Autumn hawkbit sustains Small Copper

Heysham Obs

The highlights of today were a very late Small Copper and a reasonably late Swallow.

Vis
224 birds, 15 species in 2 hrs (0730-0930):
Woodpigeon 2
Swallow 1
alba Wagtail 4
Redwing 4
Jackdaw 1
Carrion Crow 15
Starling 65
Chaffinch 43
Brambling 2
Greenfinch 42
Goldfinch 28
Siskin 10
Linnet 5
Bullfinch 1
Reed Bunting 1

Grounded
c50 Blackbirds and a few Redwing.

Ringing
New birds: 5 Chaffinch, 2Greenfinch, 1 Dunnock, 2 Blackbird, 1 Wren
Retraps: Long-tailed Tit, 2 Robins, Blackbird, Great Tit, Greenfinch.

North Harbour area
Black Guillemot, 2 2nd winter and 1 adult Med Gull but no sign of yesterday's 1st winter Med Gull.

Elsewhere
Great White Egret at Leighton Moss, Marsh Harrier in the Pilling area, 2 Scaup at Teal Bay

New first winter Med

Heysham obs
A fairly quiet morning with routine vis and much smaller numbers of grounded thrushes than yesterday in rather cloudy conditions with a SSE breeze.

Vismig
0700-0900
Redwing 15 (E and NE)
Fieldfare 6 (E)
Chaffinch 34 (S)
Pink-footed Goose 75 (N at 0755hrs) + 43 SE at 1500hrs
Siskin 4 (S)
Starling 474 (S)
alba Wagtail 6 (S)
Greenfinch 25 (S)
Brambling 1 (S)
Meadow Pipit 3 (S)

Grounded
7 Siskin in alders near the classroom. Blackbird numbers probably no more than 50.

North Harbour Wall
Early afternoon visit produced no Twite or Black Guillemot but a new first winter Mediterranean Gull with a poorly defined mask. Also present were 2 second winter and 1 adult Mediterranean Gull.

Red Nab area
43 Wigeon and 300 plus Shelduck on the mudflats. c10 000 Knot off Red Nab.

Elsewhere
A Great White Egret on the Allen Pool.

Blackbirds but not a lot else

Heysham Obs
..........especially when you forget to bring home the 'vis' figures. Apologies to the various contributors but as I was packing up I had to deal with an uncharacteristic incident at this site involving a dodgy off-lead bull terrier spp, terrified children and a lost purse. Thanks to a whole host of people for contributions today, pity it was a bit below par by recent standards

Grounded
The main feature today was a combination of grounded and vis in the form of at least 150 Blackbird on British Energy property during pre-dawn cloud cover and the gradual departure of these birds at a consistent angle of 45 degrees i.e. high to the east as the sun broke through after about 0900hrs. There were also at least 45 Redwing and 15 Song Thrush (fewer than recently in relation to other thrushes). The only other grounded migrants, however, during good coverage, were two Blackcap and just TWO Goldcrest. A few of the vis migs landed temporarily during the cloudy period, notably 5 Siskin. A Water Rail was calling in the wetland area.

Vis mig
Very 'mixed up' this morning with the only real consistency being 250+ Starling to the south and early morning thrushes comprising (I think!), 45 Redwing, 15 Fieldfare and about 8 Song Thrush. Finches were in very low numbers for the first time this week and the small fare was heading in all directions! Less than 10 Chaffinch were seen, excluding a distant flock of 21 which were either Chaffinch or Brambling. Another mixed flock of Rook and Jackdaw and small numbers of 'pure' Jackdaw flocks (details tomorrow). Two high-flying Coal Tit to the south and 14 Meadow Pipit was more than expected
Update:
Mistle Thrush 8 SW
Redwing 78 SE
Fieldfare 26 SE
Collared Dove 3 N, 2 SE
Rook 12 SE (with 7 Jackdaw)
Jackdaw 7 SE + 8 SE +48 NE + 15 SW
Corvid sp 14 E, 8 NE (probably Jackdaw)
Meadow Pipit 14 SE
Starling 312 S
Chaffinch 14 SW
Song Thrush 14 S
alba wagtail 3 SE, 1 N
Grey Wagtail 1 S
Goldfinch 1 S
Coal Tit 2 S
Finch sp 21 S (probably Chaffinch)
Reed Bunting 1 S
Siskin 5 S


Miscellany
A flock of 12 Twite was briefly near the heliport - this is early but coincides with some at Cockersands. 14 were also reported on the north harbour wall mound flying off at 1030hrs (but a same-size flock of Linnet also reported!). Two 2nd W and one adult Med Gulls on the north harbour wall along with good numbers of Knot on the mudflats. The Black Guillemot is proving elusive and not seen by people there for a lengthy spell early-mid-morning or during the afternoon but has been belatedly registered alongside the wooden jetty by an observer at c1030. This suggests that it has a 'bolt hole' somewhere and not simply flying backwards and forwards offshore. Red-throated Diver off the north harbour wall.

Insects
Two Migrant Hawker still on the reserve late afternoon along with a worn Speckled Wood. c5 Red Admiral seen during the day.

Elsewhere
Nothing of major rarity notified in this area yet but plenty of reports of good numbers of thrushes, notably Blackbird & Fieldfare. Returning Polish-ringed Med Gull was seen for the first known occasion this autumn on Lancaster Cricket Club pitch

Corvid day

Heysham Obs
A slightly different theme every day just recently! This comment is obviously inviting people to come up with exceptions (please e-mail the link to the left) but it does appear at Heysham that the very occasional and by no means annual occurrence of a truly mixed corvid flock with approaching equal numbers of Jackdaw and large birds involves Rook. If the occurrence is a compact flock of Jackdaw trailed by half a dozen or so larger birds, these are almost always Carrion Crow, as are the vast majority of single or small group migrating large corvids. It needs to be added here that Heysham is fortunately Jackdaw-free and therefore migrant flocks are easy to identify

Vis mig from by the office
This was not very conscientious today for several reasons, most notably the birds were frequently very high in what were clear still conditions until late morning

Chaffinch - 128 mainly SW
Brambling - flock of 6 early morning
Siskin - 21 SE
Bullfinch - 2+1 S
Redwing - 67 SW
Greenfinch - 43 SW
Goldfinch - 59 SE in 13 small flocks
Song Thrush - 2 S
Carrion Crow - 14 S
Skylark - minimum of 4 S
Meadow Pipit - 9 SE
Jackdaw - 72+12+5+44+56+2 mainly (eventually) E
Rook - 57 mixed in with the 72 Jackdaw - these arrived from the N then swirled about before heading E. At least 2 adult Rook.
Woodpigeon - 7 SE
Pintail - 3 north - the first record over the site in calm weather - usually a 'highlight' of rubbishy autumnal seawatches in SW winds
Reed Bunting - 1 S
Starling - 13 S
alba Wagtail - 7 SE
Blackbird - 16 flew S past the office
Magpie - two birds flew very high to the NE
Lesser Redpoll - 6 SE
Linnet - 1 SE
Mistle Thrush - 1 S
Long-tailed Tit - flock of 7 without any 'baggage' such as Firecrest were seen to be unringed during their short stay in bushes by the office before heading S

No Fieldfare!

Grounded
Thanks to two visiting birders from Whitworth for checking the grounded bids around the reserve. A total of about 75 Blackbird, including c50 sill on the reserve mid-morning. 45-50 Redwing still remained mid-morning but the number of small night migrants was very poor with just two Goldcrest seen, no warbler species and a single unringed Robin trapped. The first (two) unringed Blue Tit for a bit were trapped.

Middleton IE
Numbers of wildfowl are rather low at present, suggesting disturbance over and above the 'routine'. Highlighted by a Common Buzzard flying west (the first definite record from the Obs recording area this year) and the first Jack Snipe of the autumn. 9 Pink-footed Geese flew NE

North wall/harbour mouth
The Black Guillemot was present at least early morning along with at least one 2nd W Med Gull

Insects
Two Red Admiral and a Comma by the office & Small Tortoiseshell on Middleton IE

Elsewhere
Great White Egret Leighton area. For what it is worth, Eagle Owl, which has already zapped at least one local Tawny, still at Ingleton

Unhelpful cloud spilling in high from the west

Heysham Obs
A little disappointing by recent standards with cloud cover streaming in from the west inhibiting vis, with Fieldfare not reaching this area in any numbers by 1100hrs at least. A young Reed Warbler with a fat score of 3, indicating it was not a new arrival, was, off the top of my head, probably the second latest record for here


Reed Warbler. Thanks Alan.


Vis mig from by the office 0745-1100
Chaffinch - 198 SW
Greenfinch - 69 SW
alba Wagtail - 19 SE
Fieldfare - 16 SW
Song thrush - 8 S
Great-spotted Woodpecker - one which appeared to be heading south
Starling - 220 SW
Linnet - 1 SE
Redwing - 46 SW
Lesser Redpoll - 4 SE
Reed Bunting - 5 S
Woodpigeon - 24 SE
Goldfinch - 28 SE
Siskin - 38 plus a flock heard but not seen SE
Brambling - 4 SW
Bullfinch - 1+1 high to the SE
Skylark - 3 SE
Carrion Crow - 2 SE
Mistle Thrush - 6 high to the SW
Collared Dove - 2S
Grey Wagtail - 1S
Rook - adult south
Coal Tit - 1S

No Meadow Pipit!


Grounded migrants
Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff (collybita calls), Goldcrest c10, Blackbird c40, Song Thrush c15, Reed Bunting 1. Quite a few trilling Dunnock but no obvious visible migration, however a lightweight unringed bird was trapped. A single lightweight unringed Robin was also trapped. About 20 birds were ringed, mainly Greenfinch but including 4 Goldcrest


Miscellaneous
Late news indicating that FOUR Meds were still coming to bread on the north wall on 17th Oct (2 2nd W, 2 Ad)


Elsewhere
Some good 'vis' over Bolton-le -Sands (see LDBWS site). Surprisingly little moving over the Trough of Bowland or Barbondale based on two other LDBWS site postings, but at least 12 grounded Brambling near Tower Lodge (Trough). Great White Egret at Leighton Moss. Lingering waders included 2 Curlew Sandpiper on the Lune Estuary.

Worth the effort

Heysham Obs
A painfully slow start was speeded up by a swig of lemon, honey and presumably all sorts of remedial chemicals. Hopefully they were not hallucinogenic as this certainly appeared to be a very good morning. The lateness did not appear to be a problem as most of the action was after 0900hrs as it warmed up. A decision was taken not to set any nets and concentrate on the 'vis'. This was probably an error as, amongst several birds in the catching area, before disappearing into the inaccessible tank farm, were two Jays and an unresolved (legs not seen but presumably the same bird as the other day) Lesser Whitethroat. 65 species were recorded from the vis mig seat in two hours...........and didnt include Starling or any wildfowl/waders!

Grounded
A Lesser Whitethroat was heard calling and then seen before disappearing towards the net ride/tankfarm area behind the office. Legs not visible but plumage looked the same as the other day.

At 1025 a male Firecrest gave superb views, especially when it raised its crown feathers during a handbags with a Great Tit over whose branch it was. This moved through the bushes opposite the office with a Long-tailed Tit-led flock and was last seen disappearing below the Obs Tower. Other grounded birds within audible range of the office included a Chiffchaff, c10 Goldcrest, c10 Blackbird and 2 Continental Song Thrush

Vis mig from by the office 0840-1040
Swallow - 1 S
Whooper Swan - 4 S
Pink-footed Goose - 93 S
Chaffinch - 146 SW
Greenfinch - 89 SW (many dropping on to feeding station)
Goldfinch - 39 SE
Meadow Pipit - 36 SE
Grey Wagtail - 5 SE
alba Wagtail - 8 SE
Rook - one high to the NE on its own calling all the time
Brambling - 4 SW
Twite - 1 S
Fieldfare - 3 SW
Siskin - 93 SE
Lesser Redpoll - 9 SE
Bullfinch - 1 S
Carrion Crow - 6 high to the east
Woodpigeon - 18 SSE
Skylark - 25 SE
Kestrel - 1 E
Jay - 3 S
Coal Tit - 3+4+1 S (no other tit species showing irruptive movement)
Song Thrush - 4 together high to the south
Redwing - 7 SW
Mistle Thrush - 15 (eventually) high to the SW. Some of the vis on this species has been queried, often due to the habit of landing on pylons before heading off (usually) SE. This flock of 15 was in a different league - at least twice the height of the pylons and arriving from the NE before circling around calling and then eventually heading SW. Both these and the Song Thrush flock pitfalls for the unwary c/f recording as Redwing and Fieldfare.
Jackdaw - two incredibly high flocks (barely visible with the naked eye) of 67 and 74 heading NE
Collared Dove - 1 SW
Dunnock - 2 S
Crossbill - 2 together high to the south about 1000hrs
Linnet - just one S
Great-spotted Woodpecker - one purposefully high to the south
Tree Sparrow - flock of 3 S

...........but no Starlings - this is often the case in clear weather

Elsewhere
The above PFG correlated with c100 seen over Bare. 11 Whooper tracked from Leighton to Blea Tarn reservoir late morning. Great White Egret reportedly seen at Leighton Moss. Up to 10 Bearded Tit have been on the grit trays along the causeway but no reports of the Cetti's Warbler in ideal conditions

Better than the weather suggested!

Heysham Obs
A stiff, cold, north-westerly blasting into the previously regularly sheltered vis mig watchpoint. One hour was long enough but this was not without routine interest. Similarly the odds were very much agaonst a new moth species for the year............or indeed the first Speckled Wood for a few days!

Vis by the office 0815-0915
Chaffinch - 42 SW
Greenfinch - 37 (descending on to the peanuts at last!) SWish
Meadow Pipit - 1 SE
Woodpigeon 37 (including flock of 31) S
Mistle Thrush - 17 SE
Redwing - 23 SW
Goldfinch - 5 SE
Golden Plover - one high to the south - scarce here!
Carrion Crow - 3 S
Song Thrush - 3 SE

Grounded
An 'open' morning saw very few thrushes with perhaps 10 Blackbird and 5 Song Thrush, most of which headed inland over the golf course. There were 6-7 Goldcrest by the office at 0815 but no further sightings in that area.

Miscellaneous
Adult Med Gull Red Nab, adult and 2nd W Med Gulls north harbour wall. We seem to have lost the other two regular 2nd W birds...........exactly the same thing happened last October when they (?) were 1st winters. A real pity these were not colour ringed prior to departure, so that data on subsequent wintering as well as possible breeding site could perhaps accrue - maybe next year now we presumably know the occurence pattern.

Insects
A Large Wainscot was new for the year in the moth trap and a Speckled Wood was struggling acroos the car park mid afternoon

Elsewhere
Great White Egret Leighton Moss. 3 Spotted Redshank reported at Teal Bay following 5 on the EM Pool yesterday - this species is certainly getting more common in this area

Blackbird bonanza

Heysham obs

Overnight rain seemed to have grounded quite a few thrushes, with 41 Blackbirds and 27 Song Thrushes emerging from the bushes after 0830hrs.

Vis 0830-1000hrs
Blackbird 50 all south
Song Thrush 30 all south
Redwing 2 south
Starling 3 s
Woodpigeon 11 se
Carrion Crow 6 se
Jay 3 s
Chaffinch 68 sw
Greenfinch 34 sw
Goldfinch 5 se
alba wagtail 6 se
Siskin 4 se
Linnet 1 se
Reed Bunting 1 s

North Wall
unringed Twite briefly on the mound at the North Harbour Wall
1 Linnet on nyjer seed at the mound.
Black Guillemot off the harbour
adult and 2nd winter Med Gulls at the North Harbour Wall

Excellent vis, one decent landbird!

Heysham Obs

Unfortunately no vis coverage until 0945! This was a pity as a lot of visible migrants were moving ahead of the afternoon weather front, almost exclusively on a NE to SW heading. Sunderland was covered from 0900 and undoubtedly included some of the birds over Heysham. In addition, '200+ medium/large finches', almost certainly a mixture of Greenfinch, Chaffinch and perhaps Brambling headed SW over the office from dawn to 0945.

Vis from the office 0945-1200hrs (SW unless stated)

Chaffinch - 366

Redwing - 36

Song Thrush - 5

Starling - 488

Swallow - 3

Goldfinch - 5

Brambling - 4

Greenfinch - 17

Linnet - 1 SE

Skylark - 14 SE

Redpoll spp - 2 SE

Mistle Thrush - 2

Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2

House Martin - 7

Grey Wagtail - 1

Blackbird - 2

alba Wagtail - 6 SE

Sparrowhawk - male high to the SE (in-off?)

Meadow Pipit - 3 SE

Siskin - 26

Vis nearby Sunderland west shore 0900-1100 for comparison

Siskin - 72

Skylark - 89

Brambling - 1

Chaffinch - 110

Greenfinch - 84

Redpoll - 1

Reed Bunting - 1

Starling - 370

Pink-footed Goose 18

Thanks Garry - all heading in a southerly direction

Grounded

Unless you are in the elite group with photographic (and the aural equivalent) memory, birding has a habit of making you eat humble pie. The vis was going well - a cloudy morning, no crackling pylons and all calls clear & identifiable - we really do know our stuff! Then, at 1105, a bird dropped out of the sky in silhouette and landed "in" the isolated bush near the office [didnt think anything of it at the time & assumed Chafficnh]. Then a series of calls - distant Kingfisher on the Obs Tower pond - no, demented Dunnock - no, too high and staccato for a late Redstart. Investigation produced an extremely agrophobic female/imm Black Redstart. Why did we not recognise the contact call of a 'familiar enough' migrant! It spent as much of the next two hours (1105-1305) in sallies from the lower branches of the isolated willow as on the more traditional fences. It also kept disappearing and certainly did not seem to favour continuous presence in open ground. Unfortunately only a dreadful mobile 'happy slap' available and the bird suddenly disappeared just after 1300hrs.

Other grounded birds included about 9 Goldcrest and single figures of thrush species. What was probably a Treecreeper was heard briefly near the Nature Park (the bird caught the other day?)

North wall

At least one 2nd W and the usual Czech-ringed adult Med Gulls

Thanks very much for this, Sean

Elsewhere

Great White Egret on the EM Pool 'flood' along with single Curlew Sandpiper.

Latest ever Lesser Whitethroat and Pink-foot puzzle

Thanks to Doug Carman for photos of today's Lesser Whitethroat. Anyone with any comments on this bird, please e-mail pbmarsh@btopenworld.com Thanks. [wing 68mm 2=5/6]

Heysham Obs
An inauspicious start as yet another broken mist net pole, before anyone could help to retrieve the situation, led to 20 minutes of poor concentration on the sky as the 'vis migs' piled over. Almost certainly the 'loser' in the numbers game was Chaffinch. A dull rather brown Lesser Whitethroat in the mist net was presumably not of British origin. Also notable were 20 Bullfinch heading high to the south/south-east in groups up to 4

Vis mig from next to the office 0800 (ish)-1100

This was good but difficult to concentrate all the time due to conversation & mist net rounds. The impression that Great Spotted Woodpecker are indulging in 'some' movement over and above the usual was reinforced by yet another unringed bird (3 in the last week or so), 3 'southbound' birds and an individual pecking telegraph poles near Lighthouse Cottage, Cockersands, later in the day.

Green Woodpecker - perhaps the same silent juvenile as the other day flew rather low from the pylon bushes towards the tank farm

Chaffinch - 399 (thats what it added up to!) - SW

Brambling - absolute minimum of 12 SW

Siskin - 67 S

Pink-footed Goose - 826+22+850+750+100+40+1100 north or north-east!!

Carrion Crow - 5 S plus 16 high to the NE with Jackdaw

alba Wagtail - 14 SE

Greenfinch - 109 SW

Starling - 476 high to the south & other less definable birds ignored (c150). First really noticeable movement of the autumn.

Goldfinch - 90 S

Redwing - 76, mainly SW

Song Thrush - 7 high to SW

Reed Bunting - 2 S

Meadow Pipit - just 11 SE

Bullfinch - 20 S/SE - 4+3+2+1+2+3+1+1+1+1+1

Redpoll spp - all but one sounded like Lesser - 8 S/SW

Jackdaw - 18 NE with Carrion Crow (the FIRST flock this autumn!)

Mistle Thrush - 5 SE

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 3 S

Skylark - 2 SE

Rock Pipit - 1 S

Fieldfare - 4 S

Grey Wagtail - 1 S

Dunnock - a lot of contact calling but just two seen to fly high to the south

Grounded

This was disappointing. The Lesser Whitehroat was very unobtrusive and was never heard to call in the field. A single Chiffchaff was by the office but searching the reserve and dog-track only produced a reasonable number of thrushes and a few Goldcrest. Blackbird were estimated at about 50 for the whole BE properties with Redwing and Song Thrush in the 15 each region. Note that the favoured thrush site - the tank farm - cannot be covered. Just 10 Goldcrest were reported and just 3 'blogging' Jay.

Miscellany

At least 3 2nd W Med Gulls on the north harbour wall. No guillemot spp seen in the harbour

Insects

At least 30 Common Darter and two Migrant Hawker by the 'dog walk' pond. At least 2 Red Admiral seen. Brick and the bittersweet-feeding micro = Acrolepia autumnitella

The first record for Heysham and the most northerly so far in Lancashire. Search Bittersweet (or Deadly Nightshade) for leaf mines. Thanks for the picture John (Girdley).

Elsewhere

Great White Egret and (briefly) Cetti's Warbler Leighton Moss area. A late Hobby reported Meathop area (still plenty of Migrant Hawker?). Two Whooper Swan back in the Lune Valley near Wenning Foot. No sign of the Great Grey Shrike reported near Wray but a greyish Chiffchaff and at least one Brambling. Disappointingly, no scarce passerines other than the Cetti's and late Lesser Whitethroat reported in ideal searching conditions. It was 'as you were' in the Cockersands stubble with c50 Skylark, c100 Meadow Pipit, 2 Stonechat and single figures Linnet and Reed Bunting. I dont think Thrushgill was covered.