Heysham Obs
Just about got away with the CES this morning by making sure both the Heysham and Middleton ones were started at dawn. Given the conditions, a surprising lack of migrants with just a hint of a handful of presumed migrant Sedge Warblers at Middleton at the end of the session and a couple of Wheatear on Ocean Edge
Gadwall - a male flew off the central marsh pond, leaving a female giving anxiety calls, but no young could be seen in the well-vegetated marsh. At the same time, presumably the same male joined another male chasing another female around in the sky for what seemed to be ages, before pitching in around the Tim Butler pond
Reed Warbler - the other 'positive' from Middleton was at least 4 singing males which may have included the two already-ringed returning birds caught
The main downside of the Middleton CES was that only one Grasshopper Warbler was heard singing briefly, despite rather good conditions for singing birds. The number of Whitethroat also appeared to be down with a majority of birds in peripheral scrub, rather than scattered throughout the wetland bramble/scrub areas as previous years. Maybe they have not all arrived yet.
Vis mig
Lesser Redpoll - one flew NE over Middleton
Swallow - 6 flew NE over Middleton
Sea
No information
Still mothless!
