Bit of vis mig and a few odds and ends plus belated Black Red

Heysham Obs
Did an hours vis mig at home, then a bit at Sunderland, Middleton and finally Heysham NR.  Relevant to the obs recording area were:

Reed Bunting  2 S
Meadow Pipit - 2 S
Redwing - 35 SW
Chaffinch - 38 SW (180 S over my house High Tatham  0705-0805)

Other bits (thanks Malcolm for some of these)
Wheatear - rather large juv Northern Ocean Edge
Black Redstart - one seen by a dog walker yesterday morning at the eastern end of Half Moon Bay - female/imm - described as 'uniformly sooty' (with red tail).  No sign this afternoon
Woodcock - one flushed from mist net ride whilst topping up HNr feeder
Goldfinch - 46 NHW feeder
Linnet - 20 NHW feeder
Twite - heard (just one bird?) in sea buckthorn area NHW
Chiffchaff - one Middleton
Cetti's Warbler - again singing and calling Middleton but no views of legs yet to see if ringed

Insects
At least one Migrant Hawker and one Common Darter Middleton.  Tomorrow looks very good for insects.  Large Wainscot, Turnip Moth highlights of the moth trap.  Two Red Admiral seen

Ready and waiting but few birds

Heysham Obs
The rain alarm said clearance again at c0930, so swung into action.  The problem was that the large numbers of Goldcrests had melted away/migrated on during the clear early part of last night and three hours with a mist net "only" produced five individuals (all unringed).  Significant numbers of thrushes heading south over my house 0830ish were also not replicated here.  Should have stayed at home and monitored the vis.  Thanks to Malcolm for Middleton/OE details

Heysham NR
Goldcrest - only about 10 seen (5 ringed)
Chiffchaff -one collybita-type
Redwing - 60 dropped in in dribs and drabs from the east
Mistle Thrush - 2 SW
Starling and Fieldfare - zero

Middleton
Cetti's Warbler -singing male from same location as the other day (per Malcolm) - NE central marsh
Woodcock - one near solrec
Mute Swan - 4
Coot - 4
Moorhen - 15
Tufted Duck - 13
Teal - 16+
Snipe - 1
Pheasant - 1
Blackcap - male

Ocean Edge
Mallard - the usual three
Linnet - 35
Greenfinch - 10
House Sparrow - c20
Snipe - 4

Here is a pic of what could easily be lurking somewhere on HN reserve - a presumed north European Woodcock which landed in White Lund estate yesterday morning and remained between the plant pots most of the day.   Thanks to Paul Cocker

Get a grip!

Heysham Obs
Posted 30 seconds too late for it to register as 'Thursday' which of course this was:

Messed it up big-style today as the lone observer.  Comments that you see nothing sitting in hides during the passerine migration seasons represent minor fieldcraft errors compared to retreating into the office in driving rain and SE wind which started at dawn after a clear night.  It then clears up and the wind drops but you don't go outside again until three hours later to top up the feeder! Immediately became aware of "Goldcrests in every bush"!

I had one hour to rectify the situation before I had to go:
Goldcrest - c50 on a quick reserve circuit
Blackbird - c30 ditto
Song Thrush - 3 ditto
Starling - 700 S
Fieldfare - 130 SW
Skylark - 14 SE

The one mist net set for one round produced 4 x Goldcrest, 2 x Goldfinch and 1 x Greenfinch

Hooked beaks and claws day

Heysham Obs
A very short post-rain ringing session at the feeders produced a juvenile male Kestrel in the net - perhaps targeting a rat!

Earlier a Short-eared Owl flew south over the office area mid-morning but was chased away by crows, when it seemed to want to land in the tank farm, and carried on south.  Hopefully I can retrieve this species for the Patchwork Challenge having missed two this week

Middleton NR
Goldcrest - 5+
Chiffchaff
Couldn't hear any Cetti's Warbler but not there very long

North harbour wall
Goldfinch - 26
Linnet - 20
Meadow Pipit - 1 grounded

Moths
1 Silver Y the only inhabitant of the trap

Promising start then mediocre

Heysham Obs
Immobilised by a trapped nerve in the left leg is not a good recipe in an east wind, but a flurry of early stuff was followed by a very poor period with no sign of the anticipated Fieldfare wave (or later at High Tatham watching the Aire/Wenning flightline) and the more mobile members of the team also had rather meagre fare. 

The next three mornings look pretty wet for the first three hours or so but the recipe for dropping a few late odds and ends is certainly there.  However, this has been a most peculiar autumn with the awful 'in house' breeding season (notably, based on Heysham ringing totals in relation to effort, for Chaffinch, Meadow Pipit, Sedge Warbler, Greenfinch, Blackbird and even to a lesser extent e.g. Robin and Wren) compensated for by good numbers of presumed north European/west Siberian migrants inflating the ringing totals of e.g. Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and contributing about 33% of the all time grand total for Yellow-browed Warbler.

However, there still seems to be a lot of unfinished business with continental Chaffinch/Brambling as well as the anticipated Fieldfare arrival.  Sunday onwards looks good for vis mig.

Some more interesting ringing recoveries:
 

Grey Wagtail

Z835237          3          16.09.15          Middleton NR
Sighted            0          28.09.15          Blacon Chester (Cheshire) 91 km S  in 12 days

Z297587     Ist CY.   6/9/15         Heysham  NR, Lancs 
Read in field:         26/10/15        Etherow country park, SJ973911, Greater  Manchester 
Dare one say "typical" sightings of this species, but they are part of a growing cluster along/near the M56 corridor

 

Goldcrest

CXK886         5M       27.01.15          Langport Sewage Works (Somerset)
Recaptured      4M       04.10.15          Heysham         334 km N in 250 days

 

This, of course, has not only flown north from Somerset but south from an unknown breeding site.  The second adult bird ringed to the south of here caught this autumn

 

Lesser Redpoll

D519978         5          01.05.13          Humshaugh (Northumberland)

Recaptured      4M       12.10.15          Middleton 124 km SSW in 894 days

 

Heysham NR today

Long-tailed Tit - mainly unringed flock of about 17 (5 caught and ringed)

Coal Tit - one unringed bird and at least one south

Fieldfare - just 26

Redwing - just 43

Chaffinch - 45

Meadow Pipit - 8

Starling - 32

Pink-footed Goose - 175

Linnet - 2

Skylark - 5

alba Wagtail - 1

 

Grounded Heysham office area & tank farm

Song Thrush - 8

Blackbird - 10

Goldcrest - 5

Redwing - 1

 

Middleton

Lesser Redpoll - 2 ringed

Chiffchaff - 1 ringed

Goldcrest - 7 unringed birds caught

Redwing - 'a few' but just one ringed

North wall late morning
Linnet 19-21
Goldfinch 13-15
Twite 1
Robin 1
Reed Bunting  1
mostly on the seed, but not the Twite which was unringed and the gcs suggested 1CY

 

Insects

Red Admiral - 2 south very purposefully

Silver Y - one in trap

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice little selection

Heysham Obs
Considering general migration was at a very low level this morning, if lack of thrushes was anything to go by, quite a decent haul, but couldn't get any views of a possible Siberian Chiffchaff on Heysham Head with 3-4 mobile Blue Tit other than call x 3, brief pale underparts and a long tail. Binned as could not be relocated.  Ironically the calling collybita-type with LTTs gave excellent views!.

Middleton Nature reserve (thanks Malcolm)
Mute Swan - 2 pairs + 2 cygnets
Moorhen - 7
Coot - 2
Mallard - 3 (no Gadwall recently)
Teal - 52 (very flighty)
Cetti's Warbler - singing male NE corner of central marsh

Ocean Edge/Red NabShort eared owl - one rose from the high tide line on saltmarsh and headed north over caravans
Kestrel - 1
Common snipe - 3
Little Egret - 3
Rock Pipit - 1
Med Gull - 2CY

Heysham Nature reserve vis mig 0715-0915ish
Chaffinch - 79 SW
Brambling - 1-2 (two birds, one definite Brambling calling) SW
Linnet - flock of 6 SE
Meadow Pipit - 1+1+1 S
Starling - 284 in 6 flocks S/SW
Lapwing - flock of 9 high to SE
Woodpigeon - 9 SE
Greenfinch - 1 SW!
Swallow - juvenile blogging, then S (very late for here)
alba Wagtail - 1 SE
Bullfinch - 2 S

Grounded migrants HNR
Very little
Blackbird - 8
Goldcrest - 5

North Harbour Wall
Linnet - 17 around the feeding area and Sea Buckthorn bushes
Goldfinch - 2 with Linnets
Robin - 1 feeding area

Heysham Head
see above
Chiffchaff - 1
Treecreeper - 2
Redpoll - 2 S
Starling - 11 SW

Insects
Middleton NR
Red Admiral - 1
Common Darter - 6 including ovipositing pair

Heysham Head
Silver Y

Heysham NR - all in NE corner
Comma - three on ivy bloom
Red Admiral - 3 on ivy bloom
Speckled Wood - one very geriatric one
Migrant Hawker - 1
Common Darter - 1

(Comma - 1 below obs tower site
Small Tortoiseshell - 2 apparently setting off across bay north-westwards from NHW)

Moth trap
Singles of Large Wainscot and Angle Shades













1 red admiral
6 common darter, including pair depositing eggs in a soon to
be dried up puddle

Yellow-browed Warbler summary for LDBWS recording area

Heysham Obs
Apart from c40 Blackbird and 11 Song Thrush, not a lot happening this morning other than a grounded Reed Bunting and (with apologies to Floyd) another Brick in the toilet

YELLOW BROWED WARBLERS   North Lancashire

Some waffle here refers to pics which I have removed.  They are already either on this site or can be seen on the linked Dan Haywood site (along with sound recordings) or Fylde bird club site.  Please excuse the reverse order! 

25) 19/10/15
Ringed at Leighton Moss by the spring (John Wilson et al)

24) 17/10/15

Heysham NR – seen and heard by JR & PJM working its way inland along north side of reserve – unringed

23) 15/10/15 

Fluke Hall with a tit flock (?multi observed)

22) 14/10/15

Heysham Nature reserve.  Seen in field by Pete Marsh then caught in mist net by office  with LTT flock.  Photo Emma Garston – the only other observer

21) 14/10/15
One heard calling several times by the Middleton NR Tim Butler pond but bird could not be seen in dense willows  (Malcolm Downham).  Didn’t get chance to follow this one up

20) 14/10/15

Seen well with Long-tailed Tits and Chiffchaff in north Heysham garden (just in SD45A) c0915.  Not photographed.  Pete Cook

19) 11/10/15 Field record

Jean Roberts located a calling individual in the willows by the alder woodland.     Pete Crooks turned up just after it was located and started to wander across.  In the meantime, the next mist net round at the office produced another, so PC returned to the office to see the ‘in hand’ bird then went back to the alder woodland and also heard the original bird calling.  However, it was really difficult to get to grips with in dense willow and no definitive plumage details were seen – just a shape in the bushes.  It then disappeared as the captured bird was perhaps erroneously released at the same location 

18) 11/10/15 

Heysham Nature reserve.  Found in mist net by the office at the same time another was calling in the alder woodland at the other end of the reserve (see above).   Seen by Pete Marsh, Jean Roberts and Pete Crooks

17) 11/10/15

Leighton Moss spring area – one ringed & photographed John Wilson et al

16) 10/10/15

Trees and scrub surrounding Glasson boatyard – Ian Hartley  

15) 10/10/15

The first of three reports from the Griesdale Hide at Leighton Moss although at least one claim on 11/10 was a Chiffchaff but (after a gap without any reports) the sighting on 16/10/15 was by three experienced birders

14) 09/10/15

This was giving almost manically multiple calls from the north side of the reserve when found by Jean Roberts – typical, in my experience, of a new arrival.   Unfortunately it then flew towards the north-east corner of the reserve – this leads to an obvious ‘departure corridor’ down the woodland edged railway line and this bird was not seen again despite extensive coverage of the reserve on both remainder of 9/10 and during 10/10 (this I suggest rules out the 9/10 and 11/10 field records being the same bird).  Pete Marsh and Jean Roberts – plumage features seen briefly.

13) 09/10/15

Heysham Nature reserve.  One had just been found at the far end of the reserve, flying towards the NE corner bushes (the usual exit route for inland) then 15 minutes after observers left the scene this appeared in the net by the office from the tank farm (opposite) side.  In my opinion no chance of being one and the same.  Note this is not a trophy shot – no teeth showing!

12) 08/10/15

Galgate – centre of village – Stuart Piner garden – multi-observed & photos

11) 4/10/15 

Field record.  This was located on call by Jean Roberts below the old observation tower site.  Phoned Pete Marsh who was at the ringing base by the office and the bird then flew into the isolated willow above the office allowing PM to see and hear it calling three times.  At the same time an irruptive Coal Tit flock flew high from the north-east over the office and the YBW stuck its head out of the bush and headed south over the top of the mist nets perhaps encouraged to do so by the calling Coal Tits.  Clear view of the head and bits and pieces of wingbars etc in the bush,  plus multiple calls.   Not seen again despite a tank farm visit.  

10) 04/10/15

Fluke Hall/Fluke Hall Lane – multi-observed

9) 3/10/15 

Middleton Nature Reserve.  Found in mist net by Jean Roberts also seen by John Mason (see field records).  Released 0850hrs and flew south towards the sewage works and not seen again
 

8) 3/10/15 

Field record Middleton Nature reserve.   A calling YBW was located by Jean Roberts at c1150 heading fairly rapidly south through the bushes alongside the road at Middleton just after the nets had been taken down.  John Mason also heard it calling.   The behaviour and timing suggests this is a different bird from that released at 0850 but it was unfortunately not possible to see the legs

[3/10 Heysham NR – single call of what was considered to be a YBW heard along the top pylon path by Pete Marsh from the ringing base.  No further sight/sound.  Not good enough to claim]

7) 3/10/15
Sunderland Point by the Anchorage (Dan Haywood)  (presumably the same seen very briefly on 5/10?)

6) 1/10/15

Field record Heysham Nature reserve.   The one which got away ringing-wise  due to sun on the mist nets.  Heard calling then hovered against the sun-drenched mist net and landed on the tip of a dead bramble nearby.  Clearly seen to be unringed and quite a ‘bright’ bird with a strikingly white rather than fully yellow-suffused supercilium and wing-bars, similar to that caught on 11/10 (see above).  Lost interest in the mist net and disappeared into the tank farm to which there is no easy access from the reserve (lengthy drive around to PS plus security clearance) and therefore not possible to leave mist nets and go and search.  Pete Marsh only

5) 1/10/15

Sunderland Brows Farm photographed (Dan Haywood – present at same time as the other bird!)

4) 1/10/15

Tom Smiths garden, Sunderland, by toilet block.  Found by Tom Wilmer – multi-observed & photos

3) 30/09/15

Heard calling on Heysham Head (Rectory Wood)by Jean Roberts – could not be relocated two hours later (but Firecrest found!).  Not seen.

2)  29/9/15

Heysham Nature Reserve found in mist net by office.  Seen by Pete Marsh and Jean Roberts

1)   22/9/15
Field record.  Whilst in the middle of ringing a few birds, one called clearly from the bushes at the start of the top path and then gave a second  call a little further along the path.  Unfortunately by the time the ringer had finished with the catch about 6 minutes later, there was no further sign. Pete Marsh only.    

slim pickings in unhelpful weather

Heysham Obs
Nothing better than a new for year Brick in the moth trap.  Coastal coverage my Malcolm and Pete served up a Rock Pipit on Ocean Edge foreshore with 59 Wigeon and two Little Egret Red Nab.  Later a 2CY Med Gull was on Red Nab

Trickle

Heysham Obs
The ringer in charge this morning reported a trickle of Chaffinch but no other vis mig apart from 30 Pink-footed Geese

Grounded included three new Goldcrest in the nets but nothing else of migratory status

Outfalls: 2CY Med Gull

Definitely no Twite as yet on the north harbour wall (7 Linnet)

Moths included a late Setaceous Hebrew Chracter

Different!

Heysham Obs

Bit of north harbour walling this morning 0825-0900 then an outfalls check.  Best sighting of the day, though, was a Yellow-line Quaker in the moth trap - mega rare on the coast here but the commonest moth in woodland back home (no accidental transports!)

The Czech-ringed veteran Med was patrolling the north wall

Two recognisable Razorbill flew out and 4 whirring dots further out presumed same or similar

Chiffchaff calling by the office

The lunchtime IOM ferry saw a following 1CY Kittiwake and adult Little Gull milling around.  Two things far offshore looked like 1CY Shag but that is as far as it went at that range

Just added Dan's blog link - not before time - one of a handful of people in this area who know how to work a site and winkle out the elusive migrants

Moths included Yellow-line Quaker and Parsnip moth

A bit of a downturn in effort

Tuesday 20th October
This should have been covered despite the light north-westerly airflow.  On the other hand, Dan was recording very little at Sunderland

At Heysham c300 Redwing descended about 1145hrs before heading SW and there were c20 Chaffinch moving south in a 20 minute mid-morning vis sample, but nothing else

Wednesday 21st October
Rock Pipit - singles Red Nab and by OE slipway
Little Gull - adult in boating channel feeding in Heysham one outfall flow
Lapwing - 260
Little Egret - 3

Blackbird - c15 around office

Perfect conditions, routine birds

Heysham Obs
Martin Cade summed up the feeling perfectly on the Portland Obs website - just about had enough of these E/NE winds producing slowly diminishing levels of interest as they stubbornly refuse to include poor offshore visibility in the agenda - need a break - learn how to get wet and windswept again - maybe even see something which qualifies as a seabird!

Vis mig office area
Goldfinch - 5
Redwing - just 43
Blackbird - 8
Song Thrush - 3
Chaffinch - strong movement in first half hour of daylight then stopped dead as cloud cam in from NW - 86 S
Bullfinch - 2+3 high to S
Pink-footed Goose - 120N + 93 NE + 520 N
Kestrel - 1+1 high to south
alba Wagtail - 8 S
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE
Sparrowhawk - 1 high to S
Reed Bunting - 2
Mistle Thrush - 3

Grounded Heysham NR
Blackcap - 1m
Goldcrest - c15
Chiffchaff - 4
Blackbird - 30
Song Thrush - 19 (highest nos so far this autumn)
Redwing - just 7
[Treecreeper - one retrap]

Vis mig Middleton (thanks Andrew)
Woodpigeon - 55 S
Reed Bunting - 2 S
Chaffinch - just 7 S
Redpoll spp - 2 S
Siskin - 2
Grey Wagtail - 2
Mistle Thrush - 2
Blackbird - 6
Jay - 2
Meadow Pipit - 2
Redwing - 302
Pink-footed Goose - same as HNR plus 200 S (way to east)
Snipe - 1
Goldfinch - 18

Miscellany
Teal - 10 Middleton

Ringing - combined new birds
Goldcrest (14), Blackbird (1), Song Thrush (2), Redwing (9), Coal Tit (1), Great Tit (1), Chiffchaff (1), Reed Bunting (5), Dunnock (1)

Fits and starts

Heysham Obs
No consistent interest retainers this morning although it always seemed 'something might happen' with variable, often quite heavy cloud and a wind which oscillated between light and moderate E/NE.  In the end there was nothing of real interest for the large visiting group from Macclesfield

Heysham NR grounded
Ring Ouzel - a noisy scaly imm first thing which headed inland as did the other thrushes about 0730hrs
Blackbird - c30
Redwing - c150
Song Thrush - 7
Goldcrest - 7-10 new in
Chiffchaff - only one new in
Robin - one unringed lightweight

Vis mig all morning
Redwing - the grounded birds flew inland c0730 plus another 171
Fieldfare - 3+87
Song Thrush - 5
Blackbird - 10
Grey Wagtail - 1
Lesser Redpoll - 4
Goldfinch - 8
alba Wagtail - c10
Meadow Pipit - 4
Reed Bunting - 1
Chaffinch - 14 (!)
Brambling - one with 5 Chaffinch
Pink-footed Goose - 65+100 but a lot more over Middleton
Jay - 3
Raven - 1

Others
Tree Sparrow - one ringed Middleton
Blackcap - one ringed Middleton and an unidentified 'tac' at HNR was almost certainly this species
Chiffchaff - just one ringed Middleton
Med Gull - 2CY Red Nab

Ringing Middleton/Heysham (new birds)
Goldcrest (11), Chiffchaff (2), Coal Tit (4), Lesser Redpoll (5), Robin (1), Blackcap (1), Redwing (2), Wren (2), Chaffinch (2), Tree Sparrow (1), Long-tailed Tit (1).

Yet another Yellow-browed Warbler passes through and calling Cetti's Warbler

Heysham Obs
Jean Roberts located a calling YBW along the north end of the reserve at about 0815hrs and it appeared to move inland along northern edge and was located in the large sycamore about an hour later (unringed as expected)

Another landmark, where we never thought we would get anywhere near last year's record catch, was our 200th Chiffchaff of the year - the vast majority in the last month or so and all but the odd one or two in rapid transit, based on retrap data and field sightings of unringed birds  - rather like the Yellow browed Warblers

Interesting to compare the fortunes of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff over the years:
1986     Willow Warbler   440 (mainly due to tremendous spring passage during the Chernobyl weather) (grand total 1980-6 = 1425)
              Chiffchaff  33   (grand total 1980-6 = 85)

1996       Willow Warbler  260  (grand total 1980-1996 = 3459)
               Chiffchaff   35 (grand total 1980-1996 = 440)

2006       Willow Warbler  83 (grand total 1980-2006 = 4927)
               Chiffchaff     45  (grand total 1980-2006 = 870)

2014       Willow Warbler   180 (grand total 1980-2014 = 6144)
               Chiffchaff            227 (grand total 1980-2014 =  1648)

2015       Willow Warbler   125 (grand total 1980-2015 = 6269)   
(to date)  Chiffchaff            202 (grand total 1980-2015 = 1850)

Grounded Heysham NR
Goldcrest - c25-30, mostly NE corner
Chiffchaff - 6-7
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Redwing - c85
Blackbird - c20
Song thrush - 5
Cetti's Warbler - one calling in the middle of the marsh as heard from the boardwalk but not possible to see it in low dense vegetation (about 50 m north of end of boardwalk)

Vis mig over Heysham NR
Not a lot until the weather started clearing a bit late morning, then several large Redwing flocks
Redwing - c570, mainly west
Lesser Redpoll - 6
Pink-footed Goose - 13 north but bigger flock to the east
Raven - 2
Grey Wagtail - 1
alba Wagtail - 5
Chaffinch - only 3!!!
Goldfinch - 6
Meadow Pipit - 1

Ringing Middleton/Heysham
Coal Tit (1), Chiffchaff (12), Lesser Redpoll (8), Redwing (25), Reed Bunting (1), Wren (3), Robin (1), Blue Tit (1), Long-tailed Tit (1), Goldcrest (8)

Windier and trickier

Heysham Obs
The mist nets were not very effective this morning due to a bit of minor blowing about in the stronger NE wind,  Impression was that quite a few migrants sneaked through but all the migrant insectivores that were located were just two species:  Chiffchaff and Goldcrest other than a skinny unringed Robin in the nets.  A probably distant singing Cetti's Warbler on Middleton did not vocally last long and warrants further investigation.  Thanks to Ian for helping out with training

Ringing recoveries
The first Reed Warbler from Northumberland for our area (including Leighton Moss) and an interesting Goldcrest

Reed Warbler

Z152165          3          02.08.15          East Chevington (Northumberland)

Recaptured      3          18.09.15          Middleton NR 163km SSW

Goldcrest

EPT845           5F        04.04.15          Heysham
Recaptured      4F        09.10.15          Kilnsea (East Yorks) 206 km ESE in 188 days

Surely not a Scandinavian bird?

Heysham NR vis mig
Not very conscientious - cold and a late night playing in a 'sesh'
Chaffinch - again conspicuous by absence - 5 S
alba Wagtail - 8 SE
Meadow Pipit - 2 SE
Redwing - about 380 (including flock of c300)
Coal Tit - 4

Grounded
Blackbird - 13
Goldcrest - c20
Chiffchaff - 10 (6 NE side reserve, 2 tank farm, 2 dog walk pond area)
Song thrush - 5

Middleton NR
Reed Bunting - 1
Goldfinch - 37
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldcrest - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 4
Cetti's Warbler - needs confirming
Fieldfare - 1
Grey Wagtail - 2 blogging

Ringing
Robin (1), Lesser Redpoll (4), Redwing (1), Song Thrush (1), Goldcrest (8), Chiffchaff (1)

Not our turn

Heysham Obs
Not quite right for Heysham this morning with a big clear slot, whilst much tastier conditions seemed to be in the distance - Walney looked more promising than of late today unless the cloud was deceptively further into the Irish Sea.  

Vis Mig (three of us including Andrew Cornall)
Jackdaw - heard once
Rook - 4 N
Carrion Crow - 6 N
Raven -2 N
Redwing - 350 - biggest flock 96
Fieldfare - 1
Linnet - 5
Mistle Thrush - 5 NE
Bullfinch - 2
Skylark - 3 x H
Siskin - 3+
Redpoll - 2 (but 18 ringed Middleton as the flightline is to the east of the reserve)
Jay - 1
Grey Wagtail - 1
Pink-footed Goose - 110+65 S
alba Wagtail - 4
Coal Tit - 6
Chaffinch - only 7!
Greenfinch - 3
Meadow Pipit - 2

Grounded (office area only)
Goldcrest - c10
Chiffchaff - 1-2 plus one caught Middleton
Song Thrush - 8
Blackbird - 5

Ringing (combined Heysham/Middleton)
Wren (2), Long-tailed Tit (4), Bullfinch (3), Greenfinch (1), Chiffchaff (2), Goldcrest (8), Blue Tit (2), Blackbird (1), Coal Tit (3), Lesser Redpoll (18), Redwing (5), Reed Bunting (1)

Another ybw (is this really Lancashire!) and ring ouzel

Heysham Obs

Heysham NR office area
An oddly 'compartmentalised' morning around the office
1) Dawn Redwing drop - 50 ish
2) Flock of 6 Goldcrest in the net
3) A Ring Ouzel "materialises" out of the nearest rather large bush - calling, sticking its head out then flying inland - must have been lying low from a landfall during the night.  A few Song Thrush followed suit from other nearby bushes
4) A visit to the bottom net of three net revealed a few Long-tailed Tits and other birds but others 'waiting' in the nearest bush.  Checked the top first and a warbler leaf-gleaning at the top of a hawthorn inside the tank farm proved to be a Yellow-browed Warbler.  Cleared the top two nets but decided to leave the LTTs for a couple of minutes whilst I phoned out the Yellow-browed and also see if the additional birds would be caught
5) Emptied the net - there did not seem to be any additional birds in it, but in the middle was a Yellow-browed Warbler along with three Chiffchaff.  The rest of the LTT flock could be heard in the tank farm - was there another bird with them!
6) Two Tree Sparrow responded to an otherwise unproductive Redpoll tape and were duly ringed - the only ones seen
7) Three more Goldcrest - a good three hours after the early flock
8) 35 Redwing over - the first since pre-dawn

Yes, a strange morning - e.g. despite being on high alert covering vis and listening to bushy noises, the only Goldcrest and Chiffchaff noted were in the mist nets, with rapid 'melt-away' following release.  Indeed the YBW was the only bird to 'hang about' calling and showing well for at least 25 minutes but not on the return from the net check.

Vis mig Heysham NR
Rook - 7
Jackdaw - 3 (same flock as above)
Grey Wagtail  - 1
Redwing - 50 at dawn then 35 S mid/late morning
alba Wagtail - 17
Reed Bunting - 1
Chaffinch - just 14
Coal Tit - 4
Siskin - 12
Lesser Redpoll - 9
Goldfinch - 5
Meadow Pipit - 4

Grounded office area
Yellow-browed Warbler - at least one
Chiffchaff - 3
Goldcrest - c10
Song Thrush - 8
Ring Ouzel - 1
Blackbird - 5
Tree Sparrow - 2

Middleton NR
A probable Yellow-browed Warbler was heard calling from dense scrub near the Tim Butler pond and wildfowl included 14 Tufted Duck and 7 Teal.  Not got the ringing data yet, but catch dominated by Lesser Redpoll and Redwing.  Blackcap seem to have suddenly dried up as the airflow went north of east and the second blank day on the trot but a couple of Chiffchaff were ringed

Ringing totals Heysham and Middleton new birds only
Yellow-browed Warbler (1), Goldcrest (12), Chaffinch (1), Long-tailed Tit (5), Chiffchaff (6), Blue Tit (5), Tree Sparrow (2), Coal Tit (2), Redwing (15), Lesser Redpoll (15), Blackcap (1), Wren (2), Reed Bunting (3), Treecreeper (1), Goldfinch (1)

Cettis Warbler, Crossbill and Redwing arrival

Heysham Obs
A stiff north-easterly put paid to some of the mist netting by mid-morning but the vis mig was just about worth concentrating on in itself and there was time to check Heysham Head

Grounded
Summer migrant warblers conspicuous by their absence for the first time this autumn, but conversely the morning delivered the first autumn Cetti's Warbler
Chiffchaff - just singletons at Heysham and Middleton
Cetti's Warbler - one caught and ringed in the central marsh at Middleton
Goldcrest - c20 Heysham reserve
Stonechat - male Heysham Head
Song Thrush - just two departing bushes after daw at HNR and no later morning arrivals
Redwing - quite a few grounded at Middleton NR (130 counted)

Vis mig office area
Pink-footed Goose - 4
alba Wagtail - 28
Chaffinch - 74
Coal Tit - 16
Goldfinch - 21
Carrion Crow - 2
Redwing - 37+H+H
Meadow Pipit - 12
Redpoll - 7
Bullfinch - 1
Reed Bunting - 4
Greenfinch - 7
Linnet - 2
Mistle Thrush - 3
Skylark - 21
Crossbill - 2 S

Miscellany
Siskin - 5 Heysham Head (grounded)
Treecreeper - 2 Heysham Head (resident?)

Ringing totals Heysham and Middleton
Wren (3), Chaffinch (1), Goldcrest (7), Chiffchaff (2), Reed Bunting (3), Meadow Pipit (3), Cetti's Warbler (1), Redwing (10), Dunnock (1), Lesser Redpoll (6), Coal Tit (1), Great Tit (1)

Moths
Two Large Wainscot were nice, still 28 Pink-barred Sallow and Common Marbled Carpet was getting late for here.  Two Silver Y Heysham Head

Butterflies
Two Speckled Wood by the office, 5 Red Admiral and one Small Tortoiseshell

Coverage limited to vis and mist netting

Heysham Obs
The number of Chiffchaff dropped by the weak weather front suggested another YBW may have been missed this morning, but there was no one to do any fieldwork away from the two mist net operations.  Bits and bobs of interest but no numbers of anything.  Main feature was the first significant grounding of Song Thrush (for a west coast site!!) and a late Garden Warbler was the pick of the grounded stuff with a single southbound Golden Plover the best of the vis.

Vis by the office
Long-tailed Tit - 18 S
Coal Tit - 14 S in small flocks
Chaffinch - just 6 - where are they?
alba Wagtail - 15 SE
Golden Plover - 1 S
Mistle Thrush - 3 SW
Song Thrush - 22 grounded around the office all taking off and heading inland after the cloud lifted
Blackbird - 14 as above
Meadow Pipit - just 9 SE
Lesser Redpoll - 4 SE
Jay - 2 S
Redwing - flock of 5 W
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE late am - possibly blogger
Goldfinch - at least 3 migrants
NO Skylark!

Ringing at Middleton and Heysham
Reed Bunting (6), Chiffchaff (9), Garden Warbler (1), Wren (1), Bullfinch (1), Chaffinch (1), Song Thrush (1), Blackcap (3), Goldcrest (3), Robin (2), Meadow Pipit (4), Lesser Redpoll (3 plus control D519978), Coal Tit (3)

Two more Yellow-browed Warbler and late morning Skylarks

Heysham Obs
This was in the office mist nets at the same time another bird was calling near the alder woodland.  Both appeared just as the easterly wind was kicking in after a surprisingly calm first two hours of daylight

There was just enough happening during the morning to keep the interest level with small flurries of vis mig with a variety of species

Vis mig dawn onwards
House Martin - 1
Swallow - 16 (two lots)
Skylark - 84
Linnet - 3
Grey Wagtail - 1
Jackdaw - flock of 5
Woodpigeon - flock of 5
Mistle Thrush - 2 - one exiting bushes soon after dawn - unusual here
Starling - one exiting bushes soon after dawn - very unusual here then flock of 20 arriving from the east (plus usual ex-wooden jetty roost birds)
Song Thrush - only two exiting bushes heading inland after dawn (no Redwing)
Chaffinch - very few  just 17 S
alba Wagtail - 15 S
Goldfinch - 18 S
Meadow Pipit - 24 SE
Carrion Crow - 3 S
Dunnock - one ex-bushes then high to south
Pink-footed Goose - two flocks heard to the west
Jay - 1+2 S
Coal Tit - 1+2+7 S and at least two bloggers around the site
unidentified passerine - unfortunately calling rather distantly to the east but most likely southbound Yellowhammer - obviously not being counted
Little Egret - 1 S

Grounded Heysham NR
Yellow-browed Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - one in addition to the ringing total
Goldcrest - the ONLY two heard/seen were the ringed ones
no migrant Robin this morning
Blackcap - none in addition to the ringing (3 reserve, two Middleton)
Wheatear - two Red Nab area

Miscellany
Wigeon - 27
Little Egret - 3 Red Nab
Large flock of mixed Linnet, Goldfinch and Greenfinch Ocean Edge

Ringing (new birds)
Blackcap (5), Blackbird (1), Blue Tit (3), Chiffchaff (4), Dunnock (1), Wren (2), Great Tit (2), Treecreeper (1), Yellow-browed Warbler (1), Goldcrest (3), Lesser Redpoll (2), Meadow Pipit (3), Bullfinch (1), Reed Bunting (1), Long-tailed Tit (1)

Stratospheric Hooded Crow

Heysham Obs
For the second time in the last three years, a high-flying as far as could be seen pure Hooded Crow flew over - this time due south.   It was the turn of other places for Yellow-browed Warbler this am with Sunderland and Heysham both 'blanking' although there was no search at Heysham NR beyond the office mist netting area.  An interesting contrast between Middleton and Heysham with 11 newly arrived Blackcap at Middleton and not one seen or heard at Heysham

Vis mig Heysham NR (Mainly corvids and geese)
Pink-footed Goose - 97 NE, 65+43 S
Carrion Crow - 3+4+12 south
Jackdaw - 19+3 S
Hooded Crow - one south and higher than the other corvids 0844
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE
Chaffinch - only c10 south
alba Wagtail - just 10 SE
Goldfinch - c10 S
Meadow Pipit - only 9 SE
Collared Dove - 2 S
Grey Heron - 1+1 SE
Bullfinch - 1 S
Little Egret - 1 S
Redpoll - just one south! [but 13 ringed Middleton]

Grounded
Nothing to add to ringing totals - no thrushes this morning

Ringing Heysham & Middleton combined
Dunnock (2), Lesser Redpoll (13), Blackcap (11), Chiffchaff (7), Meadow Pipit (6), Blue Tit (3), Grey Wagtail (1), Coal Tit (1), Goldcrest (3), Wren (1), Robin (4)

Moths
A decent catch with Rusty Dot Pearl,  Caloptilia stigmatella, Feathered Ranunculus, Large Wainscot and Brick the highlights

Yellow-browed warbler double, minor Robin arrival and a Treecreeper

Heysham Obs
A vocal Yellow-browed Warbler, this time in the Heysham NR alder copse alongside the wooden section of path 0815ish, then after about 30 minutes or so flew towards NE corner where there is some decent holding habitat but also a well-used corridor down the railway line.  Then at 0940, another was caught on the tank farm side of the net next to the office (the new arrival direction) and was released in the alder wood area.

The remainder of the stuff was surprisingly unremarkable with very little between the pre-dawn rush and some further movement from mid-morning

First YBW
Typical new arrival calling continuously for about 5 minutes

https://mail.aol.com/webmail/getPart?uid=32156824&partId=2&saveAs=Tens+HNR+091015.m4a

Second YBW
About the 10000th internet pic from this autumn but here you have no problem seeing where the pic was taken

By popular request here is the re-posting of the sycamore tree containing a fully visible YBW taken by Alan Smith at Sunderland last week.  How long will it take you to find it?

Vis mig HNR
alba Wagtail - 29
Siskin - 5+2+h+h+h+h+h!
Chaffinch - 37
Meadow Pipit - 18
Sparrowhawk - a male high and direct to the SW
Goldfinch - at least 7 high to S
Redpoll - 3
Bullfinch - one with a high SW-bound Chaffiinch flock
Cormorant - 2 high to SE
Pink-footed Goose - heard once to west
Carrion Crow - 2 S
Jackdaw - 6 but possibly bloggers

Grounded
Redwing - 7
Song Thrush - 9
Robin - lots of ticking and chasing today (see ringing total)
Treecreeper - 1
Bullfinch - two unringed birds
Blackcap - no new arrivals - two very fat new birds caught
Goldcrest - just 5-10
Chiffchaff - 6-10
Yellow-browed Warbler - 2

Ringing totals
Unremarkable with all the Robins caught at HNR:  Yellow-browed Warbler (1), Chiffchaff (6), Blackcap (2), Robin (6 - a good total for October), Wren (3), Bullfinch (2), Great Tit (1), Dunnock (1), Blue Tit (3), Goldcrest (3), Treecreeper (1), Meadow Pipit (5), Lesser Redpoll (2)

Information not yet available

Sorry will be topped up tomorrow - highlight 4 southbound Crossbill mid-morning Heysham NR BUT the only activity was mist-netting and in situ vis mig - on the evidence in the nets, an experienced migrant passerine searcher would have had at least one reward (trickle of Chiffchaff, Goldcrest with some vis mig, including more Redpoll)

Bit of an afternoon raptor fest over Middleton NR (thanks Janet)

Feathered Ranunculus was new for the year in the moth trap

Ring Ouzel tops the bill

Heysham Obs
A morning off checking moth traps and Kevin Kelly fortunately did a bit of coverage and unearthed a Ring Ouzel on Middleton.  Thanks Kevin.  Couple of nice ringing recoveries

Goldcrest
Ringed : Embley Wood, Hampshire  3F   25/10/14
Caught:  Heysham NR  16/9/15   354km (NNW/SSE)

Actually aged it correctly - presumably on its way back south!

Chiffchaff
Ringed: Runcorn, Halton Cheshire 30/8/15
Caught:  Heysham NR  13/9/15     78km N

Reverse migration!!

Middleton/Heysham area
Chiffchaff - 4
Goldcrest - c12
Ring Ouzel - 1
Redwing - 2

Moths
Silver Y in evidence after a blank yesterday

Redwing arrive

The first Redwing of the season arrived today in the Heysham area.

Vis over Heysham NR
Bullfinch 4
Kestrel 1

Vis over Middleton NR 0700-1100
Gentle breeze S3, 7/8 cloud clearing after early morning rain, very mild 16C
Mistle Thrush - 15 in one flock SE
Redwing - 7 (2 with the Mistle Thrushes, then 5 late morning)
Song Thrush - 1 E
Lesser Redpoll - 7 SE
Grey Wagtail - 2 (1 trapped and ringed), plus 1 hanging about the sewage farm
alba wagtail -5
Chaffinch - 6 SE
Jackdaw - 2 S
Jay - 3 E
Skylark - 2 SE
Goldfinch - 19 +45

Other species of note: Water Rail - 2 (one in each reedbed), Reed Bunting 2, Goldcrest 1.

Record October wheatear count?

Heysham obs
Malcolm located 7 in a coastal trawl just after the rain finished with 5 together red nab and two Heysham head. Prompted a bit of canopy gazing, especially Heysham head but slim pickings

Heysham head pm
Chiffchaff - 1
Goldcrest - 5
Coal tit - at least 3
Tree creeper - at least one
Wheatear - 2

Red nab
Wheatear - 2 increasing to five red nab
Rock pipit - 1
Med gull - 3x 2cy, one adult

Yet another Yellow-browed Warbler in good fall conditions

Heysham Obs
Anyone own up to Goldcrest CXK886- a veritable pitfall of a potential misread!  It was treble-checked by two observers plus a magnifying glass 

Another Yellow-browed Warbler found by Jean Roberts this am and seen by Pete Marsh, but unfortunately flew over the top of the nets into the tank farm.  Quite a bit of early morning stuff (mostly Goldcrest) but then died off quickly, perhaps surprising for cloudy conditions and a species which usually lingers a bit but the wind of change was making itself felt by lunchtime

The other feature of the morning was a 'mutt meet' for bulldogs and large brown things - no prior knowledge of this and initially we wondered what on earth was going on!

Vis mig office area
Meadow Pipits in the cloud - grossly underestimated but not absolute hordes
Meadow Pipit - 42
alba Wagtail - 13
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Grey Wagtail - 1 plus a 'blogger'
Chaffinch - 15
Coal Tit - 3
Pink-footed Goose - 54+23+36

Grounded
Rock Pipit - north harbour wall
Wheatear - female Heysham Head
Goldcrest - 50ish on reserve
Chiffchaff - 5-8 reserve
Robin - small arrival
Treecreeper - 1
Blackcap - only one seen
Song Thrush - at least 3 migrants

Ringing on Heysham & Middleton NR (net not set in front of feeders to concentrate on migrants)
Goldcrest (44, including one ringed elsewhere), Chiffchaff (8, including bird ringed Leighton Moss), Blackcap (2), Robin (5), Chaffinch (1), Lesser Redpoll (18), Reed Bunting (1), Meadow Pipit (3)

Midddleton NR Vis
Meadow Pipit - 123
Pink-footed Goose - 48+60+32
Corvid sp. - 21 North

Another Yellow-browed Warbler morning

Heysham obs
A single call from the top path Heysham NR at 0725 remained unconfirmed with no 'spare' observers (from mist net duties) to follow it up.  A definite was caught and ringed Middleton NR at 0850 (see below) which then promptly disappeared.  However, a calling bird, seemingly in rapid transit, was heard by the two ringers at 1130hrs.  Different? - who knows, as it could not be seen

 



Grounded migrants Heysham/Middleton
Spotted Flycatcher - one showing well by Red Nab bushes
Yellow-browed Warbler - see above, only one confirmed individual
Goldcrest - c15
Chiffchaff - 8-10
Blackcap - at least 8 Middleton, only 3 seen HNR and area
Blackbird - one behaving like a continental migrant headed off high to SW
Song Thrush - one arrived from height and landed in some scrub HNR
As has been the case most of this week, despite plenty of Robin activity just after dawn no evidence of newly arrived migrants

Vis mig
Very hit and miss in the patchy fog
Jay - 1 S
Meadow Pipit - 89 SE
alba Wagtail - 10 SE
Grey Wagtail - 1 SEChaffinch - 6 S
Skylark - 1 SE
Siskin - heard x 3
Mistle Thrush - 4 high flyers - eventually SE
Jackdaw - 1 SW
Pink-footed Goose - large flock heard + 23 S
Long-tailed Tit - fairly excitable flock of 15 S mid-pm

Ringing Middleton/Heysham
Most of Chiffchaff Heysham, most of Blackcaps Middleton!
Blackcap (9), Chiffchaff (5), Yellow-browed Warbler (1), Goldcrest (8), Blue Tit (1), Meadow Pipit (3), Lesser Redpoll (1), Blackbird (2)

The bad news today was the perhaps inevitable, given the number of sightings and animals obviously using the mist net access paths, first 'trashing' of a superfine net by what must have been a Roe Deer

Insects
memo: male Black Darter photographed in the Nature Park two days ago - need to document (thanks Janice)

At least 15 Red Admiral and two Painted Lady flying south today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foggy thrash

Heysham Obs
Probably the best coverage this year was hampered by early morning fog.  Best birds were female Stonechat by the Moneyclose Lane anemometer and a Spotted Flycatcher on Heysham Head along the 'bramble track'.  Wanted:  birder to cover Heysham Head/Barrows daily during promising migration conditions

Heysham head
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Blackcap - 3
Goldcrest - 5
Coal Tit - 14 arrived from north
Jay - two ditto

Vis mig Heysham Head (under canopy a lot of the time) 1000-1100:
Chaffinch - 7
Skylark - 5
Siskin - 2
Meadow Pipit - 15
alba Wagtail - 9

Red Nab bushes/coastal section of Middleton (thanks to Tom Wilmer)
Chiffchaff - 7
Blackcap - 2
Stonechat - female by anemometer

South harbour area/outfalls seawall
Rock Pipit - 3 (2 together)
Chiffchaff - one in firecrest brambles
Robin - 2
Kingfisher - one Heysham 2 outfall inner end for 5 minutes

North harbour wall mound area
Wren - 5
Robin - 5
Chiffchaff - 4 together in sea buckthorn
Meadow Pipit - 30
alba Wagtail - 16
Linnet - 19
Goldcrest - 1

Vis mig from coastal sites 0800-0920 intermittently
Meadow Pipit - 120  (including concentrated flightline along the wooden jetty
alba Wagtail - 35
Siskin - 2
Chaffinch - 2
Grey Wagtail - 3
Greylag - at least two SE

Vis mig Middleton
Meadow Pipit - 35
Redpoll - 3
Grey Wagtail - 3
Chaffinch - 6
alba Wagtail - 7
Jay - 1

Grounded Middleton
Goldcrest - 8 along edge of golf course
Coal Tit - 1+
Blackcap - at least 8

Combined ringing totals (new birds) -very slow in the fog
Blackcap (8), Lesser Redpoll (1), Coal Tit (1), Blue Tit (5), Wren (1), Blackbird (1), Meadow Pipit (3), Great Tit (1), Chiffchaff (3), Long-tailed Tit (3)

SEPTEMBER ringing totals = pretty good considering all the earlier season gloom and doom

1	Kingfisher
4	Sand Martin
114	Swallow
1	Tree Pipit
30	Meadow Pipit
78	Grey Wagtail
31	Wren
31	Dunnock
40	Robin
1	Song Thrush
4	Blackbird
2	Grasshopper Warbler
3	Sedge Warbler
13	Reed Warbler
8	Lesser Whitethroat
23	Whitethroat
1	Garden Warbler
79	Blackcap
1	Yellow-browed Warbler
85	Chiffchaff
20	Willow Warbler
85	Goldcrest
1	Firecrest
14	Long-tailed Tit
25	Coal Tit
45	Blue Tit
23	Great Tit
1	Treecreeper
6	Chaffinch
22	Greenfinch
100	Goldfinch
7	Lesser Redpoll
3	Bullfinch
19	Reed Bunting

Another Yellow-browed Warbler but Wwbt very elusive

Heysham Obs
A bit surprised today by people hoping to rapidly home in on YBW in bushes and trees without knowing the call.  The easiest one to connect with locally today was the Sunderland 'toilet block bird' and that was "easy" as it spent most of the time in one sycamore.  No problem!  Now find it (thanks Alan for the pic):

Field-craft comes in many forms and one of them is not to leave a Yellow-browed Warbler MP3 next to a sunny part of the mist net which is slightly catching the breeze.  Today's YBW was first seen hovering against a highly visible mist net then sitting on the tip of a bramble before flying into nearby willows.   It then appeared to fly towards the cream store/dipping pond area but 20 minutes later a call was heard from the bushes surrounding the pond up above the office and a couple of short views obtained.  Presumably the same bird which  was now having nothing to do with the tape.  It was heard calling further back in the edge of the tank farm at 1130, after which most of the birds went into quiet mode in the blazing sunshine

The other major highlight of the day was a Vapourer moth in its usual meandering flight near the top of some trees near the entrance gate - the first record for here

Nice to talk to a couple of dog walkers who had ditched the beasties for the morning and spent the time photographing the butterfly fest on the reserve.  As the available blossom dwindles, the Red Admirals in particular are targeting over-ripening blackberries, competing with wasps and all sorts of flies.  A circuit of the reserve saw far more butterflies than on any single day in June!

Distant late afternoon reports of the  White-winged Black tern with no sign during at least 5 hours worth of observation on the incoming tide.  Seemingly feeding offshore in the calm weather

Office area pre-dawn to 1100hrs
Vis
Meadow Pipit - 85
alba Wagtail - 24
Chaffinch - 25
Redpoll - 2
Grey Wagtail - 4 - all after 0930
Mistle Thrush - 3
Skylark - 4
Coal Tit - more difficult to be certain of duplication this morning but certainly 40-50 passed through south

Grounded
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 2
Song Thrush - 2

Reserve circuit pm
Absolutely dead with no warbler species recorded, suggesting, as does the lack of retraps, that there are no accumulations of birds in this weather and birds are landing, easily feeding up and moving on.  Might get some fairly rapid ringing recoveries although the weather down south is rather less mist-net friendly

Middleton
To be added

Combined ringing totals, Middleton and Heysham NR office
Coal Tit (10), Chiffchaff (4), Blue Tit (1), Dunnock (2), Robin (1), Reed Bunting (5), Blackcap (1), Lesser Redpoll (5), Wren (1), Goldcrest (3 Middleton - none seen or heard Heysham NR), Great Tit (1), Meadow Pipit (1)

Nearby
Yellow-browed Warblers found at Brows Farm, Sunderland and in the garden by the toilet block at Sunderland early on this morning

Butterflies on reserve circuit
Speckled Wood - 25, Red Admiral - 35, Comma - 1, Small White - 1, Small Tortoiseshell - 14, Peacock - 1, Painted Lady - 1, Silver Y - c30

Dragonflies at Middleton
Thanks for the pics Janet
Brown Hawker - getting a bit late for this species - possibly no previous October records - will check.  Thanks to Mark Nightingale for the pic of a very late Common Hawker in the Nature Park