Heysham Obs
Took the whole morning off to cover the last decent migration morning for some time. Indeed, arrived at what I thought was 0700hrs and it was 0600hrs, so it even covered the late nocturnal thrush movement! The morning was a strange evolution of slightly different weather conditions producing slightly diferent birds e.g there was a "Skylark half-hour" mid-morning as there were clear conditions over the bay. This window closed after about 30 minutes with the onset of a SE wind and cloud spilling in - this produced another dose of Redwings and then a flock of 12 Waxwing at 1115hrs. The latter appeared from the south and coincided with an extremely noisy family, which erupted from a people carrier, reaching the south end of the dog track.........where there are some rowans. They landed in the trees along Moneyclose Lane and dropped, presumably on to roadside berries there. Not able to follow-up due to ringing and they were not seen again as afr as I am aware. A dog-walker reported four birds with crests eating red barries near the health centre yesterday on the nearby new estate - this was checked out this afternoon & plenty of berries but no Waxwing. The other very temporary excitement involved a phyllosc-shaped leaf with white and yellow stripes residing in a mist net!!! Nice selection for the 'winter' atlas!!:
Office area pre-dawn to lunchtime
Chiffchaff - two - both collybita-types, one ringed
Blackcap - 1CY male ringed
Waxwing - 12 at 1115hrs - see above
Brambling - at least 5 grounded at various times
Redwing - c60 grounded first thing, then quickly inland, another arrival of c30 1115hrs -1130hrs
Blackbird - c100 early hours, then gradually melted away inland
Song Thrush - 20 or so first thing, all three ringed were very olive-coloured continental birds
Goldcrest - no evidence of any definite new arrivals round the office
Robin - one lightweight unringed bird the only migrant evidence
Vis mig
Long-tailed Tit - just the one irruptive flock this morning - 27 high to south
Waxwing - see above
Redwing - in addition to above, 14 flew hight to SW, the only birds not grounded/heading inland
Mistle Thrush - conspicuous by its complete absence as it has been on many days this autumn
Fieldfare - as above - just 2 seen at 1115hrs
Chaffinch - 73 SW +/- being temporarily grounded
Brambling - 17 SW +/- temporarily grounded
Meadow Pipit - 9 SE
Reed Bunting - 2 SE, 1 grounded briefly
Bullfinch - 2 high to S
Siskin - at least 33 S
Goldfinch - 9 S
alba Wagatil - 6 SE
Grey Wagtail - 2 around
Twite - one S
Linnet - 2 SE
Skylark - 29 SE, all 1030-1100hrs!!
Carrion Crow - 7 S
North wall
Twite - 12 on the seed mid-pm, including at least 8 unringed, 2 from previous years and one from this autumn
Linnet - one as above
Ringing
Mostly thrushes (7 Blackbird, 3 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush) plus 1 Robin, 4 Greenfinch, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Long-tailed Tit (both singletons), 3 Blue Tit, 2 Chaffinch
Moths
Single Epirrata spp, Large Wainscot and Red-line Quaker
