A varied morning spoilt by being too cloudy, yet not low enough to drop migrants

Heysham Obs
Managed to forget the obvious - advertise the Ringing/Migration morning on this site! It was not to bad at all althought he 'vis', especially cross-bay, was curtailed by 'medium-high cloud' of the variety which is usually 'useless'. Too high to 'drop' any migrants, especially if there is no precipitation, yet thick and extensive enough to discourage vis mig. Enough grounded birds were around to provide a nice steady variety to show people in the hand, including the noisy/aggressive species!


Unthinkable even 5 years ago, rather like the Egret-fest at Leighton, 4 out of the 5 north harbour Med Gulls were in a line (with 2 BHG) - the furthest bird is the Czech-ringed adult.


3 2nd W & Ad Med with 2 Black-headed Gull. Thanks to Jon Barber. This is an e-mail-reduced pic and better ones may be available Monday.

Ringing
Plenty of species, including 4 continental Song Thrush, two (partial)migrant Coal Tit, a Grey Wagtail, a Reed Bunting, a Chiffchaff, just one Goldcrest etc..


Vis Mig
Redwing - just 4 heading NE & one heard earlier on
Bullfinch - a flock of 4 moved high to the south
Woodpigeon - 24 S
Collared Dove 2S
Jay 2S
Swallow 3S
Chaffinch 35, many of these flying north!
Goldfinch 6S
Grey Wagtail 2S
alba Wagtail 17S
Greenfinch 28SW
Meadow Pipit 16SE
Mistle Thrush 13SW


Grounded
Highlighted by a female House Sparrow - the first on the reserve this year - it eventually headed off south-west! One Wheatear on the north wall. At least 5 Blackbird looking like long-winged continental birds. c10 Song Thrush. 1 new Chiffchaff and just one Goldcrest.


Misc
4 2nd W and an adult Med Gull on the north harbour wall. One of the 2nd W was a brief visitor to the food, the other 4 birds remained and landed together (see photo).
Guillemot in the harbour


Middleton IE
Increase to 25 Tufted Duck, also 8 Teal and a female/imm Stonechat


Elsewhere
Great White Egret Leighton Moss. 5 Barnacle Geese and a Purple Sandpiper over the high tide at Pilling Lane Ends [& 2 leucistic Pinkfeet]. Adult Arctic and juvenile Common Terns on Pine Lake (brief visit - may have been more). Two Scaup at Teal Bay. Wagtail roost at Melling in maize saw c50% White on birds trapped using the 'Livingstone criteria'. The Whites were almost all identifiable on "feel" in the hand i.e. smaller than Pied as borne out by wing length and weight.