Thursday 12 April 2012

Willow warblers in the half-light, Tree Pipit highlight

Heysham Obs
Classic morning where if you waited for 'full daylight', you missed the landfall action.  At least 20 Willow warblers whizzed through as the nets were being set at 0615hrs and the only ones caught were three during the setting and a single on the next round with the nets fully spread out, then nothing until one mid-morning.  0700 onwards = 'dead' as the sky cleared

Sea 0715-0730, 0815-0900
Pink-footed Goose - c160 NW
Red-throated Diver - 2 in sp in high
Sandwich Tern - 13
Sand Martin - 3
Swallow -1 (first of year for here!), later another north

Vis c0615-c0900
Meadow Pipit - c55 NE
Lesser Redpoll - 1 NE
Goldfinch - 4 NE
Linnet - 2 NE

Well-timed outside tea break
Tree Pipit - one north at 1125! (first of year)

Grounded
Willow Warbler - at least 20 intermittently singing males passed through early morning (4 ringed as the nets were set too late!), one ringed later
Blackcap - 2-3 singing males

Insects
A circuit of the reserve produced 3 Orange Tip and 4 Speckled Wood amongst ones and twos of the hibernators.  Another Shoulder Stripe graced the moth trap

Thanks Janet