Heysham Obs
The cloud cover grounded a small number of thrushes, mainly Blackbird along with a single rather 'grey and white' Chiffchaff which was giving collybita-like calls. Yet again, Goldcrests failed to materialise in any numbers in what looked pretty good conditions. Have they just passed us by or was the northern breeding season so bad? Previous poor autumn have followed high winter mortality and poor/non-existent spring passage. Not so this year.
North harbour wall area
Four Med Gulls still with two of the 2nd W birds being mainly high tide visitors these days. The adult, and especially the remaining 2nd W, can be found at most stages of the tide. No sign of the Black Guillemot today. 14 Goldfinches and 5 Linnets feeding on the thistles on the mound, 5 Meadow Pipits and 5 Pied Wagtails also on the mound.
Red Nab/Ocean Edge
A low tide visit saw a Kingfisher in the main saltmarsh channel at Ocean Edge
Middleton IE
Male Stonechat, 6 Reed Bunting, 2 Water Rail (at least), a funny call (WR could not be ruled out) and c35 Blackbird in the western and central marshes
Vis mig from by the office
Chaffinch 72,
Brambling 2
Greenfinch 64
Goldfinch 16
Siskin 11
Fieldfare 3
Redwing 9
Blackbird 10
Song Thrush 1
alba Wagtail 20
Grey Wagtail 1
Meadow Pipit 7
Reed Bunting 3
Starling 28
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest 1
Ringing
4 Chaffinch and 1 Greenfinch up to 11am but things picked up a little after that - details to be posted later.
Insects
Two new species for the year in the moth trap in the form of Red (typo, not an id error, Autumn Green has never occurred at Heysham) Green Carpet (rare here) and Feathered Thorn. Mottled Umber was also new for at least the autumn but there may have been one in January - will check
Elsewhere
Nothing of interest as yet from this area
