Wednesday 9 November 2011

Late flurry of migrant Meadow Pipit

Heysham Obs
Just the mound/north wall covered this morning, then the Potts Corner-Heysham stretch was (rather disappointing apart from Ringed Plover) covered late afternoon:

Meadow Pipit - 11, including a group of 5 in-off joining the ones already there
Rock Pipit - one
Med Gull - Czech-ringed ad
Song Thrush - one mound
Twite - 56 early morning.  35 of these examined and there were 13 unringed plus one with autumn 2011 Machrihanish Seabird Observatory combination and one with autumn 2010 Machrihanish combination.  No chance to sort through the Heysham-ringed birds as the flock was flushed by a noisy Mistle Thrush.  Later a short ringing session confirmed the influx of new birds with a catch of 13 containing 9 unringed and a single 'new' Machrihanish-ringed bird.  By this time there were 24 Twite also on Ocean Edge, perhaps some of the morning flock of 56.

Ringed Plover - c60 close inshore along the southern edge of the recording area was a surprise and a perhaps further indication that we are missing birds on the WeBS counts between Potts Corner and Ocean Edge when the tide height is less than a full 'spring' - there is plenty of beach on which Ringed Plover can be very hard to locate - previous estimates for this stretch during the winter months have never exceeded 30.  The other alternative is that the elusive Sunderland Point birds joined forces with the Potts Corner-Ocean Edge birds today

Butterflies
Red Admiral - two 'in-off' during the twite-ringing session on the north harbour wall at lunchtime