Saturday 7 September 2013

The local birding event weather jinx continues

Heysham Obs
A decent look at the outfalls and Red Nab was marred by some poor weather during the latter half.  It also knocked on the head any early morning searches for migrants.  There appears to be high degree of certainty that the Bonaparte's Gull has gone, although you always have to be very careful with these pronouncements when wet fields are available nearby, reducing 'reliance' on the outfalls

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge most of the morning from 0900hrs
Sanderling - juvenile on the mudflats off ocean Edge
Little Gull - one adult-type
Sandwich Tern - 3 'out'
Common/Arctic Tern - one seen very briefly
Med Gull - Maxima of 9 1CY, 4 2CY, 1 3CY and 4 adult-type
Little Egret - one flew over the reserve early morning and the same may have been seen on Red Nab

Migrants
Wheatear - 6-7 seen
Swallow - about 12 casually noted heading inland from across the bay
Meadow Pipit - 8 as above
Grey Wagtail - 2 SE
Pink-footed Goose - IOA -two lots of 5 headed south-east
Wigeon - IOA - 2 off Red Nab early morning, joined by a flock of 8 later
small duck spp - one with two Wigeon early am but very brief and distant
Kestrel - one may have come in-off as it disturbed the gulls on Red Nab
Grey Heron - one south over the reserve

Moths
Just a handful of Silver Y and yesterday's Mullein Wave relocated after it went awol in the toilet!