Hobby highlights early morning vis session

Thanks very much to Mark Breaks for these pics taken today of the 2CY Little Gull and adult Sabine's Gull. 


Heysham Obs
The Sabine's Gull appeared from about 1130hrs and remained until about 1220hrs.  A varied trickle of vis mig this morning with 'all' birds low enough to see, highlighted by a Hobby, seemingly a 2CY

Vis mig by Heysham office 0735-0835 - all birds south(ish)
Linnet - 5
Meadow Pipit - exactly 50
Swallow - 10
alba Wagtail - 19
Chaffinch - 53
Goldfinch - 31
Cormorant - two high to SE
Hobby - probable 2CY showed very well until chased off SE by Sparrowhawk - seemed to come from NW (0757hrs)
Reed Bunting - 1
Skylark - 1
Carrion Crow - purposeful southbound birds comprised 5+2
Starling - 1 SW!
Greenfinch - 6+2 seemed to 'qualify' as vis mig - high to SW and did not stop at the feeder!

Grounded on Heysham NR
Chiffchaff - 5
Goldcrest - 1

Inshore info gleaned from several observers
Sabine's Gull - adult from 1130 to about 1220hrs, then at least 1546 (1415 sighting disputed by observers on the spot)
Arctic Tern - 10 juv & 3 adult
Common Tern - 2 juv
Sandwich Tern - 3
Little Gull - ad & 2CY, latter roosting on OE saltmarsh over the tide
Med Gull - 2 adults roosting OE saltmarsh & at least 11 others of all ages
Little Egret - one OE saltmarsh creek pre-tide
Gannet - 2-3 reported
Ringed Plover - 53 Ocean Edge south beach

Insects

2 Migrant Hawker, 16 Speckled Wood and a tatty Meadow Brown on circuit of the reserve.  Some leaf mines examined but I've forgotten the names which were reeled out!

Are we seeing the starters for a mega seawatching 'event'?

Heysham Obs
Looks on course for some stuff, especially Monday & Tuesday and leftovers on Wednesday in 'nicer' weather and maybe even after that, although we could do with some "balancing" vis mig/ringing weather.  Today was a good one for the ELOC and Bolton groups - its great when dates plucked out of air way in advance work out!  Please, however, use the path through the nature park and dont wander as a gang through Ocean Edge caravan park without at least asking at reception.  I've apologised on behalf of the group this morning. Thanks.

Inshore sightings
Sabine's Gull - adult from about 1030 until about 1530 on & off, including following the IOM ferry into the harbour-mouth at 1210ish.
Guillemot - 2CY harbour mouth at lunchtime
Little Egret - one OE saltmarsh creek (they have been scarce here since the cold weather last December)
Arctic Tern - max of 6 juv and 2 adult
Common Tern - max of 2 juvs and one adult
Little Gull - 2CY and adult
Sandwich Tern - one on Red Nab early on
Med Gull - 11 on the WeBS count from the ex-heliport to Ocean Edge saltmarsh: 1 x 2CY, 4 x adult-type, 6 x 1CY - there might have been more 1CY as they were typically mobile (they dont seem to like roosting!)
Golden Plover - one seen by outfalls (per Mike W)

Offshore
Zero!

Vis mig
1.5 hours in the morning by the office (not the best site for hirundines) produced the following heading south or south-east 0740-0910:
Swallow - 56
Chaffinch - 112
Meadow Pipit - 54
Linnet - 40
Goldfinch - 10
House Martin - 26
Grey Wagtail - 3 (plus 5 others along the seawall)
alba Wagtail - 12
Siskin - 2
Collared Dove - flock of four

Moth
Highlight in the trap was a scarce plume associated with fleabane: Oidaematophorus lithodactyla

After morning murk drops passerines, the Manx passenger ferry does the trick

Thanks to Pete Cook for these atmospheric shots

Heysham Obs
After a morning of poor visibility, the wind perked up and the Sabine's Gull appeared behind the Isle of Man ferry with about 20 Kittiwakes at 1215hrs and headed towards the outfalls along the wooden jetty where it had apparently been watched for 'some time' before joining the ferry throng.  If this was the case and the observers concerned do not have the RBA number, here it is: 02070382820 (text).  Unfortunately conditions were fairly 'quiet' and it drifted down the Heysham one outfall feeding channel until out of sight.  The next ferry is 5-ish

Passerines in coastal nooks and crannies in the murky drizzle this morning with evidence that birds had come in-off with four Chiffchaff and 5 Wheatear (north harbour wall) along with a probable Blackcap seen in flight and the afternoon produced a lingering Spotted Flycatcher along the south quay along with another two Wheatear and phyllosc spp.   Ocean Edge foreshore saw 3 further Wheatear and a trickle of Meadow Pipit coming 'in-off' (6 in 45mins!) to join the 15 or so grounded ones

Inshore sightings maxima - not all at same time with many terns departing over the high tide
Arctic Tern - 8 juvs, 2 adults
Common Tern - adult & 2 juvs
Little Gull - 2CY (still 2 old primaries left) and Ad
Kittiwake - one flew 'out' then c20 behind the IOM ferry, all but 3 juvs
Sabine's Gull - apparently seen from mid-morning but this is second-hand info.  Certainly seen before it joined the ferry throng 'going backwards and forwards', then returned along the wooden jetty before disappearing offshore again about 1300hrs.  Next ferry is 5pm-ish.  No known further sightings, but there could be a few more of them on Monday/Tuesday (shades of 14/9/87)!!
Sandwich tern - one
Med Gull - at least 8 1CY, 2 2CY and 4 adult

Miscellaneous waders
Greenshank - adult incoming tide Red Nab then OE saltmarsh
Common Sandpiper - one harbour area (for SECOND day)

Grounded migrants
Spotted Flycatcher - one south wall area
Chiffchaff - at least 6 along the coastal fringe and 5+ on HN reserve (3 ringed)
Whitethroat - two by HNR office (one ringed)
Wheatear - c22 around
Blackcap - one by office, one probable NH wall, one HNR
Lesser Whitethroat - one in tank farm

Insects
Warm afternoon sun saw a short mist-netting session by the office and the route to/from the nets saw: Small Copper, 2 x Common Blue, 3 x Meadow Brown and 4 Speckled Wood.  Two Migrant Hawker seen elsewhere

Sabine's Gull!

Thanks very much indeed for these Mike (Baron).  Latest info I have is that it was still there at least 1845hrs

Thanks for this Mario.  The answer to those earlier observers who commented it didnt seem to be eating anything.  This pic was taken at 1845hrs

Heysham Obs
Posted too early this morning!  As I was originally posting, having given up on the sea, an increase in wind and rain coincided with Tom Walkington and Pete Cook finding a close adult Sabine' Gull passing the north wall at 0930hrs.  After then being seen off Red Nab and seemingly heading out, it was lost, retrospectively sitting on the sea, as it then returned to the outfalls/harbour mouth area for the rest of the morning.  Other observers should now be keeping tabs.  It remained until at least 1845hrs with occasional forays out to sea.  Note the apparent foot injury with one foot protruding through the tail.  Anyone who was struggling with tern ageing/identification on the public mere at Leighton Moss yesterday could do worse than visit Heysham outfalls in the next few days. 

North harbour wall
0620-0650hrs
Brown Rat
0715-1200hrs
Black Tern - juv out, quite distant and didnt 'find' the outfalls by 0900hrs
Manx Shearwater - two
Fulmar - 3
Leach's Petrel - one off Ocean Edge in the main shpping channel heading out at c0955hrs
Gannet - 3 (one 1CY)
Sabine's Gull - adult (yellow tip to bill etc etc) just starting head moult 0930-at least 1845hrs - now remaining on the outfalls at lowish tide!  Will it stay overnight?
Kittiwake - 5 (2 1CY)

Terns on outfalls/off north harbour wall at various times incoming tide
Common Tern - minimum of 3 adult and 5 juvenile, many of these in one 'gang' and they seemed to disappear mid-morning.  I didnt check later in the day & no definite counts seem to have been offered.
Arctic Tern - minimum of two adult and 3 juvenile, later the number of juvs were reported to have increased to perhaps as many as 8
Sandwich Tern - three Red Nab/outfalls area

Outfalls/Red Nab other species
Little Gull - ad & 2CY (now well on the way to 2nd winter with P9 & 10 still to be moulted along with one or two covert feathers) and 1CY briefly mid-morning
Med Gull - up to 13 1CY (10 off the harbour!), 6 adult-type and 4 2CY. This may be a record count - certainly so of 1CY, but I need to check.
Wheatear - two
Knot - 47 on Red Nab near HT

Heysham Nature reserve
Willow Warbler and Goldcrest (2) by the office

Squalls arrive too late in the day

Heysham Obs

Intermittent seawatching from about 0800 to 1330
Leach's Petrel - one at lunchtime just beyond Clarke's wharf heading slowly out
Manx Shearwater - 2 'early' morning & 2 others mid-morning
Common Tern - at least 4, including juv on the outfalls from late morning
Arctic Tern - at least 7 with juv on outfalls throughout & ad there late pm
Kittiwake - 8 behind the IOM ferry

Seawatching c1730-1930
Leach's Petrel - 1 'in' distantly, turning back on itself twice, before 'wheeling' in at 1848hrs overlapping with the first:
Fulmar - one out at 1848, 2 out at 1925
Bonxie (Great Skua) - one chasing two small gull spp at about 1745hrs
Kittiwake - 4-5 behind freight ferries, one adult out

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls area
Grey Plover - c385
Bar-tailed Godwit - c1,800
Wigeon - first of autumn
Med Gull - at least 5 1CY and 2-3 adults
Little Gull - 2CY and adult
Terns - see above
Wheatear - 7 'early' morning

Half Moon Bay (evening)
Wheatear - 4

Bits and pieces over the neap low tide

Heysham Obs
Outfalls area
Med Gull - up to 4 1CY, 2 adult
Little Gull - 2CY and adult
Arctic tern - juv off the end pm
Kittiwake - juv harbour mouth
Teal - 1

North harbour wall seawatching at various times
Gannet - 3 in
distant tern spp - 1+4 out
Kittiwake - flock of 10
Eider - 4
Auk spp - one in
Ruff - 2 out (prob juv male)
Sandwich tern - one in
Pintail - 2 out
Med Gull - 1 1CY
Cormorant - 59 on wooden jetty

Too early for the windblown seabirds?

Heysham Obs
A couple of sorties to Ocean Edge to view the outfalls and Red Nab

Ocean Edge foreshore etc
Med Gull -  6 1CY, 1 2CY and 2 adult
Little Gull - adult
Kittiwake - one adult type
Sandwich Tern - 2

North harbour wall 1815-1840
Med Gull - 1CY heading slowly out about 1.5 miles offshore with a juv Common Gull - surely not one of the birds from the outfalls?

Office area
Whitethroat - at least 3

Decent morning for common migrants and unexpected Clouded Yellow

Heysham Obs
Not quite what was expected this morning - its a real shame there was not another licensed ringer available to operate both Middleton and Heysham on what looks like last chance saloon for 'routine' warblers this autumn, other than Chifchaff and Blackcap.  The unexpected was the complete lack of evidence of migrant Robin - usually such a feature on 'quiet' early September mornings and the unprecedentedly high level of overhead Chaffinch passage for this early in the month

It was a bit hectic with two trainees to look after, the continuing cat watch (although we have not seen it for a few days) and vis mig was not as conscientious as it could have been

Vis mig species
Chaffinch - c110 south
Swallow - c115 south
House Martin - c35 south
Tree Pipit - 1 caught the only one 'encountered'!
Grey Wagtail - 8 but only 2 ringed due to sun on nets (this is where the net site at Middleton is much better)
Meadow Pipit - at least 25 south
alba Wagtail - at least 10 south
Collared Dove - one south
Dunnock - 2 perceived migrants

Outfalls (thanks Mark)
Med Gull - 6 1CY, one 2CY, 2 adult
Little Gull - adult

Grounded on reserve
Chiffchaff - c10 (4 ringed)
Willow Warbler - 2 (one ringed)
Whitethroat - 3 ringed
Lesser Whitethroat - one ringed
Blackcap - 3 (one ringed)
Goldcrest - 5 (2 ringed)

Butterflies
This might be the last day for some of them and it was highlighted by a completely unexpected Clouded Yellow nectaring on autumn hawkbit by the office before moving into the tank farm area.  Also about 15 tatty Meadow Brown, one geriatric Gatekeeper, one Small Copper, 2 Small, one Green veined and one Large White and c7 tatty Common Blue around the office area.  The Clouded Yellow was so unexpected in a national context that the unthinkable - a 'fence hopper' from someone's butterfly rearing enterprise - has to be considered this autumn

New micro for the trap & predictable Curlew Sand

Dichorampha acuminatana was new for the trap but the microlep expert, Steve Palmer, had already located double-figures on and around the foodplant Ox-eye Daisy during 2008.  Thanks to John Girdley for pic. 

Heysham Obs
Birds highlighted by the predictable juv Curlew sandpiper, moths a bit better this morning with a new species which almost escaped into unidentified oblivion!

Outfalls area
Med Gull - 2 juvs, 1 2CY, 3 adult (one in harbour)
Little Gull - ad & 2CY

North wall
Wheatear - 1
Half Moon Bay (evening)
Wheatear - 1

Foreshore south of Ocean Edge
Curlew Sandpiper - one juvenile

Moths
Highlighted by Dichrorampha acuminatana & late Chinese Character, Bordered Beauty and Yellow Shell

Bits and pieces in the grot

Heysham Obs
Right at the bottom end of a wadge of rain with winds which were SE to begin with before turning westerly late morning

Vis mig (mainly early morning)
Flava Wagtail - 1
Grey Wagtail - 3 (2+1)
Meadow Pipit - 6
Swallow - 16
Chaffinch - 2

Grounded
nothing perceptible apart from possibly one 'new in' Chiffchaff!

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
Grey Plover - 375
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1,700
Knot - c4,000
Dunlin - 50
Med Gull - 6 1CY (one juv, 5 1st W) and just the one adult
Little Gull - 2CY & adult
Sandwich Tern - 2

Moths
Latish White-line Dart headed a small catch of what was otherwise the usual suspects