north-westerly dross

Heysham Obs
Nothing doing during a brief search by two observers - I should perhaps have done a bit of vis this morning as it was calmer than forecast

Med Gull - Czech-ringed ad following the Pilot Boat into port
Twite - single unringed bird on the mound
Water Rail - at least three Middleton IE

Elsewhere
No sign of the Black-necked Grebe. NNEW on Pale-bellied Brent. Nothing of interest on Pine Lake. Great White Egret Leighton Moss. Adult Great Grey Shrike still on Dalton Crags, viewable from the pull-in 400m along the right turn after the picnic area (leading to Keer bridge & Arkholme) late morning, looking NE with 50 x wide-angle. It was low-down just to the east of the N-S dry stone wall and only noticed when disturbed by a Mistle Thrush. Along Morecambe Prom, pair of Scaup off Scalestones Point and adult Spotted Redshank roosting on the Strathmore groyne along with Belgian-ringed adult Med Gull. 10-15 Brambling grounded on beech mast near Tower Lodge, Trough of Bowland.

Desultory sea-watching before the wind goes North-west

Heysham Obs

Sea 0745-0915
Razorbill 1 out close inshore, 1 out more distantly
Common Scoter male landed on sea
Shelduck 10 out
Shag juvenile by the harbour "waterfall" early on, 1 flew into the Bay close inshore at c0845hrs, juv again present by the "waterfall" early afternoon but not later.

Middleton WeBS
15 Snipe, 7 Mallard, 5 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye, 7 Moorhen, 6 Coot, 4 Mute Swan.

Outfalls
1st winter Kittiwake (SD45E)

Ocean Edge saltmarsh
20-30 Linnet

Moths
Major surprise in the form of a late Large Wainscot (the 2nd of the year), also 1 Feathered Thorn.

Elsewhere
Great White Egret, Leighton Moss, but no further information on yesterday's belatedly reported Firecrest. One or two Leach's Petrels off Jenny Brown's Point at at least 1030hrs, unfortunately more belated news. NNEW Black-necked Grebe, Pale-bellied Brent.

Brent Goose unpuzzled

Heysham Obs
OK it wasnt seen from the recording area today but for continuities sake.......the Brent was read at the new Grosvenor Groyne and the right leg was RED with letter B and the left leg BLUE with letter S. These rings are rather large and deemed sufficient without a metal ring (presumably assuming almost all recoveries would benefit from maximum 'read in field' facilitation and not from birds being found dead without a (metal ring) address to send to). Ringed as part of the Canada-Iceland-Ireland flyway study - we'll know the details soon.

North harbour wall
Ad & 2 x 2nd W Med Gulls. No obvious sign of Black Redstart (or resident Robin!) in windy weather.

Harbour intake area
1st W Kittiwake (SD35Z record)

Moths
A very worn and ancient Red-line Quaker and single Light-brown Apple Moth in the trap.

Elsewhere
Breaking news at 1900hrs - Firecrest in Leighton Moss "main car park" - no time of day or indeed is this the car park over the road or between the centre and Lilians? Black-necked Grebe on borrow pit end of Lancaster Quay but elusive. Great White Egret and (for this time of year) an unprecedented 5 Spotted Redshank on the EM Pool. Adult Spotted Redshank Stone Jetty groyne.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose puzzle

Long-distance shots so a bit blurred but no metal ring discernable.

Heysham Obs
The Brent Goose entered the 'seen from' category again today (below "Sunny Slopes") and was found to be colour-ringed as the legs were seen at last. Unfortunately all the close-up views were through 'functional' binoculars and a Peregrine flushing everything to the receding tideline prevented any great detail once the scopes arrived.

The rings appear to be red or dark pink on the right and bright palish blue on the left with no obvious sign of a metal ring (but above tarsus??). Bearing in mind it is a bird of the year, it has presumably either been ringed at or near Svalbard/Canadian breeding grounds or the Icelandic passage sites.............or its an escapee with no metal ring. Hopefully it will cooperate tomorrow.

Heysham north harbour wall
A lull as the wind changed direction mid afternoon saw some activity in the Centrica compound when first the Robin and then the adult male Black Redstart emerged from their spider etc-filled rubber tyre 'piles' and covered pallets.......but not for long. The Robin showed for 30 seconds and the Black Redstart for 25 seconds during a half-hour vigil!

Ad & 2 x 2nd winter Med Gulls patrolling

Ocean Edge saltmarsh
16 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 40 Linnet, 3 Meadow Pipit (45E)

Red Nab area
Kingfisher
Ad Med Gull
92 Wigeon

Vis mig from by the office
Not a lot and highlighted by 6 Woodpigeon (will add figures tomorrow)

Elsewhere
Guillemot on the Lune Estuary is a good Atlas addition. Great White Egret still Leighton Moss. "Stubble-burning" at Cockersands produced:
2 Stonechat, 2 Reed Bunting, 9 Snipe, 25 Skylark, 4 Meadow Pipit. Very late Wheatear in a recent cut maize field at Melling, Lune valley - a notable inland record and very unexpected 'winter bird' for SD57!

Harbour area-fest

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall area
Black Redstart: The adult male was seen between the sand plant and the centrica storage area mid-morning, then a Bk Red was flushed from the gravel alongside the centrica s.a. before flying under some pallets at 1310hrs. The views were brief and almost exclusively rear-end but it didnt appear to be an adult male!!
Little Gull - adult blogging offshore mid morning. This is the first for some time in the absence of a regular outfalls bird this autumn
Shag - juvenile on the wooden jetty
Twite - up to 5
Med Gull - 2 x 2nd W & adult

Red Nab/outfalls
230 Black-headed Gull, 89 Wigeon and an adult Med Gull

Insects
Mottled Umber and Light brown Apple Moth in the trap

Elsewhere
The light-bellied Brent Goose was again off Sunny Slopes. The Black-necked Grebe still on the borrow pit at the end of Lancaster Quay. Great White Egret still Leighton Moss

A very good day's birding in this area.............

Heysham Obs
...........with Heysham Obs playing a full part

Thanks for the early posting, John.
Highlights
Black Redstart: adult male Heysham NHW found by John Wood at 1130 hrs just past gate adjacent to sand plant using mounded earth, fence and sea wall between many feeding flights. Unfortunately could not be found in the afternoon but may have flown across the harbour to other suitable habitat (SD36V Atlas record)
Black Guillemot: on and around the wooden jetty (SD35Z Atlas record)
Pale-bellied Brent Goose: A 'seen-from' juvenile just to the north of Heysham Head on the skeer off Sunny Slopes. A bit of a sense of shame with this bird as it was surely the same one recorded on the HT WeBS in mid-October by the Regent road groyne. Poor coverage! (46B)

North harbour wall
Twite: 3 at feeding station - two with blue over yellow rings, indicating old birds ringed in the 2002/3 winter. Also on mound were: 5 Goldfinch, 8 Meadow Pipit, 2 Robin and one Wren (SD36V). Adult and just one 2nd W Med around

Sea
The only observation was: Shelduck 11 'in'. Might improve later this week (Pom Skua??)

Vis from the Obs 0800 - 1000 hrs.
Woodpigeon 131 W/SW, 21 NW, 3 E, 2 S
Starling 126 N/NW, 11 S/SW
Carrion crow 3 S, 5 SW then E with 7 Jackdaw (SW then E)
Jackdaw (see above)
Siskin 4 NE
Greenfinch 15 S
Chaffinch 2 S
Mistle thrush 2 S
Skylark 2 E
Grey wagtail 1 W
Sparrowhawk 2 over Reserve at same time, one low SW, one NE at pylon height.

In addition, 5 Whooper Swan flew south past the north harbour wall at about 0745hrs

Middleton IE
4 Mute Swan, 6 Coot, 8 Moorhen, 7 teal, 5 Tufted Duck, 1 male Pochard, 29 Snipe (45E)

Insects
Migrant Hawker on Middleton IE - first November record. Two Common Darter NR dipping pond. NNEW moth trap but White Speck trapped JUST outside the recording ares at 342 Heysham Road. Definitely a potential 'seen from'!

Elsewhere
Black-necked Grebe still on the borrow pit at the end of Lancaster Quay. Great Grey Shrike adult Dalton Crag. At least 29 Common Crossbill Thrushgill (possibly 38). Great White Egret came to roost on the island mere, Leighton Moss, at 1650 and there were 13 Little Egrets also roosting there. Polish-ringed Med Gull P96 on Lancaster City football pitch and Belgian-ringed 36W north Morecambe promenade. Via the Fylde BC website: near-adult Yellow-legged Gull Glasson (for SECOND day)

Migration continues

Heysham Obs
Vis mig from by the office
0745 - 1045 hrs. All SW unless stated:

Starling 571 NW; 157 SW; 8 E (high up). A total of 28 flocks.
Greenfinch 18
Jackdaw 11 SE (late for this species to be on the move still)
Chaffinch 5
Woodpigeon 9
Mistle thrush 8 + 3 E
Kestrel 2 N
Mute swan 2 N
Skylark 3 SE
Great spotted woodpecker 3 SW
Siskin 4 E
Goldfinch 1 & others (<10) 'blogging' (or were they? - a tricky species to document) Raven on one of pylons (46A)

Moneyclose Lane/Ocean Edge/Red Nab area
Redwing - 5 on Moneyclose Lane (45E)
Linnet - 27 on Ocean Edge south field (45E)
Twite - 6 on Ocean Edge south field in separate flock to above (45E)
Med Gull - the large Ad sat on the sand off OE saltmarsh (45E)
Rock Pipit - one on OE saltmarsh (45E)

North harbour wall
Windswept in the morning with just one 2nd W Med seen

Insects
5 Feathered Thorn and a White-shouldered House Moth in the trap. Two active wasps near the feeder

Elsewhere
A quality new arrival in the form of a Black-necked Grebe on the new 'borrow' pit between the Lune and Freeman's Wood at the south end of Lancaster Quay. Great White Egret from Griesdale Hide Leighton Moss. Hawfinch at Woodwell. A late afternoon visit to Thrushgill was too late but Crossbill and Redpoll spp. heard. Late news concerns a Waxwing seen well sitting on a tree, loosely associated with Fieldfare and Redwing, on the west = golf-course side of the road between Leighton reception and the causeway late afternoon on Thursday 1st Nov (per two Scottish birders).

Atlasing in SD36V!

Heysham Obs
The first visit since the dawning of the new Atlas. SD36V was given the treatment - this is a tetrad where the only high tide land is the sandworks section of the north harbour wall. It can be very birdless in mid-winter so it was important to snaffle some lingering seed eaters etc.!

North harbour wall (SD36V)
Highlighted by a Wren, a Linnet, 7 very short-staying Twite (no good for photography this autumn - very skittish in the absence of a proper feeding station which has been hijacked by feral pigeon), 8 Goldfinch with the usual also-rans including 3 (Ad & 2 x 2nd W) Med Gull and the resident Robin. Three Whooper Swan flew south-east over Heysham head.

No sign of the Black Guillemot or any Shag.

Heysham reserve and area
The open-aspect non-op land failed to register any Black Redstart although 3 Meadow Pipit were useful for the Atlas, along with a Bullfinch on the tank farm. The main feature was the virtual lack of thrushes compared to the end of October, with Blackbird particularly reduced and just a single Redwing seen

Ocean Edge
36 Linnet on the football pitch and area

Forgot to check the moth trap in the rush to beat the traffic/check Thrushgill in daylight

Elsewhere
At least 17 Common Crossbill (a flock of 17 seen, then a flock of 11 which was assumed to involve some of the same birds), 36 Lesser (or unident in some cases) Redpoll, 11 Siskin in Thrushgill plantation with an abundance of cones this year. Good stuff for the Atlas!
Very few thrushes in upper Hindburn with just one flock of 36 Fieldfare and 4 Redwing encountered. This is a contrast with reports of abundance in the yew-filled limestone woodlands around Arnside/Silverdale. Great White Egret Leighton Moss.

October summary

Heysham Obs
Three key observers unavailable today and the weather in northern England was what was supposed to be in southern Scotland (e.g. A1 awful between Angel o.t.n. and S. Corner early afternoon, never mind the west coast) so ringing was not an option. The only news item so far was a Light Brown Apple Moth and Angle Shades in the moth trap. Am I really going to trail up to North Uist this evening/early morning.......[Mourning Dove at Clachan]

Here is a summary for October:

Systematic observation took place at Heysham Obs on all but two days (4th, when Flamborough was a better option and 11th when the weather was rubbish). This usually involved an attempt to census grounded night migrants (+/- mist netting) and an average of two hours per day counting visible migrants. Also the usual routine checks of the coastal areas counting Mediterranean Gulls, checking for Black Guillemot etc..

The theme of this month was the rapid transit by many of the migrants as periods of clear weather on most nights allowed birds to move on, as did a fair nunmber of clear, calm sunny days. Therefore I would be extremely wary of wording such as Redwing and Fieldfares "arrived at" as opposed to "passed through" when assessing the nature of this month's migration. For example, there were several mornings late in the month with "50+ or 50-60 Blackbird" and it would be easy to dismiss them as being "in residence, having discovered the hawthorn berries". Careful observation, however, especially of those within range of the vis mig site by the office, revealed that there was a continuous 'through-put' of birds with individuals occasionally taking off and flying high inland, others moving, usually in a generally SE direction through the bushes to be replaced by a new gang of berry eaters.....and so on. This period was punctuated by much larger influxes on 21st and 28th which helped to confirm the impressions as four Blackbirds at any one time in a given hawthorn bush suddenly became eight on those two mornings!

Another theme was a few species which are not normally conspicuous on vis mig. In this respect, only the high-flying individuals were logged - some of the other sightings may also have been birds on more than a 'local circuit'. The main species were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Jay and especially Bullfinch. See vis mig list below for actual total.

One species which IS conspicuous on vis and which occurred in good numbers (although nothing like nearby Walney) was Jackdaw - this species does not nest at Heysham and therefore migrants can be easily discerned The other noticeable theme concerned the number of species which were either way above par or conspicuous by their absence - very few species seemed to be occurring in "average" numbers for the 27 year dataset Species conspicuous by their absence on the ground were: Wren (usually a noticeable passage early-mid month), Blackcap (no birds accompanying the thrush passage late in the month) and Goldcrest (just no mornings producing more than 20 individuals - this was most unexpected following a good spring passage and does imply a very poor breeding season) Conspicuous by their absence on vis mig were Redwing and Fieldfare, yet there were plenty flying over more inland sites - this is the way it goes some autumns - the grand total for both species has been beaten by single migratory flock on many occasions in previous Octobers

It was quite a good month for scarce species without coming up with a major rarity: Treecreeper - one on 10th, Yellow-browed Warbler - one ringed on 7th, almost certainly another on 8th (almost certainly not ringed). Suitable conditions for one often produce another with this species - indeed the first record for Heysham involved three individuals. Garden Warbler - late bird on 7th. Black Redstart - one for a couple of hours on 15th. Lesser Whitethroat - latest ever records for here - one ringed on 14th and perhaps the same on 18th - sadly not one of the eastern forms. Common Buzzard - one on 20th . Reed Warbler - late bird on 19th. Firecrest - male with a LTT flock on 18th. Woodcock - migrant on 27th. Ring Ouzel - 1st winter male with migrant Blackbirds on 26th

Vis mig totals for the month saw record numbers of common finch species. Most of these birds were flying S or SW:
Pink-footed Goose 4593
Starling 3019
Chaffinch 2322
Greenfinch 1028
Meadow Pipit 742
Goldfinch 611
Redwing 503
Siskin 497
Jackdaw 452
alba Wagtail 405*
Woodpigeon 190
Fieldfare 164
Skylark 122
Linnet 116
Blackbird 115**
Song Thrush 102**
Mistle Thrush 96
Carrion Crow 87
Brambling 76
Rook 71
Long-tailed Tit 68***
Bullfinch 42
Swallow 36
Grey Wagtail 32
Reed Bunting 31
Collared Dove 29
Coal Tit 29***
Great Spotted Woodp. 13
Jay 12
Crossbill 11
Dunnock 10***
House Martin 7
Kestrel 4***
Whooper Swan 4
Sparrowhawk 4***
Cormorant 4***
Pintail 3
Tree Sparrow 3
House Sparrow 3
Grey Heron 1
Twite 1
Merlin 1
Rock Pipit 1
Green Woodpecker 1
Golden Plover 1

* many specifically identified as White
** many more than usual either flying over high or rising out of bushes and heading off general SE high. These were all, of course, presumed to be continental birds
***Only the most obvious "purposeful high-flying birds" included in this category. Cormorant are very rare over this site and all 4 were together and this is the first Pintail record actually over the 'vis' site.

In conclusion, Heysham is not a particularly special location for migrants but it is a good site for combining all aspects of migration (seabirds/vis/ringing/counting grounded birds) and the systematic coverage provides very useful comparative information which can be entered on national or even international visible migration sites and, at the end of the year, it provides consistent annually-comparative data which can be used in county and local bird reports

Thanks to the team for ensuring such good coverage this autumn - pity about the (lack of) Leach's Petrels and other storm-blown seabirds - no storms!

Red-listed football field

Some of the 17000 Knot on the helipad today

Heysham obs and area

Two of our key red-listed species were plastered over Ocean Edge football field today, comprising 72 Linnets and 150 Starling.

Vis
0830-0930
Chaffinch 5 >S
Greenfinch 15 >S
Starling 23 >NE, 27 >SW
Sparrowhawk high >W

Red Nab
Large unringed adult Med Gull, probably the elusive regular wintering bird.

North Wall
adult and second winter Meds (around anglers and the heliport end)

Insects
Feathered Thorn, 2 Angle Shades and Light Brown Apple Moth
The feathery antennae of this Feathered Thorn shows it is a male.
Elsewhere
Great White Egret still at Leighton Moss