First of the new generation

Heysham Obs
The only observing today involved a trip to the north wall to receive mobile reception. Incidentally, the mobile coverage (at least Orange) is being fully restored in the area just after 10pm this evening. Best was a juvenile Shag (perhaps not surprising given recent Walney & Rossall observations) on the wooden jetty and the Ad & one 2nd W Med Gulls were along the north harbour wall.

Insects
A Painted Lady was by the office late afternoon but nothing of any interest graced the moth trap.

Elsewhere
Great White Egret apparently still at Leighton Moss EM Pool but Little Egret numbers are dwindling to low double-figures. The first autumnal Red-throated Diver for the inner Bay was seen off JBPoint

Deader still

Heysham Obs
Given the time of year, this was possibly the worst potentially reasonable migrant day in 28 years of covering Heysham. The coverage was good, unlike yesterday, but the first two hours could have been spent remaining in bed! There have been plenty of examples of clear mornings flattering to deceive as a look to the north-west sees the clouds building up & between 0800 and 0900 the wind suddenly whooshes up from the NW. However, there is normally some vis in the early clear stuff. This morning saw fog around Heysham and over the Bay and for the first two hours, other than a meagre sprinkling of night migrants, mainly low single figures of Robin and Chiffchaff, 'nothing' moved. Then the weather suddenly changed and the cloud & wind increased:

Vis
Just 3 Meadow Pipit, one alba wagtail, 5 Swallow 0630-0830 & a single Grey Wagtail at 0920hrs & a southbound Raven at about 1000hrs. Single Dunnock (see below)

Grounded
About 5 Chiffchaff, one Sedge Warbler and 'a few' Robin. A singleton Jay on the Tank farm may have been a wanderer as the resident birds have been sticking together as a foursome. 8 Wheatear noted at coastal sites. Wildfowl at Middleton saw three new Tufted Duck (6 altogether) and the first Pochard of the autumn. The escaped/feral female Wood Duck remained on the Middleton fence pond (see yesterday).

Inshore
Nothing on the outfalls despite check on the optimum incoming tide. The north harbour wall seems to be down to a single 2nd W plus the Czech-ringed adult Med Gulls. Only other loggable birds were two Sandwich Tern

Ringing
An irritating Grey Wagtail tape played from dawn-0830hrs saw no Grey Wagtail at all, not even flying over and ignoring it. No birds would go anywhere near the two nets when this was playing and all ringing was after 0830hrs! "Highlight" was a vis mig Dunnock which dropped out of the sky into the net and its cross-the-bay (?) efforts had reduced its weight to a size zero 16.9grms. 9 Greenfinch, one Sedge Warbler and one Robin completed the ringing total before wind intervened.

Elsewhere
Providing you queued (or were early or late in the day), Great White Egret, two Little Stint, three Curlew Sandpiper and 4 Spotted Redshank available from the Eric Morecambe hide. North Morecambe seafront at high tide saw adult Spotted Redshank and the Belgian-ringed adult Mediterranean Gull. Problematic raptor at Leighton Moss Lower hide area catching (but not hawking for) Migrant Hawker dragonflies has been identified as a juvenile Merlin. There has also been a transient Hobby seen well in the Leighton area this last two days........

No passerine coverage overhead or around reserve area

Heysham Obs
'Title' altered from 'dead' based on Walney and other sightings - a (by recent standards) decent morning was unfortunately missed by all accounts. Coverage of the outfalls and harbour area just produced the routine Ad & 2nd W Med Gulls on the north wall. The outfalls were birdless on the dropping tide

A duck described over the phone whilst in Cheshire superficially resembling eclipse male Garganey on Middleton will hopefully be sorted tomorrow - it may be an escaped hybrid. Sorted out by Malcolm in the evening - a female Wood Duck. Thanks Malcolm.

Elsewhere
Great White Egret Eric Morecambe pool - excellent pictures from Cliff Raby on LDBWS site. Also one Curlew Sandpiper

Early morning Grey Wagtails

Heysham Obs
Early morning ringing
The nets by the office were set for Grey Wagtail and 7 were caught and colour-ringed along with an out-of-habitat migrant Sedge Warbler, Robin and a couple of Greenfinch. Very little other vis with Meadow Pipit passage yet to really kick-start.

Outfalls
Not checked I'm afraid for the fourth day running

North wall
Ad & 2nd W Med Gull

Moths
A worn Red Underwing was the third of the autumn

Elsewhere
Great White Egret Leighton Moss

Usual Thursday problem

Heysham Obs
Nothing squeaking in the bushes and nothing squeaking overhead in the one minute either way from car to office. A quick check of the potential escapees on the wall of the 'toilet' moth trap saw several Treble Bar & Double-striped Pug and a Canary Shouldered Thorn. These were counted and ushered on their way & but did not have time to check the egg cases.

A justifiable (at last) posting came in the form of a 2nd W Med Gull on the railings during an even quicker visit to the north wall.

Anyone around to cover Thursdays!

Elsewhere
Great White Egret and c20 Little Egret Leighton Moss from which there were also Hobby (probably adult) and Merlin reports from reliable observers.

more north-westerly rubbish

Heysham Obs
Wrong move today - put two nets up next to the office and as soon as this happened, up went the wind strength. Should have checked the outfalls and area in the time available - did anyone else?

Ringing/grounded by the office
Ringing comprised a scintillating 8 Greenfinch, one Robin, one Blue tit, half a retrap Chiffchaff (still in heavy primary moult (PPs 5-8 still in pin/2) and the only firm identification feature was the call after release (& checking back to the original ringing data)) and a very surprsing retrap juvenile Whitethroat from mid-August.

Around were a single Lesser Whitethroat, an additional Whitethroat and best of all a Raven sat on a pylon for half an hour mid-am.

Vis from just outside the office
All early morning, nothing much after 0800hrs: Meadow Pipit 20, Grey Wagtail 1, alba Wagtail 4, Swallow 25, House Martin 2

Insects
Wall Brown yesterday near where the dog walkers park (first for the reserve this year, I think!) . Painted Lady on the remnants of the office buddliea today. Moths unremarkable but did include fairly scarce species in the form of Nutmeg and Grey Chi

Elsewhere
Great White Egret and 23 Little Egret Allen/EM Pools

Goldcrests kick off & early vis Skylark

Heysham Obs
All coverage was on the land or overhead today and, whilst plenty of birds were ringed, there was little evidence of other than short/medium-distance 'British' migrants as one would expect with (light) 'north-westerly rubbish' round a high pressure! These shorter distance migrants, however, are very interesting to ring with a much less predictable recovery pattern than say, Sedge Warbler.

Ringing Heysham NR/Middleton
See above: totals included: Robin (6), Goldcrest (5), Blackcap (5), Chiffchaff (3), Wren (6), Grey Wagtail (7), Whitethroat (2). If the Wrens represent partial migrants rather than a relatively recent (therefore unringed) local brood or two, this is early for this species (normally peaking in 2nd week October)


Additional grounded birds included one Lesser Whitethroat, one Sedge Warbler and at least one additional Whitethroat

Vis mig
Grey Wagtail (c12), Skylark (2), <10 Swallow & House Martin & Meadow Pipit

Elsewhere
Great White Egret and Osprey at Leighton Moss, also the first (?) Merlin of the autumn. Hobby and Yellow Wagtail at the Melling maize field area this evening, the former attacking a pre-roost flock of 3000+ Swallow

Speckled Wood still flourishing

Heysham Obs
Just a quick visit to the north wall without opening the gate and this produced the three usual Med Gulls: adult and 2 2nd W

Butterfly census (reserve only)
Speckled Wood (35), Small Tortoiseshell (3), Brimstone (2), Painted Lady (1), Red Admiral (3), Green-veined White (1), Small White (4), Large White (1), Meadow Brown (4), Common Blue (3)

Moth trap
You could tell no-one had been in the office today as I didnt check the 'toilet trap' until 1630hrs and there were still 13 Treble Bar on the wall c/f extremely sensitive to vibration produced by footsteps (I crept in!)

Elsewhere
Great White Egret, 3 Spoonbill - but some doubt as to whether these were present today and 4 Curlew Sandpiper on the Allen/EM Pool along with 20+ Little Egret. 3 Garganey Griesdale hide

Little change

Heysham Obs
Spring tides are a bit of a nuisance at this time of year as they clear all the gulls away from the outfalls/Red Nab area without usually producing 'replacements' from elsewhere. This may have been responsible for fewer Meds.

Outfalls/Red Nab/north wall
Med. Gull: Just the three juvs today, including re-reading the white darvic bird. Additional adult and 2nd W on the outfalls side and 2 2nd W & the Czech-ringed adult on the north wall side
Little Gull: regular adult winter outfalls
Sandwich Tern: About 5 'blogging' inshore/roosting on Red Nab

Middleton IE
Three f/imm Tufted Duck were first recorded yesterday

Heysham Head
Large raptor, unfortunately only seen rather distantly flying away from the observer, was last seen passing Heysham 2 Power station heading SW at c1615hrs. Nothing to suggest it was not Common (which it isn't round here) Buzzard

Sea passage
c6 distant Sandwich Tern and a single Gannet was an improvement of sorts on recent days!

Moths
Grey Chi and Common Wainscot (rare & only occurs in autumn here) were new for the year

Elsewhere
Ad Med Gull soaring around next to the Midland Hotel, Morecambe mid-pm. Great White Egret, 3 Spoonbill and varying (but reduced) numbers of Little Egret on the Allen/EM Pools. Curlew Sandpiper increase there to ad & 3 juvs.

One down, three(ish) to go

Heysham Obs
Outfalls area
A 'one-species day' with about 10 Med Gulls on offer. Of the 4+ juvs, three were ringed and the white darvic was read on one of these. Two had metal-only rings and there was no sign of the red darvic bird from the other day. The others comprised 3 adult and 3 2nd winter, presumably including the usual north harbour wall birds. Thanks to Mark for this information.

Elsewhere
At least 23 Little Egret on the EM Pools along with Great White Egret and three Spoonbill. Juv Garganey Griesdale hide at L Moss yesterday