Heysham Obs
Do not think a great deal of the weather synopses coming up. Too windy for ringing, too westerly for migrants, not windy enough for seabirds. Good for getting on with some work! Little evidence of anything new around this morning save the odd coastal Wheatear
Outfalls early morning
Med Gull - 9 juvs with 8 together seaward end Heysham one, at least 2 adults and at least one 2CY
Little Gull - adult
High tide
Cormorant - 55 on wooden jetty and surrounds
Wheatear
2 Red Nab, one mound, one heliport seawall
Ringing in August
We put as lot of effort in during August and perhaps the most telling statistic (other than the Swallow/Sand Martin roost) is the capture of just 13 Blue Tit and just a single flock of Long-tailed Tit. None of us have recorded a Blue Tit flock as such this autumn at either Middleton or Heysham - quite extraordinary. The other species which is dramatically below par is Blackbird with just 5 ringed during the month. The tit numbers contrast with an excellent total of 98 Willow Warbler - a species at this time of year you normally associate with tit flocks. Other warbler species were below par in relation to effort, although Whitethroat was not as bad as thought due to 13 being ringed on a Middleton date I was not involved in. Totals for August: Chaffinch 11, Song Thrush 2, Greenfinch 100, Willow Warbler 98, Blackcap 18, Garden Warbler 2, Robin 18, Dunnock 4, Chiffchaff 14, Sedge Warbler 20, Whitethroat 34, Reed Bunting 5, Reed Warbler 9, Grasshopper Warbler 2, Great Tit 15, Blackbird 5, Long-tailed Tit 10, Wren 10, Blue Tit 13, Bullfinch 2, Lesser Whitethroat 9, Swallow 518, Goldfinch 11, Coal Tit 2, Linnet 2, Sand Martin 17
Moths
A bit more variety than of late with an influx of 9 Silver Y, late Yellow Shell and four rather late pristine Common Rustic.
