Stuff on the move again

A dry day with plenty of sunny spells. A light variable breeze

This from Pete:

Sanderling off Ocean edge then joined c15 knot and c20 Bar-Tailed Godwit on incoming tide line south of the old sewer pipe

Immature Shag wooden jetty.  

Heysham NR

Clouded yellow and at least 6 red admiral south past NR office this am 

‘subtle’ migration included a flock of three migrant Song Thrush, a newly arrived dawn Robin at 15.4g chased into net by the already ringed local at 20.4g (!) and a trickle of southbound Chaffinch, presumably north British birds at this time of year. 

Of more interest a flock of 6 Jay south - vis mig postings nationally suggesting some movement this autumn.

Full report by Jean

It was a clear, cool start at Heysham NR this morning with just 3 Robins and a Chiffchaff in the first hour. Things then picked up at 08:15 with a flock of 5 Grey Wagtails. There was another lull then birds, especially finches, piled onto the feeders at 10:15

Ringing totals:
Robin 4 plus a retrap
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest 
Blackcap 2
Grey Wagtail 6
Goldfinch 8 plus 3 retraps
Greenfinch 8
Blue Tit 5
Dunnock 1
Carrion Crow 6

Vis (all south):
Pink-footed Goose 179 in 4 flocks

Carrion Crow 6
Jay 7
Song Thrush 3 together 
Grey Wagtail 2 more in addition to the ones ringed
Skylark 1
Red admiral Butterfly 3

A Peregrine called from a pylon

The adult female Goldcrest caught 2 days ago had been ringed as a youngster at Caernarfon last August so an unusual movement, although young birds quite often disperse northwards.

Middleton Nature Reserve

A more detailed report of Rosemary and Peter's visit yesterday 

Southern Section:

Speckled Wood 3

Southern Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darters 3 pr ovipositing plus at least 7 lone males

Main Pond:

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Blue Damselflies 3

Common Darters 6 males

Mute Swans 2

Mallards 6

Coot 1

Migrant Hawker on the main pond

Southern Hawker 

Migrant Hawker on the south side

Migrant Hawker

Common Darter 

Common Blue Damselfly striking an unusual pose

Speckled Wood

South shore

Janet went along the sea wall 

Oystercatcher and Curlew

Oystercatcher and Knot

Cormorant 

1st calendar year Black-Headed gull

This Turnstone has a crab

Turning stones paid off!!!

White Wagtail 

I checked later (Malcolm) 14:15 - 16:00

Linnet 200+ on the saltmarsh plus 16 along the foreshore and 6 on Red Nab

Linnet

This one had just had a bath on Red Nab

Stonechat at least 5. They must have arrived after Janet checked. Initially there were three feeding on Ocean Edge grass then one flew off inland. The two that remained were female or immature. Then a male joined them. Possibly the bird that flew off? Then a second more striking male arrived from the direction of the Nature Park. So I left two female type and two males. When I returned there were three female type, one flew inland almost straight away. There was no sign of the males.

This one had a pale supercilium 

Giving it a look of a Whinchat in flight

This is the first male with a female type

This is the second, more striking male

This was one of the female type on the return leg

Wheatear 1 - I didn't see one on the way out but one was on the foreshore when I returned 

Wheatear

Rock Pipit 3

Pied Wagtail 6

Robin 2

Along foreshore and Red Nab

Shelduck 20 out from Red Nab

Mediterranean gulls 6 along the waterline on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. 2 2cy and 4 adult. I was a bit later than planned with the delay checking the Stonechats so they were quite distant.

Mediterranean gull amongst a forest of Sandmason worm tubes

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

I called in on my way home to check if there were any Stonechats. There wasn't. 

But the field to the east of the road had been mowed and the birds were feeding on something.

c60 Wood Pigeons with their heads permanently down presumably finding seeds.

But the gulls including 6 Mediterranean gulls were on the prowl, presumably finding invertebrates. These are two of the adult meds

One of two 2cy Mediterranean gulls. That's a Wood Pigeon bottom right

Adult Mediterranean gull. Despite the same numbers as those seen on the
feeding beach these are almost certainly additional birds