Wednesday 23 April 2014

Potentially decent morning spoilt by extensive clear skies at dawn

Heysham Obs
Unlucky this morning as dawn saw a great big clear slot complete with the lingering moon after travelling from home thorough some tasty 'fall' weather.  It was also too windy for the office nets


Vis mig, including an hour on the sea
Tree Pipit - 4
Meadow Pipit - 18
Grey Wagtail - 1 (very late)
Marsh Harrier - dark bird north and inland over Middleton 1100ish (missed it c/f patch challenge!!)
alba Wagtail - 6 NE
Swallow - relatively few with just 25 noticed
Sandwich Tern - 13
Gannet - adult in
Siskin - 1+ NE
Redpoll - 2 NE
Auk spp - one out
Carrion Crow - flock of 5 north


Grounded/newly arrived territorial birds
Wheatear - 14 scattered around, including 6 on Red Nab
Redstart - 1 female
Reed Warbler - 3 singing males Middleton
Sedge Warbler - increase to 6 singing males Middleton
Common Sandpiper - 1
Willow Warbler - no great evidence of arrival - far less than yesterday in clear conditions - 3 ringed during very short mist netting session
Grasshopper Warbler - additional singing male by office/obs tower pond (as well as tank farm bird)


Miscellany
Turnstone - 187
Gadwall - still at least one pair Middleton
Todays photos from Red Nab and the Harbour