A few changes on the Links. I've (long overdue) added the Roy Dennis site - check the migration of transmitter-carrying Osprey, Honey Buzzard etc.. Ray Hobbs has stopped posting on his site, but I've substituted with an Irish site in the same vein.
A plea - there have been quite a few birders passing through recently, but the number of sightings notes left in the box has dwindled of late. Appreciate this is because most of the visits have been targeting known winter fare, but from now onwards it is full steam ahead with short-stay migrants. Therefore any visitors are almost inevitably going to connect with at least something worth publishing on this site.
So please either call into the reserve car park & leave a note in the box, or text sightings to 07989866487 (see sidebar) or post on to the LDBWS site. Please dont just leave the sightings on your own blog, we cant check them all out & may not even be aware of its existence!
Thanks in anticipation, especially with spring passage seabirds
Heysham Obs
Text from "Dave" (?Thompson) re-Osprey past the harbour mouth, quite a distance offshore, at c1145hrs. Couldnt return call. Thanks for this info, Dave. This is the first time any of the phone links have been used by an unknown source to report a Heysham bird!
HNR office area 0800-1130
Meadow Pipit - 187 NE (just 6 ringed in niggling wind) [see below for separate NHW birds]
Twite - flock of 12 high to the east
Swallow - 12 seen today heading north
alba Wagtail - 5 north
Green Woodpecker - seen/heard a few times
Chiffchaff - perhaps 3 flew through [just one on Middleton IE today]
Willow Warbler - one Moneyclose Lane (1st of year)
Robin - at least two migrants (1 ringed, one being chased!)
Chaffinch - 5 NE
Linnet - 3 NE
Mallard - pair Obs T pond
Water Rail - one Middleton IE
North harbour wall 0650-0840
Meadow Pipit - 67 NE
alba Wagtail - 2 NE
Goldfinch - 1 NE
Jackdaw - 1+3 in-off
Pink-footed Goose - 26 SW(!)
Common Scoter - 3 out
Red-throated Diver - 1 out
Turnstone - 58+ but no Purps seen
Great-crested Grebe - influx with 16 offshore
Eider - 51
Red-breasted Merganser - 7
Twite - 48
Mammals
TWO Grey Seal - one inshore, one far offshore
Insects
Bombus terrestris queen in a mist net. First butterfly of the year - by far the latest ever first for here - was a Peacock on Middleton IE
Elsewhere
Nothing of any real interest other than influx of Willow warbler & singing Blackcaps. Two Ring Ouzels seen in Bowland (away from Langden)
