Heysham Obs
A lorry and milk-float-strewn journey was followed by the typical semi-darkness error of getting the shelf-string order wrong when setting a line of three mist nets. Therefore, despite a pre-dawn start, the nets were not up until a largely unrecorded fifteen minute 'flood' of vis had passed overhead and even the tit flocks were on the march!
Vis mig by the office
Underrecorded, possibly by up to 50-60%, but the species ratios are accurate. Notable alba Wagtail passage this morning.
Coal Tit - at least 33 southbound birds, including a flock of 10
Chaffinch - 187 SW
Meadow Pipit - 302 SE
Grey Wagtail - 8 SE (4 ringed)
alba Wagtail - 181 SE
Mistle Thrush - 1 S
Linnet - 6 S
Skylark - 25 SE
Tree Sparrow - 1 SW
Siskin - 12 SE plus heard twice
Jay - 2 high to S
Lesser Redpoll - flock of 4 SE
Greenfinch - 39 SW, including flock of 16 (none on feeder!)
Goldfinch - only 6 SW
Dunnock - at least 3 headed south
Blue Tit - one flock of 7 high to S
Reed Bunting - just one S
Jackdaw - 3 S
Miscellany
Kingfisher - one around in the afternoon
Pink-footed Goose - 60 S in afternoon
Grounded
much better than yesterday
Lesser Whitethroat - one in brambles by office
Blackcap - one ringed
Chiffchaff - c15, many moving through quickly just after dawn, therefore possibly more (5 ringed)
Goldcrest - at least 10, mostly just after dawn (4 ringed)
Robin - little evidence at dawn with most birds singing fairly promptly, but three unringed lightweight birds caught
Song Thrush - very obvious first thing with at least 20 grounded around the office, then flying inland
Treecreeper - 2 unringed birds, one escaped from a net!
Ringing
Pretty busy with most of the birds in the first two hours after dawn. New birds: Grey Wagtail (4), Chiffchaff (5), Treecreeper (1), Goldcrest (4), Blackcap (1), Wren (1), Chaffinch (18), Greenfinch (1), Blue Tit (7), Great Tit (1), Robin (3), Dunnock (2)
Butterflies
About five Red Admiral around the office plus a Comma. Lots of Speckled Wood. One Meadow Brown.
