Monday 14 March 2011

Flutterby time but the 74th consecutive day without an auk

Heysham Obs
Insects
3 Small Tortoiseshell (and another butterfly with dark underwings glimpsed) along the south-facing slope below PA Way & another very tatty one on Middleton NR.  4 Hebrew Character and yet another Chestnut in the hut trap

Middleton NR
Stonechat - female by the no swimming pond

North harbour wall
Twite - a small catch first thing contained all or most of the unringed proportion seen in the last few days with 9 unringed birds out of 17 caught.  An attempt to check later in the afternoon saw a sheepdog tethered rather too near the feeder (angler)!
Red-throated Diver - one offshore afternoon
Duck spp - dreadful light and even though they were watched for 10 minutes crossing the bay, they could only be narrowed down to 'probable Mallard' - a rare bird indeed as seen from the north wall

Late news yesterday afternoon
Male Wheatear Ocean Edge foreshore