Monday 29 September 2008

Two new BTO challenge birds on Red Nab

If you thought the Hobby was bad.....the Brents were getting buffeted around and disappeared (c1220hrs) before I had time to really go for the quality shots

Heysham Obs
Wednesday afternoon looks promising for Leach's Petrel from the north harbour wall, but it all depends on the shape of and track of the depression and I'm not 100% confident its going to do as forecasted. Should be clearer tomorrow pm. The weather should also spice things up on the outfalls (perhaps even Heysham One - Shhhh!)

Red Nab/outfalls
Pale-bellied Brent Goose - two juveniles to 1220hrs, then disappeared as the camera was being set up (see above for 'click and hope')!
Little Stint - Juv flushed by Peregrine from OE mudflats, landed briefly on Red Nab before being flushed again (with c45 Dunlin). Returned to the mudflats off OE after the tide and showed well there with Dunlin & Ringed Plover [but camera left in office]. This is by no means a regular species here
Little Gull - ad & 2nd W

North harbour wall/wooden jetty
Shag - Difficult to keep the scope still and birds (=& Cormorants) were obscuring each other, but at least 6 juvs
Med Gull - Czech-ringed adult located along with a 2nd W reported by a visiting birding group.

Vis mig 0700-0830
Cold and windy (WWNW 4, increasing 5 at times)
Grey Wagtail - 2 SE
Pink-footed Goose - one skein of 75 S
Meadow Pipit - 8 SE
alba Wagtail - 9 SE
Chaffinch - 13 S/SW
Greenfinch - 11 S/SW
Knot - 250 S
Coal Tit - 3 S

Grounded around the office
Chiffchaff - the usual off-passage bird plus one other
Goldcrest - 3
Song Thrush - 3
Blackbird - one behaving as though it might have been a migrant

Moths
At last! One Feathered Ranunculus - normally a regular 'standard fare' species. We have had NO Lunar Underwing this autumn as yet; not so long ago this species peaked at 837 individuals for the autumn, but has obviously crashed out near the north-western edge of its (mainly coastal) "ubiquitous & common" range. A trap has also been run virtually nightly at Sunderland Point and this has also drawn a blank.

Elsewhere
Several skeins of Pinkfeet reported on LDBWS site. Otherwise just a single Curlew Sandpiper at the EM Pool and the first (2) Bearded Tits on the Leighton grit trays of note.