a trickle of migrants on all fronts

Heysham Obs
Nothing special this morning but small numbers and a reasonable variety of migrants in most categories. The only notable 'new' bird was a 1st W Med. Gull accompanying a small increase in 1st year Common Gulls (the wintering 1st W Med. has long gone).

North harbour wall -
Red-throated diver 2 on the incoming tide + 2 quite high 'in'
Kittiwake 10 on sea
Little gull adult & 2 1st W on outfalls and around wooden jetty
Shag 2 in harbour & on wooden jetty
Red-breasted merganser female
Eider 2m + 1f
Great-crested grebe 4
Sparrowhawk flew low into harbour
Common scoter 7 on sea end of No. 2 outfall then flew 'in/across' Bay at 1140.

Grey seal

Vis Mig
0900-1020 by the reserve office:
Meadow Pipit - 33 NE
Linnet - 52 N
Goldfinch - 23 N
Chaffinch - 2 high to the NE almost certainly migrants

0900 - 1100 from the north harbour wall
Meadow pipit 86, most of these were over the sea
Linnet 3
Swallow 3, 1 close in to harbour wall + 2 low & fast over the sea beyond the wooden jetty
alba wagtail 1
Carrion crow 1 south

Grounded/ringing
Not very much. No evidence of thrushes at 0900hrs although the fog had cleared by then. 4 Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff ringed. No Wheatear reported.

Elsewhere
The three Whooper Swan were still on the Lune floodplain by Farleton. Visit to Upper Hindburndale in the afternoon was very 'wintry': One of the three 'targets' was met - an adult female Crossbill. 240 Fieldfare in a loose flock. Brambling in evidence including 3 summer plumage males 'wheezing' at each other in north Scandinavia conifer forest-fashion from the tops of trees. At least 10 seen at two sites. A flock of Redpoll spp. in larches was frustratingly elusive and no decent views obtained. No sign of the other "targets": northbound Osprey & Red Kite or indeed (see info services) an even larger raptor!