Saturday 1 October 2011

Not quite what was expected

Heysham Obs
Funny morning with a smatter of rain at dawn, flat calm and a bank of cloud to the north and north-west.  The first hour was dire and it looked to be a 'duff' morning.  Then the vis perked up and there was a small influx of Chiffchaff and Blackcap after about 0815hrs.  The cloud cover to the north and north-west oscillated and was undoubtedly responsible for the vis mig being in waves interspersed by very quiet spells.  The wind picked up at about 0930hrs.  Later in the morning, especially around lunchtime, the vis steadied and there was a constant trickle of alba Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch.  The other problem early on was a very localised light north-easterly wind carried the sound from the hive of activity around the lorry park and made both the vis hard to hear and negated the attempt to catch Grey Wagtails

Vis mig 0700-1130
Chaffinch - 170
alba Wagtail - 122
Grey Wagtail - 14
Linnet - just 3!
Greenfinch - 15
Reed Bunting - 14
Meadow Pipit - 244
Lesser Redpoll - 4
Carrion Crow - 2
Skylark - 14
Goldfinch - 25
Coal Tit - just 4 this morning
Siskin - at least 50 (at least 10 flocks, four of which were not seen and recorded as '1')
Crossbill - flock of 4 south at 0915
Bullfinch - 2
Swallow - 4

Grounded
Song Thrush - 10-15 first thing
Chiffchaff - at least 10
Blackcap - at least 5
Robin - no evidence first thing but a trickle of unringed birds
Goldcrest - just one at each site!
Green Woodpecker - seen at Middleton
Snipe - 3 Middleton

Ringing (Middleton and Heysham)
Grey Wagtail (3), Blue Tit (10), Great Tit (4), Coal Tit (2), Chaffinch (9), Dunnock (3), Chiffchaff (7), Blackcap (4), Robin (5), Wren (4), Greenfinch (1), Goldcrest (1), Reed Bunting (9)

Butterflies
Red Admiral - at least 7 migrating southwards
Comma - 2 by office
Small White - one
Speckled Wood - at least 15 just around the office

Miscellany
Migrant Hawker - 2 by office