Highlighted by a very early morning Yellow-browed Warbler and continuing presence of the White-winged Black Tern (although it appeared to fly north past the wooden jetty mid-afternoon - updates appreciated). The circumstances were a bit bizarre. I was setting a line of three nets by moonlight (plenty of it) with an MP3 in my pocket with Yellow-browed Warbler playing quietly, ready to raise the volume and stick on a branch next to the net when I had finished setting. Then, whilst it was still virtually dark (pre-ticking Robin etc time), what sounded very much like a nearby response, then again! The volume on the MP3 in my pocket was minimal, so there is no way this was a bird pulled down from the pre-dawn stratosphere. A couple of shapes also flew into the nets as it they were being set (Blackcap and (long distance night migrant?!) unringed fat-less Dunnock). Went back to ring these and the next round of the net saw a/the Yellow-browed Warbler neatly pocketed.
Then the agenda rapidly changed with clearing skies and the rest of the morning was very night-migrant free apart from three Chiffchaff (similar at Middleton) but a bit of vis mig kept the interest going, notably a minor Coal Tit irruption and a huge flock of migrant corvids. So very, very fortunate to score with YBW on what was essentially a clear, moonlit early morning with just a few wisps of high cloud. Focused on rather more why we need a new office building than the Yellow-browed Warbler, but you get the idea on the pic below. Having real problems getting the pic to go right way round (photo Jean Roberts - sorry it isn't sharp, I-phone pic)
Office area grounded
Blackcap - 3
Chiffchaff - 3-4
Yellow-browed warbler - 1
Dunnock - 1
Vis mig (tricky because of incessant harbour noise and the blue sky) HNR to 1030hrs
Meadow Pipit - 38
Grey Wagtail - 8 (5 of them after 1000 hours)
alba Wagtail - 72
Chaffinch - 33
Coal Tit - 44 S, largest group 11
Siskin - heard once
Jackdaw - 69 north
Rook - 30 north with above
Swallow - 2
Linnet - 5
Coastal
Little Gull - ad
White-winged Black Tern - ad until at least mid-afternoon
Med Gull - at least 6
Ringing combined Middleton/Heysham
Coal Tit (7), Yellow-browed Warbler (1), Blackcap (5), Chiffchaff (5), Goldcrest (3), Grey Wagtail (2), Wren (2), Blue Tit (5), Chaffinch (1), Dunnock (2), Reed Bunting (1), Meadow Pipit (3)
