Monday 3 September 2012

Brilliant wader spectacle

Heysham Obs
The day started well soon after dawn with 5 Grey Wagtails colour-ringed on the first round.  Then the sun followed by a niggling wind led to the remaining 5 passage birds which were noted sitting on the net, hovering in front of it etc etc before departing.  Grey Wagtails are a bit 'all or nothing' - either you seem to catch most of them if the weather is a little dull and calm or none if there is any hint of sun on the nets.  Unfortunately the latter cannot be avoided on clear days during the early morning by the office.

Office area (vis very intermittent due to multitasking!)
Grey Wagtail - 11 SE (5 ringed)
Tree Pipit - 2 SE
Meadow Pipit - c6 SE, possibly more
Swallow - c20 SE
Chiffchaff - c5
Sedge Warbler - one ringed
Whitethroat - one ringed
Goldcrest - just the one around which was ringed
Med Gull - ad and 3CY anting over the office late afternoon

Ocean Edge-Potts Corner waders
In my opinion, this is the best wader spectacle at (at least) this time of year on the east side of Morecambe Bay and grossly neglected by birders apart from our long-range scans from Ocean Edge foreshore.  Today's fare included:
Grey Plover - 525, many in full summer plumage
Sanderling - 14
Dunlin - 370
Knot - 480 - several in full summer plumage
Bar-tailed Godwit - 320 - several in full summer plumage
Black-tailed Godwit - 1 (rare here)
Ringed Plover - 37

Miscellany
Mute swan - 2 flew in as seen from the north harbour wall
Grey Heron - one off north wall
Wheatear - 3 north wall, two Ocean Edge, one by Pontins
Eider - 18 off north wall

Insects
21 Small Tortoiseshell and 4 Peacock & one Red Admiral round the office buddlieas
2 Migrant Hawker in the mist net at the same time - spooking a Grey Wagtail!
Bulrush Wainscot was the star of the moth trap