Wednesday 30 January 2013

Little Gulls trickle in

Heysham Obs
A few short sorties today in between a lot of work.

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2 adults, 3CY on heliport briefly but ring still unreadable as it 'faced left'!
Thanks Janet

Twite - c95 but in the blinding sunlight part of the morning!
Great-crested Grebe - 7 'out' in 5 mins
Red-throated Diver - one 'out' as above
Guillemot - one 'out' as above

Stage 2 outfall
Little Gull - 3 adult type and 2 2CY by lunchtime

No Kitts, ferry sneaked in unseen!

Middleton model boat pond
Mute Swan - JZ6 2CY lying dead and headless by the model boat pond - thanks Carol for letting us know - I've disposed of it as it was upsetting a lot of people leaving it 'to nature'
Pochard - increase to 4 males
Tufted Duck - 7
Goldeneye - female

Elsewhere
It might seem beyond belief listening to the howling wind, unless you are familiar with the sheltered Millhouses site, but I've seen 60 moths today........:  40 Pale-brindled beauty, 12 Spring Usher, 2 Early Moth, 5 Dotted Border and a Tortricodes alternella.  A big-enough sample to say that the speciality of this site at/from this time of year, Small Brindled Beauty, is not out yet.  Note lack of hibernators: Chestnut/Satellite/Red-green Carpet which were regular during the mild first week of January