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)