Sunday 31 March 2013

Meadow Pipits but what else?

Heysham Obs
The highlight today was ticking the requisite boxes for a "white Easter" as a few snowflakes appeared late morning. Very disappointing morning with less happening than yesterday and not even a compensatory Osprey through the massive amount of airspace given good coverage

North wall 0700 onwards
Watching paint dry
Kittiwake - flocks of 14+12 the "highlight"
Eider - 91
Twite - c70
Great-crested Grebe - 9
plus vis dealt with below

Vis mig combined office & NHW 0700-1130
Siskin - 1
Lesser Redpoll - 2
Jackdaw  - flock of 4
Carrion Crow - 1 high & purposeful
Canada Goose - 5 did a circle of the golf course
alba Wagtail - 42
Meadow Pipit - 377
Goldfinch - 5
Greenfinch - 1 (!)
Linnet - 3
Coal Tit - 2+1 north

Miscellany
No Meds seen
Wigeon - 33

The spring passage of Turnstone is well under way -the time of peak numbers here.  In contrast, Little Grebe seems to have declined in the last three years as a breeding species at Middleton and so far this year, there may only be two pairs.   Thanks to Sandra and John Truran for the pics

Night migrants
None unless two unringed Robins being chased come into this category

Ringing
27 Meadow Pipit and 2 Greenfinch