Heysham Obs
The main feature this morning was an influx of Song Thrush as the calm weather gave way to a mod/fresh south westerly mid-morning. This was very odd as a vis mig vigil next to the office 0800-0915 did not record any thrush species and these are normally a feature of the early morning. The other major feature was a record count of at least FIVE Great-spotted Woodpecker on the reserve with all of these flying to off to the south. Autumn passage Stonechat have been thin on the ground this last few years and two separate birds is notable.
Vis mig by the office 0800-1030
Song Thrush - 37 low to the south-east over the office, mainly 0945-1030hrs
Blackbird - first evidence this autumn of continental birds was 12 accompanying the above Song Thrush, one of which was mist-netted and proved to be a 131mm-winged female
Long-tailed Tit - 12 unringed birds trapped together, plus two other similarly hyperactive flocks totalling c30 by the nature park. First evidence of movement since the post-breeding season flocks with all recent captures being retraps
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 5 individuals all eventually flew off to the south
Chaffinch - 17 SW
Goldfinch - 6 + flock of 80 of unknown status
Greenfinch - very scarce the last two (cloudy) days with just 3 SW
Bullfinch - 2+1+1 high-flying birds either SE or E
Meadow Pipit - just 3 SE
Reed Bunting - 2 SE
alba Wagtail - 16 SE
Skylark - at least 6 SE - very high
Carrion Crow - 2 SE
Coal Tit - 17 south in 5 flocks of up to 6 birds
Dunnock - quite a lot of fidgety birds early on with a flock of 3 heading south from the brambles by the reserve office
Grounded
See above re-tits & thrushes
Goldcrest - just 8 seen/heard
Stonechat - females on the north wall mound and by the office
Wheatear - one on the mound
Miscellany
Shag - 3 juv on the wooden jetty
Med Gull - at least one adult north harbour wall
Little Egret - one OE saltmarsh creek
NEGATIVE news on the adult Arctic Tern
Twite - three unringed birds at the mound (no mention of any Linnet)
Elsewhere
Juv Shag Stone jetty, otherwise zilch!
