Saturday 18 October 2008

Redwing struggle

Heysham Obs
A stiff SW wind increasing to fresh/strong at 0945hrs saw small number of Redwing struggling in at low level from the SE and either pitching in or heading north towards Heysham Head. None of the westerly movement out over the bay which is a feature of calm, clearish weather arrivals

Vis very intermittently by the office 0815-0945 (i.e. quick visits to OE & NHW)
Chaffinch - 25 SW
Greenfinch - 27 SW
Meadow Pipit - 5 SE
alba Wagtail - 18 SE
Bullfinch - 3+2 S/SE
Twite - 2 S
Linnet - 6 S
Redwing - 270 from SE (see above)
Goldfinch - 13 S

Short vis session lunchtime for about 20 mins
Bullfinch - 2 SE
Meadow Pipit - 1SE
alba - 1 SE
Chaffinch - 4 SW
Greenfinch - 5 SW
Goldfinch - 3 SW
Redwing - 18 eventually back inland

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Heysham 2 outfall (brief)
Little Gull - ad S2O
Arctic Tern - a major surprise was the return of the adult after an absence of a few days - feeding with Little Gull offshore?
Twite - flock of 4
Linnet - 22+
Little Egret - just one seen
Kingfisher - one Red Nab

North harbour wall (very brief)
Linnet/Twite - an uncooperative flock of 37 including at least 6 Twite and, on the basis of calls, probably more than this [Linnet consistently at about 23 the last few days]
Med Gull - Czech Ad & the other two Ad
Shag - one sat in splendid low tide isolation on the wooden jetty

Elsewhere
Redwing/Fieldfare movements see e.g. LDBWS site. Usual ad Med ex-36W Broadway area of Morecambe