Awful

Heysham Obs
Didn't expect much today - just a routine trickle - instead nothing - not even a Carrion Crow on a list of 23 species from a 'big sit' at the vis mig spot in about an hour - usual takes 5 minutes to reach that total!  Same elsewhere by all accounts, esp Oxenhope! What a shame for maximum observer availability day - you could even sit in a hide and not miss anything today

Vis mig dawn to 0800
Chaffinch - 6 S
Grey Wagtail - 2 SE
Meadow Pipit - 7 SE
Goldfinch - 2 S

Grounded by office
Goldcrest - 1
Chiffchaff - 1

Ringing
One net dawn to 1030hrs - Goldcrest (1)

Moths
Treble Bar down to 7, Silver Y down to 3.  A few scruffy autumnal common stuff plus 2 pristine Pink-barred Sallow

Nice migration morning for British stuff plus a Black Tern

Heysham Obs
Without ever feeling that a Yellow-browed was going to pop up, cloud from the south-west at dawn dropped a few Goldcrests, Chiffchaffs and Robins, yet still 'allowed' reasonable vis mig........ and kept the sun off the net.   Best was a juv Black Tern in the boat channel

Brief look at outfalls low tide
Med Gull - 2 x 2CY
Black Tern - juv in the boating channel by No 8 buoy gradually making its way along the outfalls 'slick'
Little Gull - adult Heysham one seaward end

Vis mig intermittently dawn to 1100hrs
Only the last hour was in the stratosphere, so the vis was numerically manageable in the cloud cover apart from, as usual, Siskin noises!  However visits to the mist nets obviously saw the eye off the ball for 5 minutes at a time every half hour

Coal Tit - further signs of a small irruption or beginnings of a larger one - 6+4+2+2 south
Meadow Pipit - better - 87 S
Grey Wagtail - 17 S (9 ringed - one a freshly moulted adult - the second this year but only the third ever)
Chaffinch -49 S
alba Wagtail - 23 S
Siskin - H+4+H+H
Goldfinch - 53 S
Linnet - 5 S
Reed Bunting - 1 S

Grounded (office area only)
Goldcrest - 20+
Chiffchaff - 3
Blackcap - 2
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Robin - at least 3 migrants

Ringing (single 18m net by office with Grey Wagtail and Goldcrest tape)
A Reed Warbler was given the full works then forgot to ring it (long history of this with birds needing the full works!), Grey Wagtail (9), Goldcrest (12), Robin (3), Chiffchaff (1), Blue Tit (2), Wren (1)

 

Meadow Pipit free zone

Heysham Obs
One of our team, Jean Roberts, was working in coastal Lincolnshire this morning and had more Meadow Pipit during half a sentence of phone conversation than in total over here.  Bearing in mind the virtually complete lack of breeding success on our local moors (e.g. no post-breeding gatherings), followed by a very below-par autumn passage so far, where are all these east coast ones coming from as there certainly aren't any westerlies of any strength to send "ours" over there?

The weak front pre-dawn heading south-east did absolutely nothing in terms of producing grounded migrants and, apart from the eight Grey Wagtail caught, a Reed Warbler ringed elsewhere (Z152 sequence) and a few fat off-passage Blackcaps at Middleton, the double-site ringing effort was pretty rock-bottom.  On the subject of birds ringed elsewhere, thanks to the North Solway Ringing Group for providing information on the Appletowngarth Sand Martin which will, of course, be sent in 'as usual' via our IPMR

Middleton NR
Reed Warbler - one retrap and one ringed elsewhere
Blackcap - 4 x 20g plus new birds, one F0 new bird and three F0/2/0 recently-ringed retraps
Chiffchaff - one new bird
Robin - one unringed very low weight
Grey Wagtail - flocks of 4 & 2 caught and ringed

Heysham NR
Goldcrest - one ringed bird seen in the field, none caught
Blackcap - the only warbler species to trouble the mist nets was F1, probably from off-passga ein the tank farm
Chiffchaff - one passed rapidly through - the only warbler passage of the morning
Robin - one unringed low weight

Vis mig Heysham NR dawn to 1000
Grey Wagtail - only six and they were all individuals on a flightline almost NNE-SSW to the east of the office - only two of these were caught and ringed.  
Meadow Pipit - as above but only 10 seen -why there was no cross-bay vis mig NW/NNW-SE/SSE is puzzling as the remnants of cloud did not seem to pose a barrier
Siskin - heard distantly twice
Coal Tit - 2 south
Dunnock - two heading south and climbing
Mistle Thrush - the 'star' of the show at HNR! 9 together high from the south, landed on pylon then flew high and purposefully ESE
alba Wagtail - 6 as per Grey W and Meadow Pipit
Pink-footed Goose - a "sensation" of distant calls to the west - Alan at Middleton then picked up 11 distant geese heading SE after being alerted
Chaffinch - 44 S
Goldfinch - 60 S

Ringing (2 x 18m nets at each site) - new birds only: 
Grey Wagtail (8), Robin (2), Blackcap (6), Chiffchaff (1), Dunnock (2), Wren (1), Reed Warbler (1 ringed elsewhere), Goldfinch (2), Greenfinch (2), Great Tit (1)

Moths
Heap of Treble Bar and Silver Y again and a minor break-out of Light Brown Apple Moth - the latter summing up the whole morning's mediocrity







 
 

Fits and starts morning

Heysham Obs
A great wadge of cloud came in off the sea just after dawn and progressed south-east.  Quite a concentrated N-S vis mig along the edge of the cloud as it slowly passed overhead and it presumably dropped a few Goldcrest which did not seem to be around at first light.  One of the Grey Wagtail caught was an adult - only the second caught here

Office area dawn to 1100hrs - intermittently
Chaffinch - first significant movement of the autumn with most of these during a 15 minute spell along the cloud edge - 72 S
Grey Wagtail - 1+1+2 SE
Meadow Pipit - just 8 SE
alba Wagtail - 27 SE/S
Goldfinch - c50 S
No Siskin heard today
No hirundines seen pre-1100hrs!

Redstart - female mid-morning
Treecreeper - one passed through mid-morning
Chiffchaff - 2-3
Goldcrest - at least 20
Reed Warbler - 1
No Sylvia warblers seen/heard

Ringing
One 18m net (Robin and Dunnock presumed migrants):  Goldcrest (14), Chiffchaff (2), Grey Wagtail (2), Reed Warbler (1), Robin (1), Dunnock (1), Blue Tit (4 - two unringed adults unusual)

Mammal
A buck Roe Deer sauntered past the office early morning, then headed off towards the classroom!

Routine british migrants in the clear conditions

Heysham Obs
Tom Walkington joined the "reading Barrow town hall clock from the north harbour wall" club today and that summed up the conditions although the easterly wind was a big plus which undoubtedly prevented the ringing effort being a watch paint dry.  The Sand Martin caught at the Swallow roost on Monday was ringed at the artificial colony at Appletowngarth near Lockerbie - the second one we have had in the Middleton roost from there

Heysham/Middleton selected ringing totals relating to migrants
Goldcrest - 11 plus a bird ringed elsewhere (HJC sequence)
Chiffchaff - 7
Willow Warbler - 2
Whitethroat - 3
Blackcap - 5
Robin - just 3
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
In addition some rather odd lingering 1CY Reed Warblers at Middleton which don't seem to be putting on any weight

Vis mig
Swallow - 16
Meadow Pipit - really poor with only c30
Grey Wagtail - bit sunny and breezy so only 2/c5 caught
Carrion Crow - 4 S
Coal Tit - flock of 4 S
Chaffinch - 5 S
Song Thrush - one flew high inland just after dawn - typical migrant behaviour
alba Wagtail - 3 SE

Swallow roost
10 of the 15 birds in the roost were caught and ringed!
Water Rail calling from three locations
Sand Martin - two about

Miscellany
White Wagtail - very strong candidate Ocean Edge
Little Gull - usual adult on sea by Red Nab - primary moult seems to be complete
Ringed Plover - 26

Moths
26 Treble Bar and 20 Silver Y dominated the catch

Steady routine

Heysham Obs
A light north-westerly airflow this morning, so another single net set for Grey Wagtail before the projected wind increase

Office area
Grey Wagtail - 4 SE
Meadow Pipit - c27 SE
Siskin - 14, then four calls heard - well separated
Carrion Crow - flock of 18 SW
Coal Tit - irruptive flock of 5 high to south - is this the start??
Chiffchaff - 3
Goldcrest - c5
Robin - a few extras

Outfalls/Red Nab and area 1hr pre-HT
Little Gull - ad
Med Gull - most small gulls had left - just one ad and 2 x 2CY
Ringed Plover - 28
Redshank - 210

Ringing (one net)
4 x Grey Wagtail, 3 x Goldcrest, 1 x Robin, 1 x Chaffinch, 1 x Dunnock, 1 x Chiffchaff

Moths
5 Treble Bar, 3 Silver Y

Bit of a fall

Heysham Obs
Just put one net up this am for Grey Wagtail as it seemed too windy for the full works.  Wind dropped, cloud increased - no Grey Wagtail but Reed Warbler, 3 x Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin and this female Firecrest on the first round:  Thanks to Steve Ryder for the pic:

 

 

Grounded office area am

Pied Flycatcher - female/imm in trees along the top path by the pylons 0900, calling regularly but not seen 1015

Firecrest - female caught and ringed 0700hrs

Goldcrest - at least 5 - 2 ringed

Willow warbler - 4 ringed

Chiffchaff - 3 ringed, at least two others

Robin - two migrants ringed, at least 5 others (more nets would have shown this)

Blackcap - two, one ringed

Whitethroat - 1 ringed

Reed Warbler - 1 ringed

Dunnock - I ringed

 

Vis mig on and off 0700-0900

Meadow Pipit - 75 SE, probably more

Merlin - female south

Chaffinch  - 7 south

alba Wagtail - 12 south-east

Grey Wagtail - just the one heard way over golf course

Reed Bunting - 1 SE

Siskin - heard once

 

Middleton pm

Went to see if the Swallow roost was still extant after reports of just 4 leaving it the other morning.  It was with c80-100 birds involved.  On my own so tape switched off before dusk.

 

Reed Warbler - two juveniles ringed in early September retrapped

Grasshopper Warbler - juvenile caught in the middle of the Swallow roost!

Sand Martin - two caught at the roost - one bearing a ring from elsewhere (Z419xxx)

Swallow - 46 ringed (two adults) 

Water Rail - at least two in western marsh reedbed

Chiffchaff - at least three

 

 



Back to normal after today

Heysham Obs
Quite a decent little day for migrants in weather which did not exactly look any big deal

Landbird migrants
5 Grey Wagtail ringed - only one other bird known to have flown over
11 Chiffchaff caught - one a 'control' = ringed elsewhere
4 Willow Warbler ringed
Whitethroat, Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat in low double figures
Goldcrest - just one heard

Outfalls pre-high tide
Med Gull - 9 x 2CY, 1 x Ad - where are all the 1CY?
Little Gull - usual ad
Oystercatcher - 2750 Red Nab
Redshank - 210 Red Nab

Moths
Red-line Quaker early

Will play catch-up with last few days tomorrow

An already ringed Grey Wagtail!

Heysham Obs
A Grey Wagtail ringed as a nestling by the five gate road Upper Roeburndale ford on 21/5/15 (much nearer my house than Heysham NR!) was caught along with an unringed bird at Heysham NR at 0815hrs.  Given that the usual flightline of vis mig birds is NNW to SSE it was a bit unexpected to find a movement of 19km SSW.  Its obviously had a good wander since fledging.  A case of 'scrutinise properly and you will find' with the neap high tide roost this morning - 13 easy to miss 2CY Meds!

Red Nab/Ocean Edge high tide
Mediterranean Gull - 5 adult, 13 2CY but only one 1CY - usually far more than this.   13 of the Meds were in the small flocks of roosting gulls on the sand-flats south of Ocean Edge
Little Gull - the usual adult bathing in the stream - the easiest time to find it!
Grey Plover - 260
Bar-tailed Godwit - 82
Curlew - 230 Red Nab
Redshank - 220 Red Nab

Heysham NR
Large bird of prey - one in-off very high, then south, seaward side of the power station - light very poor but structure, flight mode and size suggested a migratory Common Buzzard - c1305hrs
Grey Wagtail - flock of four, then two caught (one already ringed elsewhere) - no others seen/heard - an excellent ratio of captures to sightings so far this autumn
Meadow Pipit - 2
Goldcrest - 4
Willow Warbler - one ringed
Blackcap - 4 ringed
Whitethroat - one ringed
Treecreeper - one ringed - unusual in early September

Middleton NR
52 Goldfinch ringed but otherwise just two Blackcap, two Whitethroat, a Reed Warbler and a Chiffchaff

More vis, less grounded

Heysham Obs
Another clear morning saw nets being set at Middleton and Heysham.  Despite the half-light at least one Grey Wagtail was over at Heysham before the nets were set along with a very early morning Meadow Pipit.  The vis was tricky to keep tabs on with the clear blue sky but a fair amount was on the move.  The first mist net round saw seven Grey Wagtail in the net with an additional bird 'hovering around'.

Heysham nature reserve
Vis mig intermittently 0620-1100
Grey Wagtail - at least 14 over, 9 ringed, but the sun was on the nets preventing captures 0715-0900
Meadow Pipit - c40 SE, mostly early on
alba Wagtail - 12 SE
Siskin - at least 15 registrations in rapid transit but birds impossible to see
Swallow - difficult to separate off passage from movement but at least 50 birds SE
House Martin - 7 SE
Tree Pipit - 2 separately SE and 2 heard at midday
Goldfinch - appeared to be on the move but so difficult to isolate from off-passage birds
Chaffinch - 25 south early on, including a flock of 14

Grounded by office
Very little
Goldcrest - 3
Blackcap - 2
Whitethroat - 2
Chiffchaff - just one

Middleton NR
Vis mig 0600-1100
Lesser Redpoll - 1
Siskin - 15
Grey Wagtail - 4 over, 1 ringed
Swallow - 46
Alba wagtail - 2
Meadow Pipit - 14
House Martin - 2
Carrion Crow - 1

Grasshopper Warbler - one juvenile ringed

Water Rail still squealing
Snipe 1
Sparrowhawk 2
Reed Bunting 1
Goldfinch 15 in one flock