Sunday 13 September 2009

Variety but not quantity birdwise and an excellent late dragonfly day

Heysham Obs
No 'rares' or 'scarce' on the horizon yet, but trickles of the 'usual' non-drifted west coast migrants, Goldcrest excluded. Weather this week does have possibilities, if there are any migrant-search birders available midweek in this area.

Vis mig rather intermittently from the office area
alba Wagtail - 3
Meadow Pipit - 45
Reed Bunting - 1
Siskin - 1
Linnet - 8
Collared Dove - flock of 4
Chaffinch - 4
Lesser Redpoll - 1
Jay - 1 purposefully south
Swallow - 17
Grey Wagtail - 14 (just three ringed)
Cormorant - one high to the south over HNR
Skylark - 3
Snipe - 1 over reserve, flock of 7 over Middleton
House Martin - 32

Grounded
Most interesting were the first migrant Song Thrush of the year with two grounded birds heading high inland, accompanied by a lot of 'ticking'
Handful of Robin with four lightweight birds caught in the nets by the office and quite a bit of ticking and chasing
Whitethroat - late bird Middleton IE
Chiffchaff - 2+

Dragonflies
NINE species on HNR included the third site record of Southern Hawker and three Black Darter

Elsewhere
Golden Oriole at least heard at Witherslack this morning