This will do on a morning with little expectation

Heysham Obs
A bit laid back about this morning being other than going through the motions and even stopped for 'cheap' petrol along Caton Road, then noticed more than a touch of east in the 'southerly' wind as Heysham was being approached.  Highlight, following a few musical 'teu' calls from overflying Reed Bunting, was a harder 'teuk' at 0750hrs.   Surely time to retain my place on the 'serial Lap Bunt on call' blacklist, but the trill was a softer rippling and the "middle of the wings" were 'white'!

Vis mig from the office 0700-1000, intermittent from about 0900
Chaffinch - 329 SW (no Brambling today)
Meadow Pipit - 39 SE
Alba Wagtail - 34 S
Reed Bunting - 8 S
Skylark - 4 SE
Goldfinch - 44 S
Carrion Crow - 29 S, including flock of 9
Sparrowhawk - one high to the south
Pink-footed Goose - 130 S (very early on)
Linnet - 13 S
Tree Sparrow - 2 SE
Black-headed Gull - flock of 5 purposefully S
Starling - 27 S
Collared Dove 1+1 S
Snow Bunting - probably a male S at 0750hrs
Siskin - 7 S
Greenfinch - about 20 appearde to be 'vis' birds
Grey Wagtail - one found in mist net & obviously slipped through the vis scrutuny!, 2 south along the seawall
House Sparrow - one S

Grounded
Chiffchaff - just one by the office
Goldcrest - ditto
Rock Pipit - 3 half-moon bay

Inshore
The only reports was of the 1CY Med Gull along the north wall and two Little Egret Ocean Edge

Elsewhere
Seriously different vis mig scenarios at all five local sites this morning with Chaffinch passage being the only reasonably comparable denominator!   Over 1000 Meadow Pipit over Crag Bank, just the other side of Morecambe, which did not go over Heysham or along the western side of the Lune. Yellow hammer SW over the Lune vis mig site at Heaton.  Black Tern on the pager for Leighton Moss along with Great White Egret

Tawny Owl surprise

Heysham Obs
A racket from Long-tailed Tits by the entrance gate was followed by a Tawny Owl hoot!  Investigation revealed a large brown bird hiding in a bush.  Rather scarce on here to put it mildly.

Office/reserve
Tawny Owl - one by gate
Treecreeper - one with above LTT flock
Goldcrest - one by gate

Inshore late afternoon
Good!
Shag - two 1CY on wooden jetty
Little Stint - juvenile with large number of Dunlin
Little Egret - one Red Nab
Wigeon - 4 Red Nab
Little Gull - ad winter on outfalls
Rock Pipit - one or two mobile birds around mound area
Med Gull - adult on sand off Ocean Edge
Wheatear - at least one Ocean Edge
Robin - at least two boxed out on the shore at Red Nab - being chased around

Lots and lots of Chaffinches and a mystery goose flock

Heysham Obs
Just two hours this morning & it was quite eventful overhead but predictably dire as regards any grounded leftovers/new arrivals after a clear starry half-moony night

Office 0700-0900, on and off to 0945
Chaffinch - 341 SW, mainly high flocks of up to 8 birds
Brambling - all calls from a flock of 10 (largest finch flock of morning) were this species & two others flew over - all SW
Goldfinch - 62 SW
Woodpigeon - flock of 8 S
Redwing - flock of 5 in from NE, then landed briefly on tank farm
Starling - 42+11+2 SW
alba Wagtail - 26 S
Meadow Pipit - just 7 SE
Grey Wagtail - none
Linnet - 1 S
Geese - c60 very high to the north-west and the only calls I could hear fitted Barnacle but couldnt get any detail at all on the birds.  Anyone get to grips with them (c0750hrs)?
Chiffchaff - one caught whilst setting the nets seemed to be the only early morning grounded migrant!  Gave typical collybita call on release
Pink-footed Goose - 75 low to the east over the dog-walk track at 0800hrs (not the high flock!)

Middleton NR evening (thanks Malcolm)
Tufted Duck (9), Teal (2) & 8 Greylag low to the south

Vis supplement 0950ish to 1030
More cross-bay stuff in clearer conditions:
Skylark - 5 SE
Swallow - 1 S
Meadow Pipit - 22SE
Chaffinch - 38 SW
Goldfinch - 7 SW
an unringed Chiffchaff by the Obs T pond

Mammals
Stoat crossed the power station approach road at 08:30 at SD 405599. Observed by rabbit (Ian Taylor)

Occluded frontal admin weather

Heysham Obs
A couple of forays from the office today produced

Little Gull - adult Red Nab at high tide
Meadow Pipit - 8 struggling south in 15 minutes (0930-0945) along OE foreshore
Swallow - 2 as above
Chiffchaff - one by office giving disyllabic call
Wheatear - one OE foreshore
Grey Plover - 8 on edge of Red Nab
No sign of any Shag on wooden jetty at high tide or indeed any Med Gulls along the north wall (not unusual in wet weather)
Teal - 4 on Middleton IE
alba Wagtail - 38 heading over Middleton towards power station roost in evening

High level uniform murkiness deters landfall

Heysham Obs
Not quite right this morning - a blanket of cloud which was far too high and uniform at dawn.  Fewer birds than yesterday but a decent one in the form of a Redstart by the office at 0745hrs. Three Chiffchaff were ringed & at least 3 others were present along, four Reed Bunting were ringed but just a single Grey Wagtail.  Vis mig was a trickle of Chaffinch, Meadow Pipit and assorted (other) finch spp.  Two Redwing at dawn along with at least three olive-coloured Song Thrush (one caught) and two definite long-winged continental Blackbirds - all these seen descending from great height.   Migrant Blackbirds very unusual in September.  Yet another unringed Treecreeper caught.

More detail for the last two days tomorrow - sorry, but we are trying to mix coverage & the usual end of month rush with work, as often happens in September.

Vis mig by the office 0700-0900
Meadow Pipit - 43 SE
Grey Wagtail - 3 SE
Skylark - 4 SE
Chaffinch - 35 SW
Tree Sparrow - 4 SW
Pink-footed Goose - 45 S
Goldfinch - 9 SW
Siskin - 6 registrations but only 10 birds actually seen!
Linnet - 2 S
alba Wgtail - 15 SE 

North Harbour Wall Point

Shag (2 first winter) one bird feeding near Groyne and Mussel beds and out on mussel beds drying off.
Cormorant 60+
Pink-footed Goose 30 & 5 (1110 and 1125 hrs)
Eider 10+
Oystercatcher 3000+ flying NE to SE
Bar-tailed Godwit 140 (south of Outflow), 1 flew NE to SE
Grey Plover 2 (south of Outflow)
Dunlin 4 (south of Outflow)
Turnstone 120+
Curlew 300+
Redshank 100+
Med Gull 3 (2 adults & 1 juv/1st winter)
Common Gull 4
Meadow Pipit 12+ (mostly on Mound)
Linnet 30+ (mostly around Mound)
Grey Wagtail 1 (south)
Pied Wagtail 10+
Song Thrush (on Mound late on)
Goldfinch 15+ (on Mound then south)

High Tide at the Helipad
Oystercatcher 1500
Ringed Plover 2
Redshank 100+
Lapwing 23
White Wagtail 2

Cloud, but not low enough to produce masses of birds

Heysham Obs
Better than the bright blue skies of the last two days, but no great quantity of migrants this morning

Ringing included 5 Grey Wagtail, two Chiffchaff and two Blackcap and vis mig was dominated again by early Chaffinch passage...........but the details are all at the office.  Will update vis & grounded stuff on Wednesday

Vis mig 0700-1000
Song Thrush - 4 high from the east, then grounded
Chaffinch - 67SW
Goldfinch - 32 SW
Meadow Pipit - 5 SE
Grey Wagtail - 5 SE
Greenfinch - flock of 21 SW
Linnet - 9 SW
Long-tailed Tit - unringed flock of 8 caught at 1000hrs
Reed Bunting - 4 migrants caught at Middleton IE but none seen flying over reserve

South Harbour Wall Point

Shag (1 first winter)
Cormorant 60+
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Pink-footed Goose 22
Eider 12+
Oystercatcher 2500+
Bar-tailed Godwit 140 (south of Outflow)
Grey Plover 12 (south of Outflow)
Dunlin 52 (south of Outflow)
Turnstone 120+
Curlew 500+
Redshank 100+
Little Gull 1 (adult in winter plumage briefly midday)
Med Gull 2 (both adult birds)
Common Gull 8 (good numbers for here)
Meadow Pipit 8 (all south)
Linnet 22 + 10 (south)
Skylark 1 (south)
Grey Wagtail 2 (south)
Pied Wagtail 2

High Tide at the Helipad
Oystercatcher 100
Ringed Plover 2
Redshank 120
Lapwing 18

Lots of fishermen catching Dogfish too, must have seen 30+ pulled out of the water today!?

Awkward high-flying vis yet again

Thanks John  for posting the stuff from the office area which I've assimilated 

Vis south harbour by wooden jetty 0700-0800
Rubbish - reinforced that traipsing the Blakeney shingle was a better option & would have been reality but for a lunchtime appointment/first contact with a Cumbrian farmer relating to work.  Better than the ignominious 'turn-round' at Exeter services one day late for the last "Traill's" (is Alder 101% on this one?!).  Cant go tomorrow either.  Old enough not to "need" Parula:
Wigeon - 15 S
Wingbarred distant duck spp - 12 S
Meadow Pipit - 16 SE
Linnet - 36 SE
alba Wagtail - 12 SE
Skylark - 1 SE
extra birds over the Obs during this period amounted to a few Chaffinch (the seawall is not on the flightline for finches & the idea was to accurately count cross-bay stuff (with the best chance of Lap Bunt) and the "thousands of Pink-footed Geese" crossing the bay) and two Grey Wagtails

Office 0800-0900
Chaffinch - c75 S - mostly very high
Meadow Pipit - c18
Goldfinch - 8
Swallow - 1
Canada Goose - 6 north - the only geese and a good signal to give up & finish Jean's Caton Moor vis mig count off as she had to leave early

Ringing/grounded
2 GreyWagtails were caught and colour ringed and these were the only two seen. Other birds ringed included small numbers of Greenfinch, Dunnock, Blue & Great Tits, Wrens and a single Treecreeper. Also about  were several Robins, small group of Goldfinch and a singing male Chiffchaff.

The Goldcrest trapped today was the first in 2010 at Heysham! (The only other was a single bird caught at Middleton at the end of August.)

Inshore
Med Gull : adult North Harbour Wall

Middleton NR
Chiffchaff (1) & Carrion Crow eating sea buckthorn!

Insects
10 Migrant Hawker & 9 Common Darter Middleton

Elsewhere
3 Redwing at Thrushgill in the evening and at least 21 Crossbill (flock of 20 in afternoon & new arrival from the NE in the evening).  At least one Brambling Caton Moor in the morning with high-flying Chaffinch passage

Stratospheric vis

** Just heard that a Heysham-ringed Twite has recently been caught (in heavy moult still) at Clachtoll just north of Lochinver/Achmelvich (and just south of Stoer) - the furthest north by quite some distance and a presumed local breeding bird.  More details later.

Heysham Obs
An early start was not early enough as it was an open morning with quite a bit happening prior to sunrise.  Downhill after that, unless you are into Wren, Robin and Dunnock migration, the subtleties of which are only discernable at a local patch covered on a daily basis, with ringing being helpful

Vis mig by the office
Pretty dire with many birds very high and a lot undoubtedly missed.  Third hour very bad, then livened up as wind swung NW, then back NE just after 1000hrs.  Impossible to work out Greenfinch (vis from bloggers), but all the birds caught (6) were unringed and an estimate of birds passing through 0700-1100 would be in the region of 30-35

0645-0700:  Redpoll agg (2), Meadow Pipit (34), Grey wagtail (3)
0700-0800: Grey wagtail (1), Chaffinch (45), alba Wagtail (28), Meadow Pipit (39), Reed Bunting (1), Collared Dove (3+2+4+3 - unexpected), Black-headed Gull (2), Jackdaw (11+14), Siskin (1), Coal Tit (2), Goldfinch (24), Linnet (2)
0800-0900: Grey Wagtail (1), Chaffinch (46), alba Wagtail (22), Meadow Pipit (53), Reed Bunting (2), Siskin (5), Goldfinch (27), Linnet (5), Starling (5), House Sparrow (2), Dunnock (2), Black-headed Gull (1), Song Thrush (1 from east then grounded), Sparrowhawk (one high to the south)
0900-1000: Siskin (2), Chaffinch (13), Meadow Pipit (32), alba Wagtail (2)
1000-1100: Meadow Pipit (30), Chaffinch (25), Swallow (5), alba Wagtail (26), Goldfinch (7), Skylark (1), House Martin (3), Peregrine (1), Coal Tit (flock of 5), Little Egret (one high to south), Linnet (3)

Pink-footed Goose - 53 south over Middleton at 0930 were missed at the reserve!

Grounded
At a premium in the clear conditions
Robin - the most interesting sighting of the morning was one descending from a great height into the bushes by the office, only to be immediately chased off.  This was at 0855 hrs if this qualifies as 'vis'.  At least 5 other migrants seen (chasing & one ringed).
Chiffchaff - one ringed - a silent bird and the only one encountered
Goldcrest - one passed through
Lesser Whitethroat - one (ringed on left leg) still around in the brambles opposite the office door, which means that if it is ours, it must have either been ringed at Middleton around the turn of the month or pre-last week of August at Heysham NR
Dunnock - 3 "fidgety" birds in addition to the 2 on vis mig & two unringed birds caught
Wren - one unringed bird seen and another unringed bird caught
Green Woodpecker - first for a bit (& certainly second half of the year) by the office at midday

Inshore
Little Gull - adult Red Nab at high tide
Shag - 1CY on wooden jetty at high tide
Med Gull - 2 x ad & 1CY on north harbour wall railings at high tide
No sign of any terns

Elsewhere
5+ Crossbill Thrushgill, including adult pair feeding on ash keys!   Migrant Whinchat showing very well roadside at Lower Thrushgill

Vis-mig-fest

Heysham Obs
A late start - no chance of any mist-netting and an arrival at Heysham office at 0855hrs was greeted by overhead Meadow Pipits - how many had been missed.  Work took a back seat for the morning as follows:

Office area 0855-0925
Meadow Pipit - 102 SE
Chaffinch - 24 SW
alba Wagtail - 15 SE
Grey Wagtail - 3 SE
Linnet - 10 SE
Swallow - 2 SE

Ocean Edge to wooden jetty 0930-1200
Meadow Pipit - 515 SE (definitely undercount)
alba Wagtail - 68 SE (all which landed on the seawall bar one were White/indet)
Grey Wagtail - 4 SE
Skylark - 38 SE
Reed Bunting - one SE
Rock Pipit - one SE
Linnet - 14 SE
Swallow - 69 SE
House Martin - 5 SE
Goldfinch - 3 SE

Non-vis
Little Egret - one OE saltmarsh
Arctic Tern - juv on and off throughout
Common Tern - one juv on outfalls briefly then flew off SW
Sandwich Tern - adult briefly at about 1145hrs
Shag - 1CY on wooden jetty - flew in from Morecambe direction
Turnstone - 75 wooden jetty
Bar-tailed Godwit - 3 juvs Red Nab
Med Gull - 3 adults and 1CY Red Nab/OE
Little Gull - adult outfalls until c0945
Grey Plover - 45 off OE
Dunlin - 167 off OE
Curlew Sandpiper - one juv off OE

Elsewhere
Great White Egret came into roost last night at Leighton Moss and has been hanging around during today

Nocturnal Blue Tit

Heysham Obs
Scraping the barrel this morning and the only remotely unusual thing was an unringed Blue Tit entering a mist net as it was being set in the dark.  This is probably the earliest in relation to dawn that a Blue Tit has ever been caught here. 

By the office 0700-0900
Chiffchaff - 2 (two ringed - one a 'swee' bird with brown-tinged plumage and fairly well-defined supercilium)
Chaffinch - just 36 SW
Goldfinch - 16 SW
Lesser Whitethroat - one still in the brambles
Robin - up to 10 migrants being chased off by residents first thing but only two ringed
No Meadow Pipits or Grey wagtails or any other cross-bay vis with low cloud 'blocking' progress

Red Nab area high tide/incoming ferry
Little Gull - adult winter
Arctic Tern - juv
No sign of any Shag on the wooden jetty (91 Cormorant) & no Meds (in wet fields?) or anything else behind the IOM ferry

Low water/Evening
1 Wheatear

Moths
Pinion-streaked Snout in the trap