Nice day for the Twite Recovery project team

Heysham Obs
A successful day for the visit by the Twite Recovery project team organised by the RSPB (Kerry Jenny & Tim).  As well as the highest count of the year (53), the group were able to see a small catch in the hand which included a Machrihanish-ringed bird.  Thanks to Emma for facilitation and use of the classroom


Harbour area
Kittiwake - one adult
Shag - 2 feeding along the north harbour wall
Guillemot - one
Twite - 53 (at least 6 unringed)
Goldfinch - one
Meadow Pipit - 2
Med Gull - two adults
Skylark - 3 north, possibly four

Outfalls
Kittiwake - 2-3 2CY

Suburban Heysham
Green Woodpecker in the NE corner of the recording area

Moth 
Plain form of Agonopterix heracliana

Early signs of migration and Green Woodpecker reappears

Heysham Obs
Bearded miscreant (see rear view pic a few days ago) flushed all the Oystercatchers (just) pre-high tide off the heliport - fortunately most of them landed on the Near Naze, but a fair proportion ended up supplementing some intertidal work in the Red Nab/Ocean Edge saltmarsh area

Migration
Kittiwake - flock of 32 heading into the bay, then landed on the sea
Skylark - at least 5 north
Lesser Black-backed Gull - at least 85 around, noticeable influx

Outfalls
Kittiwake - 3 2CY

Red Nab
Wigeon - 46

North harbour wall area
Guillemot - one
Shag - one
Twite - 24 but very flighty due to disturbance, later c46
Meadow Pipit - on on the seed!
Med Gull - one adult
Purple Sandpiper - at least one roosting on the wooden jetty

Middleton NR

4 mute, 5 coot, 1 moorhen, 17 tufted duck,,1 pochard (f), 2 goldeneye, 4 gadwall (1 pair on "no swimming" 1 pair on fence pond), 3 teal, 5 mallard

Green Woodpecker

Moth
The second Hebrew Character of the year

Routine

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Twite - 20+ but disturbed
Guillemot - one SW corner harbour
Shag - none located for the first time this year
Kittiwake - 2
Med Gull - one adult

Heysham N Reserve
A short ringing session included a Great Tit ringed as a local nestling in May 2006

Moth
One Dotted Border

Wild and woolly

Influx of large gulls today but no white-wingers.  Worth checking any similar accumulations along Morecambe seafront.

North Harbour Wall
Twite - 39
Goldfinch - 3
Mediterranean Gull - 2 adults
Shag - at least 3
Kittiwake - at least 4

Outfalls
Little Gull - predictable return of 2CY
Kittiwake - 3 x 2CY

Gadwall, Twite, Meds and Moths

Gadwall still in residence on fence pond.
40 Twite on feeder & two ad Med north wall. 
Pale Brindled Beauty in moth trap. 

Twite increase

 A selection of recent pics taken by Janet (Kestrel and one of Sunday's three heliport miscreants) and Pete Cook (Purple Sandpiper).  On Sunday, during survey work, just three people saw fit to walk along the heliport seawall at or near high tide out of well over 100, mainly dog walkers, using Half Moon Bay beach and adjoining grassland, but the first of these (and two dogs) led to a roosting flock of 2,700 Knot leaving the site 

Heysham Obs
An increasingly windy and wet day saw a lot of computer screen and not a lot of birds

North harbour wall
Twite - between 37 (early morning) and 42 (lunchtime) on and around the seed, including an absolute minimum of 7 unringed birds and at least one 2011 Machrihanish-ringed bird
Goldfinch - 3 with above
Med Gull - one adult
Kittiwake - 3 2CY on Heysham 2 outfall, waterfall area not checked

Middleton NR
Gadwall - still two pairs on the fence pond
4 Mute Swan, 6 Coot, 3 Moorhen, 14 Tufted Duck, 6 Mallard, 1 Pochard, 2 Goldeneye, 1 Snipe
10 Redwing a little unexpected

Moth
The first Hebrew Character of the year graced the trap, quite early for here

Coastal two and four-legged counts!

Heysham Obs
If any dog-walkers or power walkers/strollers etc are reading this, please stay off the old heliport seawall at or near high tide.  A dog walker census was undertaken for Half Moon Bay and the grassy areas above - anyone interested in the results?  The bottom line is that there are plenty of dog-exercising areas in and around Heysham without the need to disturb large numbers of roosting waders.

Inshore areas
Med Gull - 2CY briefly to bread near the zoo cafe - wonder where this bird is spending most of its time? One adult patrolling th north wall
Knot - a return to some use of the heliport seawall, albeit flushed by the first dog walker at 0900hrs, whence 1,300 roosted on the Near Naze over the tide and 2,700 flew south to join another 2,500 off Ocean Edge
Bar-tailed Godwit - very quick count of OE saltmarsh saw 2,900 and one roosted over the tide with Knot on the Near Naze
Dunlin - as above revealed about 3,700
Shag - four 2CY left, including the ringed bird which was sorted out as one of two from Puffin Island - just couldnt be certain whether the last number was a 1 or 7
Kittiwake - 5 2CY in harbour
Guillemot - one near the harbour mouth
Purple Sandpiper - at least one roosting on the sunny south side of the wooden jetty
Twite - at least 13, including nine examoned of which two were unringed and one was from Machrihanish 2011

Moth
Agonopterix heracliana in its plainest form graced the trap (thanks John)

Whistle stop

Heysham Obs
A very brief visit just after lunch saw:

Harbour/outfalls area
Kittiwake - now back up to five around the waterfall and one on the outfalls
Shag - just two visible in brief check
Twite - heard near the feeder
Med Gull - adult patrolling north wall

Finches and wildfowl increase

Heysham Obs
Sorry for the late posting - thought someone else was doing it

North harbour wall
Twite - c35 first thing, including some unringed birds
Med Gull - ad on beach off heliport

Office feeder
Four unringed Goldfinch and three unringed Greenfinch in the feeder net, plus single 'new' Great and Blue Tits

Middleton NR
Wildfowl still increasing: Mute Swan - 4, Coot - 6, moorhen - 3, mallard - 7,
teal - 7,  Tufted duck - 15, Gadwall - 4 (2m + 2f), Goldeneye - 2 (f/j), Pochard - 1 (f)

Moths lead the way

Heysham Obs
Harbour area
Twite - c16 at the south of the sandworks, but not a scrap of food left on the feeder at 0930hrs!  After stocking the feeder, 33 were seen early afternoon with 'several' unringed birds
Goldfinch - one same area, later 3
Shag - two visible roosting on platform, including the ringed bird which is definitely not darvic-ringed on the left leg, narrowing the likelihood from observed numbers down to the usual Puffin Island source.  We need the last ring number, but the access is currently closed due to fence construction/demolition work!
Med Gull - adult patrolling
Eider - at least 63 offshore

Moths
The first record for here of the fuscata form of Dotted Border along with a Chestnut