Mersey winds arrive too early

Heysham Obs
As suspected, the best winds for us were during the night and the day dawned with winds which were just too far round to the north-west at WWNW (despite assertions on all forecasts that it was "west").  Seawatching therefore a waste of time unless you are into Shelduck passage.  However, its supposed to go more west or even WSW prior to the afternoon frontal system...........but there is no tide.  After the front, firmly in the north-west

Outfalls/Red Nab
Little Gull - adult
Med Gull -Ad
a Dunlin was grovelling around the edge of a puddle on Ocean Edge grassland trying to look rare at a distance

Harbour mouth area late morning/IOM ferry
Med Gull - 1 x ad (large bird, not the one on Red Nab earlier), 3 x 1CY
Little Gull - 1CY far offshore
possible Leach's petrel glimpsed twice far offshore (or black wing-shaped flotsam)
Kittiwake - ad-type and 2 x 1CY behind IOM ferry
Pink-footed Goose - c36+6 SW over the sea, c42 SW over the harbour
Cormorant - 63 on wooden jetty (Shag have been very scarce this autumn so far & none recently)
'Comic' Tern - thought to be an adult Arctic seen offshore about 0945hrs

Butterflies
2 x Red Admiral & 1 x Speckled Wood seen in sheltered bits of HN reserve

Mammals
Grey Squirrel along Moneyclose Lane

One of an excellent sequence taken by Janet on Middleton NR

The "preparation" day for tomorrow's seabirds?

Heysham Obs
A possibility of some Leach's action tomorrow, although I would have preferred the  cold front currently going through a little bit later on in the night.  We'll see & post any stuff pretty sharpish.  I'm just not sure where they all are at the moment with little evidence of any numbers anywhere on this side so far this autumn - have a lot of them already sneaked south post-Katia, pre-this latest lot?  No doubt the north-westerly on Friday will give the answer in the Mersey mouth if tomorrow up here does not work out

Token gesturing today with little confidence in a first (proper) day of wind producing anything

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - adult & 1CY
Little Gull - adult

Reserve
Chiffchaff - 2

Moths
No exotic migrants in the Heysham trap but the catch included a surprising revival of Black Rustic (5), which seemed to have tailed off for the autumn, and a Large Wainscot

Autumnal unpredictability

Heysham Obs
I didnt set my most productive moth trap last night (courtesy of Val at Millhouses) as 'it was too windy from the west as opposed to anything with south in it'.  Cue one of the best migrant moth nights ever in Lancashire (Ni Moth, Scarce Bordered Straw, Bordered Straw, Vestal from two traps I have heard about!). 

Similarly, a glance out of the window at dawn, notably the swaying branches on the oak tree, seemed to suggest extra sleep was in order as the only obvious consideration was "you dont get seabirds on the first day of an autumnal blow"!  An hour later, whilst checking the home moth trap (best migrant 'yet another' Rusty Dot Pearl), it was immediately apparent that there was a lot of "surprising" vis mig happening.  A phone call to Jean Roberts.........but she was already in position on Caton Morr at the start of a 2,000+ Meadow Pipit movement in a F4 gusting 5 westerly cross-wind.  I decided to do a sample vis mig, followed by a sample seawatch at Heysham:

Vis mig 0900-0930
Chaffinch - 57 SW
Meadow Pipit - 14 SE
alba Wagtail - 9 SE
Goldfinch - 5 SE
Siskin - 10+c13 SE
Reed Bunting - one calling from bushes
Greenfinch - 9 SW

Grounded
Chiffchaff - at least two
Wheatear - one Ocean Edge beach

North harbour wall 0935-1005
Eider - flock of 15 offshore
Razorbill - 2 out - quite close inshore
Meadow Pipit - 32 SE
alba Wagtail - 8 SE
Linnet - 5 SE & 6 on the mound

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Outfalls most of the rest of the day
Curlew Sandpiper - one with a flock of 550 Dunlin, most of which were out of range as regards detailed check & CS was picked up in flight with the nearest group
Med Gull - 3 different adults at various times, including one which followed a freight ferry to the green buoy before flying back offshore.  At least one mobile 1CY
Little Gull - just the one seems to be left - the adult

Locally scarce tringa saves the day

Heysham Obs
Ignored the alarm this morning and made no arrangements with anyone else (after 5 consecutive 0530 starts!) and we ended up with no early morning coverage on a half-decent morning.  A bit of vis mig and a bush-search from 1100-1200 just covering the reserve:

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Spotted Redshank -  juvenile moulting to 1st W was in Ocean Edge saltmarsh channel, then high tide roost - a tricky bird to see here
Little Gull - adult
Ringed Plover - 19 on Ocean Edge beach
Vis mig 1100-1200
alba Wagtail - 7 SE
Chaffinch - 14 S
Grey Wagtail - 1 SE
Meadow Pipit - none
Lesser Redpoll - 1 SE

Grounded Heysham NR
Chiffchaff - 3
Goldcrest - 6
Song Thrush - 7
Blackcap - 1
also Water Rail heard in the wetland
Blackbird - 3 flighty birds along PA way may have been early migrants

Half Moon Bay (evening)
Wheatear - 2

Insects
Migrant Hawker in front of the pagoda in temperatures which are still high teens
Comma - 2
Red Admiral - 5
Speckled Wood - c10
Moth trap held the first Epirrata spp (November Moth agg) of the year along with Green-brindled Crescent, Pink-barred Sallow, Red-line Quaker, Black Rustic and Silver Y

Sat under a frontal band

Heysham Obs
...........with very few obvious gaps for any vis mig after the first half hour of daylight

Vis mig 0700-1030
Very intermittent depending on cloud/rain to N/NW
Meadow Pipit - 107 (including loose flock of 44, obviously an accumulation of birds in unsuitable conditions)
Siskin - heard twice
Bullfinch - 1 S
Chaffinch - 22 SW
alba Wagtail - 17 SE
Reed Bunting - 2 S
Grey Wagtail - 7 SE (including flock of 4)
Greenfinch - 4 S
Goldfinch - 6 S
Dunnock - 1 S
Linnet - 1 S

Grounded
Chiffchaff - 5 (4 ringed)
Goldcrest - just two heard
Blackcap - 2 ringed
Song Thrush - 14 grounded, then inland or south during the early morning
Wheatear - one Red Nab

Miscellany
Little Gull - adult outfalls

Not quite what was expected

Heysham Obs
Funny morning with a smatter of rain at dawn, flat calm and a bank of cloud to the north and north-west.  The first hour was dire and it looked to be a 'duff' morning.  Then the vis perked up and there was a small influx of Chiffchaff and Blackcap after about 0815hrs.  The cloud cover to the north and north-west oscillated and was undoubtedly responsible for the vis mig being in waves interspersed by very quiet spells.  The wind picked up at about 0930hrs.  Later in the morning, especially around lunchtime, the vis steadied and there was a constant trickle of alba Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch.  The other problem early on was a very localised light north-easterly wind carried the sound from the hive of activity around the lorry park and made both the vis hard to hear and negated the attempt to catch Grey Wagtails

Vis mig 0700-1130
Chaffinch - 170
alba Wagtail - 122
Grey Wagtail - 14
Linnet - just 3!
Greenfinch - 15
Reed Bunting - 14
Meadow Pipit - 244
Lesser Redpoll - 4
Carrion Crow - 2
Skylark - 14
Goldfinch - 25
Coal Tit - just 4 this morning
Siskin - at least 50 (at least 10 flocks, four of which were not seen and recorded as '1')
Crossbill - flock of 4 south at 0915
Bullfinch - 2
Swallow - 4

Grounded
Song Thrush - 10-15 first thing
Chiffchaff - at least 10
Blackcap - at least 5
Robin - no evidence first thing but a trickle of unringed birds
Goldcrest - just one at each site!
Green Woodpecker - seen at Middleton
Snipe - 3 Middleton

Ringing (Middleton and Heysham)
Grey Wagtail (3), Blue Tit (10), Great Tit (4), Coal Tit (2), Chaffinch (9), Dunnock (3), Chiffchaff (7), Blackcap (4), Robin (5), Wren (4), Greenfinch (1), Goldcrest (1), Reed Bunting (9)

Butterflies
Red Admiral - at least 7 migrating southwards
Comma - 2 by office
Small White - one
Speckled Wood - at least 15 just around the office

Miscellany
Migrant Hawker - 2 by office

Little bit of east in the wind and an early morning influx of common migrants

Heysham Obs
A lorry and milk-float-strewn journey was followed by the typical semi-darkness error of getting the shelf-string order wrong when setting a line of three mist nets.  Therefore, despite a pre-dawn start, the nets were not up until a largely unrecorded fifteen minute 'flood' of vis had passed overhead and even the tit flocks were on the march!

Vis mig by the office
Underrecorded, possibly by up to 50-60%, but the species ratios are accurate.  Notable alba Wagtail passage this morning.
Coal Tit - at least 33 southbound birds, including a flock of 10
Chaffinch - 187 SW
Meadow Pipit - 302 SE
Grey Wagtail - 8 SE (4 ringed)
alba Wagtail - 181 SE
Mistle Thrush - 1 S
Linnet - 6 S
Skylark - 25 SE
Tree Sparrow - 1 SW
Siskin - 12 SE plus heard twice
Jay - 2 high to S
Lesser Redpoll - flock of 4 SE
Greenfinch - 39 SW, including flock of 16 (none on feeder!)
Goldfinch - only 6 SW
Dunnock - at least 3 headed south
Blue Tit - one flock of 7 high to S
Reed Bunting - just one S
Jackdaw - 3 S

Miscellany
Kingfisher - one around in the afternoon
Pink-footed Goose - 60 S in afternoon

Grounded
much better than yesterday
Lesser Whitethroat - one in brambles by office
Blackcap - one ringed
Chiffchaff - c15, many moving through quickly just after dawn, therefore possibly more (5 ringed)
Goldcrest - at least 10, mostly just after dawn (4 ringed)
Robin - little evidence at dawn with most birds singing fairly promptly, but three unringed lightweight birds caught
Song Thrush - very obvious first thing with at least 20 grounded around the office, then flying inland
Treecreeper - 2 unringed birds, one escaped from a net!

Ringing
Pretty busy with most of the birds in the first two hours after dawn.  New birds: Grey Wagtail (4), Chiffchaff (5), Treecreeper (1), Goldcrest (4), Blackcap (1), Wren (1), Chaffinch (18), Greenfinch (1), Blue Tit (7), Great Tit (1), Robin (3), Dunnock (2)  

Butterflies
About five Red Admiral around the office plus a Comma.  Lots of Speckled Wood.  One Meadow Brown.

Routine morning enhanced by minor vis mig highlights

Heysham Obs
A full morning's coverage with vis mig and one or two mist nets was disappointing until after the vis session had finished!  Best was a late southbound flava Wagtail at 1125hrs, scarce at the best of times over here

Vis mig 0715-0915, then casual observation - all counts 0715-0915
Chaffinch - 177 SW
alba Wagtail - 18 SE
flava Wagtail - one due south at 1125hrs
Grey Wagtail - 4 SE
Meadow Pipit - not many early on, more after 0915! - 48 SE
Greenfinch - 10 SW
Reed Bunting - 1 SE
Goldfinch - 22 S
Coal Tit - about 25 south, including flock of 15
Blue Tit - dribs and drabs heading south = approx 25 birds but no flocks
Long-tailed Tit - unringed flock of 11 passed through
Dunnock - at least 3 headed south as though they were on the move & two unringed birds caught
Crossbill - unfortunately could not see them (extracting birds from mist net) but at least two headed south(ish) at 0945
Skylark - 2 SE
Tree Sparrow - 2 headed NE at 1010hrs
Siskin - after reports of loads over Caton and Hutton Roof, the first and only (heard once) was at 1100hrs
Swallow - one appeared at 1200hrs - the first of the day

Grounded
Really disappointing other than tit movement
Goldcrest - maximum of 3 below the obs tower
Chiffchaff - just four passed through
Whitethroat - late bird with fat score of 3/4 and weight of 17.9grams
Robin - a lot of chasing and ticking at dawn, but seemed to melt away with only one unringed bird caught

Ringing
Basic monitoring produced about 30 new birds, including a Grey Wagtail, but otherwise mainly Blue & Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Greenfinch

Ocean Edge/Red Nab high tide
Birdless as usual at high (spring) tide
Ringed Plover - 8 on OE beach
Little Gull - ad sat on sea off Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Butterflies
Increase in Red Admiral with at least 5 seen, two of which were heading south

Start of a Coati irruption?

Heysham Obs
Not able to really concentrate on the vis this morning, but it was quite extensive.  Approximate figures 0715-0900 as follows:

Meadow Pipit - 150 (gross underestimate?)
Chaffinch - 180
Siskin - 30
Swallow - 2
Goldfinch - 35
Grey Wagtail - 5 (3+1+1)
Linnet - 18
alba Wagtail - 40
Reed Bunting - 4
Pink-footed Goose - c380 in 5 skeins during the morning

Grounded/low-level migration
Chiffchaff - there were 6 or so around the office area at 0715 with 5 subsequently ringed during the morning
Goldcrest - again conspicuous by its absence on a circuit of the reserve with just one & another ringed
Garden Warbler - one lightishweight bird ringed
Coal Tit - 7 ringed and some evidence of a small movement
Wheatear - one Ocean Edge

Raptors highlight early morning vis mig

Heysham Obs
More to come after the intertidal work has been done (hopefully!).  Maybe not- bad start with 3 small dogs in jackets flushing everything and very 'glary' later on

Vis mig by office 0715-0915
This was fairly conscientious plus or minus a cup or coffee & checking moths with no background noise this morning
Meadow Pipit - 143 SE
Chaffinch - 137 S/SW
alba Wagtail - 23 SE
Goldfinch - 38 S
Linnet - 9 S
Mistle Thrush - 1 SW
Marsh Harrier - juv SW then turned SSE at 0725
Reed Bunting - 2 S, plus another c1015
Kestrel - juv south at 0745
Grey Wagtail - just 2 SE
Collared Dove - 2 (together) S
Swallow - just one south
Great-spotted Woodpecker - 2 together very high to SW
Skylark - flock of 6 SE 1045
Blue Tit - see below

Middleton
Kingfisher - one by the bridge dyke

Grounded
Not a great deal
Goldcrest - one below Obs T
Blackcap - one off-passage female ringed (23.3g F4)
Chiffchaff - 3 passed through by the office quickly (one ringed)
Robin - a few ticking & chasing plus a lightweight one (16.6g) ringed
Dunnock - a few in evidence and unringed one caught (very good year for this species so far!)
Blue Tit - minor hint of movement with one fast-moving southbound flock of 8 and a couple of unringed birds caught
Wheatear - 2 Ocean Edge

Moths
Two Rusty Dot Pearl highlighted a reasonable catch which also included 2 Feathered Ranunculus.  6 Silver Y on two afternoon reserve circuits

Butterflies
Good variety for this time of year after a wet/windy month.  Watch out for a late influx of Clouded Yellow the next few days??  A very worn female Common Blue & male Small White by the office and a late-into-hibernation Peacock sunning itself on the office; male Brimstone, female Green-veined White and male Meadow Brown along the north (PA way) slope; Comma NE corner; Red Admiral below the Obs T, Small Tortoiseshell dipping pond & 2 on the yellow car park buddleia and Small Copper opposite dog walk entrance.  18 Speckled Wood throughout, mainly in the glades

Dragonfly
Perhaps surprisingly, only two Common Darter seen and a male Migrant Hawker along the north (PA way) bank