Heysham Obs
This was a good routine Obs. coverage of an open 'flyover' morning with quite a change in the vis mig during the final hour with Skylark & Siskin taking over from the usual early morning fare. Come-uppance with the only Grey Wagtail after saying what a good site we had - a Rossall/Knott-End and everywhere else-like 'bounce' out of a slightly billowing net!
Vis mig 0700-1030hrs
Yellowhammer - one from the north-east, then grounded = fem/imm, then headed ESE
Meadow Pipit - just 12 SE
Chaffinch - 334 S/SW
Grey Wagtail - one early, then one right at the end of the period - S
Goldfinch - 69 S
Linnet - 25 S
Woodpigeon - 14 S with a smaller bird with them - looked like Stock Dove but the views could not absolutely rule out feral pigeon - on a line quite a way to the east over the golf course
alba Wagtail - 65 SE (plus c40 out of PS roost very first thing, which may of course have included prospective migrants)
Greenfinch - the first day of really obvious passage, as opposed to low-level blogging, albeit with the ringing data showing quite a turnover - 52 S/SW
Dunnock - 1+1+2+1 flew off high to south
Reed Bunting - 6 S, all but one in first 30 mins.
Carrion Crow - 5+1+3+6+3 south
Bullfinch - 1+2 south
Brambling - just 2 SW, very first thing
Starling - one S! (c400 out of roost heading east first thing)
Siskin - 35+ SE, all but one in last 1.5hrs
Skylark - 51 SE - all in last hour
Coal Tit - 5 south, two caught & ringed
Pink-footed Goose - c110 S over the sea at 1245hrs
Grounded
Chiffchaff - a 'brown' bird caught & ringed which gave quite subdued disyllabic call on release. The only warbler/crest seen this morning but 'collybita-calling' Chiffchaff by the dipping pond mid-pm
Redwing - 2
Blackbird - 3 definite migrants
Song Thrush 1+ migrants
Ringing
Just two nets operational by the office until 1030hrs - Dunnock (1), Greenfinch (13), Chaffinch (9), Coal Tit (2), Blue Tit (4), Great Tit (1), Chiffchaff (1). No retraps!
