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)
