brick, December Moth. Angle Shades and an amazingly late Pink-barred Sallow

Couldnt stomach the Gem

Heysham Obs
Waded into the moth trap a bit too quickly today thinking a repeat of yesterdays zero.  Instead there was an excellent catch with the best, a Gem flying from an egg packing on to my stomach but, as I had to move the get a specimen tube and eventually a pic, it flew out of the window!  Hopefully the 'field description' will be adequate.  Sorry cant upload pics on this computer.

Vis mig strictly 0745-0845
Chaffinch - 66
Brambling - 11, including flock of 7
Goldfinch - 20
Starling - 21+38
Redwing - 5
Greenfinch - 16
Fieldfare - one noisy one
Skylark - 3

Mound/north wall
Twite - 5 but flew off south
Linnet - 37
Meadow Pipit - 6
Rock Pipit - 1
Med Gull - ad
Chaffinch - 1

Red Nab
Wigeon - 126
Little Egret - 1
Med Gull - ad

Moths
Juniper Carpet and Gem new for year here - the latter may be new for the site.  Also Silver Y - 2, Light Brown Apple Moth - 1, Angle Shades - 2, Spruce Carpet - 1, Epirrita - 1, Feathered Thorn - 2, Red-green Carpet - 1

Vis mig to the fore and returning Purple Sandpiper

Heysham Obs
Vis mig on and off till midday
Barnacle Goose - two with 57 Pinkfeet heading south
Pink-footed Goose - 80+35+57+54 S
Chaffinch - 356
Brambling - at least 3
Goldfinch - 43
Meadow Pipit - 12
Redwing - 3+25
alba Wagtail - 12
Woodpigeon - 45
Jackdaw - flock of 15
Carrion Crow - 8
Twite - 1
Linnet - 11
Greylag - 1 south
Starling - 50+10
Blackbird - 2
Song Thrush - 1
Greenfinch - difficult but at least 17 vis mig birds

Miscellany
Purple Sandpiper - one Near Naze by old heliport (thanks Len & Jim)
Guillemot - one harbour
Red-throated Diver
Med Gull - 2 ads and unringed 2CY

Grounded
NO sign of Firecrest as predicted in clear conditions overnight
Song Thrush - c5 reserve
Blackbird - 10-15 reserve
Chiffchaff - one
NO Goldcrest reserve

Firecrest still

Heysham Obs



 

Photos 1 and 2 by Dave Talbot, Photo 3 by Stan Parrott

(NB - Message from Jean R.  Dave - sorry I couldn't put your photos on earlier as arranged with Pete, but I did not have access to your photos until tonight).





Firecrest still south harbour wall
Guillemot - two in harbour
Little Gull - Heysham 2 outfall
Med Gull - two adults at least
Commic Tern (probably Arctic) flew into the harbour behind the ferry.

Vis
14 Whooper Swan
165 Pink-footed Goose

Moth
Feathered Thorn

Firecrest still present but mobile and Black Redstart nearby

Heysham Obs
The male Firecrest was still present along the south harbour wall, but more lively, vocal and mobile after eating a huge green caterpillar late yesterday and it was fortunate that it remained until 1250hrs before flying inland.  At one stage it flew and sat on the harbour wall! Amazingly it returned from its excursion back to the original windswept site in mid-afternoon

Black Redstart - f/imm by the old Fishers building near the bend with bad potholes on Gate 38 road mid-morning, but not subsequently in an area with plenty of suitable habitat
Little Gull - adult type Heysham 2 outfall
Guillemot - two in the harbour
Med Gull - 3 adults and a 2CY behind IOM ferry, 1CY Heysham one outfall
Rock Pipit - one by Heysham one outfall
Shag - 1CY harbour mouth and area but very mobile - seen twice during the morning
Skua spp - very dark individual wheeled rapidly into the bay at c1115hrs looked like a juv

Moths
5 Silver Y, 2 Feathered Thorn, male December Moth and a worn Brick

Guillemot

Firecrest

 

December Moth

Firecrest in the harbour willowherb!

Heysham Obs
A check of the south harbour wall area, ostensibly for any wind-blown seabirds at 1045 GMT produced a series of calls which seemed more emphatic and lacked the lispy quality of Goldcrest.  A male Firecrest was located in the brambles and later hiding in the willowherb along the south harbour wall.  Gate 38 is available for those in the know, the route is otherwise via the usual outfalls directions from the tall mast

Pretty impossible in the willowherb but comes out into the brambles on occasions and shows well as Janet's pics show (being posted later)
Showed exceptionally well to single observer late afternoon allowing views of the red male crown stripe
Still present until at least 1615 GMT

Shag - 1CY harbour mouth first thing
Med Gull - 'new' 2CY with very extensive black primary tips following IOM ferry
Linnet - c35 north wall
Meadow Pipit - c14 north wall

Moths
Silver Y and two Feathered Thorn

Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Silver Y

Heysham Obs
Fairly low-key morning with a later start than it should have been.

Vis mig on and off 0830-1000
Chaffinch - 66
Goldfinch - 18
Redwing - 5
Greenfinch - 25
Tree Sparrow - 1
Meadow Pipit - 2

Grounded
Blackcap - male ringed
Chiffchaff - at least one still around
Goldcrest - at least two
Blackbird - bit of an arrival with 15+ round office

North harbour wall
Linnet - 34
Meadow Pipit - 14
Med Gull - one adult
Scotsmen - two anglers rehearsing for a remix of the Pink Floyd 'song'

Moths
5 Silver Y, Feathered Thorn and (new for the year) female December Moth

More exercise less vis

Heysham Obs
The early morning was cancelled due to pretty impossible weather and the lure of ASDA and a bit of coverage from about 0930 was all that was possible today

Vis mig by office 0930-0945
Chaffinch - 15 south
Skylark - 2 south
Meadow Pipit - 3 south
Goldfinch - 2 south
.......................hardly worth carrying on?

North wall
Meadow Pipit - c14
Redpoll spp - flight only singleton
Linnet - c35 - no absolutely definite Twite heard but one probable
Rock Pipit - 1
Robin - 2 on the mound section, 3 on sandworks

Red Nab
Med Gull - 2CY and 2 adults Red Nab but legs not visible
Little Egret - one along side of H2O

Butterflies
Red Admiral and Speckled Wood by office, Speckled Wood also by office yesterday