Thursday 25 April 2013

Large fall finally documented!

Heysham Obs
Sorry for the late postings for today - not able to access the site Thurs pm or Friday

Clearly a few migrants around first thing prompting a mist net to be set.  Rain at this stage was very intermittent and virtually indiscernible.  This changed about 0930 with the wind turning westerly and some heavy drizzle and poor visibility heading in off the sea.  This dropped a further wadge of migrants on the north harbour wall and later to other places, including large numbers of Willow Warbler on Middleton.  A bit of seabird movement in the clearer weather first thing

Sea 0700-0725
Arctic Tern - 65 in
Sandwich Tern - minimum of 45 blogging/flying out - quite a contrast with yesterday
Arctic Skua - dark morph in at 0720hrs - another species absent yesterday
Razorbill - one on the sea

Heysham NR office area
Yellow Wagtail - male flavissima north
Tree Pipit - one north
Meadow Pipit - 3north
alba Wagtail - 6 north
Goldfinch - 15 north
Lesser Redpoll -at least 10 north (2 ringed)
Ring Ouzel - female around the office, then into the tank farm, then presumably the same high inland at 0735hrs
Willow Warbler - at least 40 migrants
Sedge Warbler - migrant ringed
Common Whitethroat - singing male passed rapidly through
The tank farm Grasshopper Warbler not heard, despite good conditions (heard two days ago).  Perhaps there isn't one in residence and two passage birds have been recorded

North harbour wall/south harbour wall
Wheatear - 18 on mound/sandworks, 6 south harbour, 11 Ocean Edge
Blackcap - female on mound, male and female near the 'wheel (thanks for the pics Janet)
Phyllosc - at least 15 scattered along the coast

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls
Arctic Tern - 34 roosting on Red Nab at high tide & another 6 on outfalls

Middleton NR
Grasshopper Warbler - at least 2 singing males
Sedge Warbler - ditto
Whinchat - at least one, probably 2 males by no swimming pond
Willow Warbler - 40+, including at least 15 around the CES area in central marsh
Blackcap - 5+
Gadwall - pair on model boat pond
Tufted Duck - at least 5
Swallow - 45 over ponds
House Martin - 3 over ponds