Heysham Obs
As on Sunday, extensive fog, especially offshore, inhibited any early trans-Morecambe Bay vis mig and the "Grey Wagtail mist nets" failed to produce any! Fog is not helpful when it occurs during a north-westerly airflow as opposed to an easterly, when loads of birds often make landfall on reaching the 'curtain'. No doubt we will be spending October cursing the clear weather! It did clear about 0830hrs and a reasonable variety trickled through:
Southbound vis 1000-1130hrs by the office
Swallow 46
Meadow Pipit 15
Lesser Redpoll 1
Siskin 3
Song Thrush 1
Skylark 2
Goldfinch 38
Chaffinch 1
House Martin 16
Grey Wagtail 4
alba Wagtail 2
In addition, two Blue Tit flew quite high to the south
Grounded migrants
The only obvious thing was a Willow Warbler, the first for a few days!
Middleton IE
The noisy female Wood Duck was showing well on the fence pond and seen to be unringed!
Insects
New for the year in the moth traps were Frosted Orange (hut) and Bulrush Wainscot (reedbed actinic). Good numbers of late butterflies by the NR office including 3 Meadow Brown, 5 Common Blue, 3 Small Copper and 6 southbound Red Admiral.
There were the following during a very quick check of Middleton IE: 2 male Emperor, 6 Brown Hawker, 11 Migrant Hawker and 2 Emerald Damselfly (presumably many more).
Moneyclose Lane (reserve to Ocean Edge) saw 14 Migrant Hawker with at least 2 others around the office
Elsewhere
3+ Curlew Sandpiper on the Lune still, also 2 on the EM Pool. Ad Yellow-legged Gull still off Glasson. Great White Egret and 24 Little Egret still EM Pools. Late news for yesterday - a Hobby targeting the Swallow roost near the canal bridge with traffic lights on the Borwick-Over Kellet road (at the same time as the Melling bird)
