Heysham Obs
The only reliable weather forecast was the "red sky in the morning..............." as the atlantic weather pushed in much earlier than originally forecasted, including a huge splodge of cloud at dawn over the whole of Morecambe Bay punctuated by darker patches producing rain. Unfortunately this little lot was materialising from the west-north-west and did not appear to either be holding nor dropping any gems from the east and it certainly blocked the vis mig over Heysham with huge numbers of birds heading south-east around the northern fringe (e.g. Caton Moor vis mig data). The vis belatedly kicked in in fits and starts after about 1000hrs as the skies cleared. So the last chance of anything decent grounded-passerine-wise in what has been an awful month - a lot of effort for relatively little reward - as the "not strong enough for any sustained seawatching westerlies" kick in again for the foreseeable future
Vis mig and grounded birds dawn to 1200hrs Heysham NR
Chiffchaff - 2
Goldcrest - c8
Blackcap - 3
Coal Tit - notable numbers by this autumn's standards with at least 19 passing through in 6 flocks
Robin - 4 unringed birds caught early on
Blue Tit - one unringed bird
Wren - 3 unringed birds
Thrushes - no evidence c/f yesterday
Chaffinch - 149 SW, most early on
alba Wagtail - 39 SE
Pink-footed Goose - 31+77 SE
Meadow Pipit - 234 SE, almost all after 1000hrs, plus trickle after 1200hrs
Carrion Crow - one high to south
Redpoll spp - 2 SW
Grey Wagtail - 4 SE
Swallow - 23 SE, 12 seen late afternoon flying S together
Reed Bunting - 1 SE
Goldfinch - 19 SE
Siskin - heard once & one seen
Skylark - 1 SE
Outfalls area
Common Tern - juv
Med Gull - at least 2 1CY
Little Gull - Ad seen yesterday
Moths
A Herald (of not a lot!) was located in the trap first thing along with 4 Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Silver Y and a Green-brindled Crescent. Drinker larva found by Linda & friend
