Monday 3 October 2011

Locally scarce tringa saves the day

Heysham Obs
Ignored the alarm this morning and made no arrangements with anyone else (after 5 consecutive 0530 starts!) and we ended up with no early morning coverage on a half-decent morning.  A bit of vis mig and a bush-search from 1100-1200 just covering the reserve:

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Spotted Redshank -  juvenile moulting to 1st W was in Ocean Edge saltmarsh channel, then high tide roost - a tricky bird to see here
Little Gull - adult
Ringed Plover - 19 on Ocean Edge beach
Vis mig 1100-1200
alba Wagtail - 7 SE
Chaffinch - 14 S
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE
Meadow Pipit - none
Lesser Redpoll - 1 SE

Grounded Heysham NR
Chiffchaff - 3
Goldcrest - 6
Song Thrush - 7
Blackcap - 1
also Water Rail heard in the wetland
Blackbird - 3 flighty birds along PA way may have been early migrants

Half Moon Bay (evening)
Wheatear - 2

Insects
Migrant Hawker in front of the pagoda in temperatures which are still high teens
Comma - 2
Red Admiral - 5
Speckled Wood - c10
Moth trap held the first Epirrata spp (November Moth agg) of the year along with Green-brindled Crescent, Pink-barred Sallow, Red-line Quaker, Black Rustic and Silver Y