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