At last the Blackcaps materialise

Just received the ringing totals list for the month from Alan and they make quite interesting reading with respect to relative abundances of migrants during the month.   It did seem that many of the locally-bred warblers deserted the rather dry 'wetlands' of Middleton nature reserve, at least in the ringing area.  The exceptions were Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat, and, today, Blackcap (16 out of the monthly total of 42 ringed today).  The main feature of the month - and I know this compared to plenty at some other coastal sites - was the comparative redundancy of AA rings.  Only 69 size AA rings were used all month with 43 of these on Willow Warbler - the vast majority early in the month with no late passage of this species.  Not a single Long-tailed Tit flock passed though the Heysham or Middleton mist net rides and Chiffchaffs were in very short supply but will hopefully kick off in September.  Another species which seemed to desert the wetlands was Reed Bunting with just two ringed, one a probable vis mig bird today.  Sedge Warblers were typically low in August but Reed Warblers were in good numbers for here with far more than usual trapped out of habitat at Heysham NR office nets.  No Swallow roost materialised in August this year at Middleton    

Top ten August ringing totals:  Goldfinch (110), Whitethroat (81), Greenfinch (69), Willow Warbler (43), Blackcap (42), Lesser Whitethroat (39), Blue Tit (30), Robin (23), Reed Warbler (22), Sedge Warbler (18)

Coastal records today limited to single figures of Med Gull and 25 Eider & 4 GC Grebe off Heysham Head.  Two Wheatear and at least two Rock Pipit below the cliffs at Heysham Head:

Vis mig was a bit intermittently recorded, especially Swallow and the clear conditions surely send birds very high:
Chaffinch 2
Meadow Pipit 13
Tree Pipit 2
alba Wagtail 8
Grey Wagtail 4
Carrion Crow 6
Swallow 34
Jay 2

The Vismig season kicks off

Middleton Nature Reserve

It was a chilly start, only 5C at 06:30 and with air pressure building hopes were high for some diurnal migrants. There wasn’t exactly a deluge of migrating birds but there were a few:
06:30 - 11:00
Grey Wagtail 11 (of which two were caught and colour-ringed)
Tree Pipit 2
Meadow Pipit 5
Swallow 68
Chaffinch 5
Raven 4
Coal Tit 1
Alba Wagtail 1
Reed Bunting 1

Also on the reserve -
Green Sandpiper
Flock of c14 Goldfinches

Ringing (new birds)
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Robin 2
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blue Tit 3
Dunnock 1
Goldfinch 2
Grey Wagtail 2

An adult Whitethroat may have been ringed elsewhere or was very old as the number on the ring wasn’t familiar.

Mid week hiatus

Not much seen/reported today.

14 Mediterranean gulls on Red Nab, no juveniles. Just two by wooden jetty this morning, none on ebbing tide.

Middleton Nature Reserve
Quite a lot of insect activity in afternoon sun, particularly in sheltered areas, but not the variety of late.
Dragonflies: lots of Common darter, 2 Brown hawker, 2 (presumed Migrant) hawker.
Butterflies: mainly Speckled wood and small white. Also 2 Comma and 1 Red Admiral.

Birds.
1 Green sandpiper - this is showing well on Tim Butler pond most visits, but viewing points are few. Best from high ground on western end looking along pond.
1 Common snipe
c20 Gadwall
1 Tufted

(Report MD)

Razorbill a big surprise

Local patches often feature birds which the locals get excited about, but the big wide world thinks is no big deal, especially as in this case it was at least on the sea.  Razorbill in the harbour at this time of year is completely unprecedented - indeed, unlike the regular Guillemot, limited to just the occasional winter storm bird on its last legs

Inshore stuff
Little Gull - ad outfalls

Razorbill - in harbour - several different comments on age of this bird

 Med Gull - about 14 including a reappearance of German ASRE which we had thought had moved on

 Ringing
The less said about the triple ringing session, including the CES the better although it did include the autumn's first Grey Wagtail.   The office nets only caught one bird in addition to feeder fare - a Chiffchaff! 

Middleton
Green Sandpiper - 1 Tim Butler pond

Ringing recoveries just received
Sedge Warbler
ADA2692           Juv            25/07/18              Middleton NR
Recaptured                        09/08/18              Squires Down (Dorset) 341 km S 15 days

Greenfinch

NY22612            1st W F         26/10/17              Heysham NR

Killed by Sparrowhawk        07/08/18              Bolton (Gt. Manchester) 62 km SSE 285 days

Nothing much reported so far on the sea but welcome Ravens

Kittiwake - c15 associated with IOM ferry at lunchtime - five in distantly ahead of ferry, 5 out again when reached red buoy and c5 following it into harbour (50% ad) - one juv lingering
Med Gull - 16 Red Nab and area, including two juvs (bit by jetty covered when checked RN).  Additional juv in harbour mouth later (the other two flew south)
Little Gull - ad
Raven - two Red Nab
1 Wheatear

The regular German ANLT

was next to the wooden jetty early am.  Thanks Malcolm

Nothing much pre-frontal

Little Gull
One of the individual birds with a unique status in this area, indeed possibly, with this species, in the whole of NW England, is this presumed returning adult which moults whilst it feeds in the region of Heysham Power Station outfalls late July to early/mid October whence it presumably 'goes pelagic'.  Thanks to Janice for this composition of it in active moult today:

 
The front was probably a bit too west to east rather than approaching from the south to produce a fall.  Indeed the perhaps surprising number of birds around yesterday seemed to have gone in the perfect departure conditions yesterday evening with fewer net arrivals this am.  A rather belated session at Middleton (should have been dawn onwards) was limited to two rounds before the rain alarm correctly advised it was time to take down

Middleton earlyish am
Ringing saw: 2 x Blackcap, 1 x Whitethroat & a 'retrap' ringed Heysham NR yesterday, 2 x Willow warbler and 1 x Lesser Whitethroat (annual total now 66 new birds - could be a record year)

Meadow Pipit - first 3 of autumn flew south
Cetti's warbler singing central marsh otherwise absolutely no sight nor sound of any wetland warblers
Pheasant - at least 2

Outfalls/Red Nab/harbour
15 un-ringed Meds by the wooden jetty in the usual area, 13 on Red Nab included a white-ringed LL darvic and a green-ringed RL darvic - both probably long-stayers and the latter certainly one of the German birds (Axxx).  Just one juv around
Little Gull - ad around per Janice
Eider - female with 5 large young in harbour

Early morning calm missed!

Belated mist netting produced three Robins, single Sedge and three Whitethroat out of 15 new birds but the wind showed itself soon after the nets were put up!

Middleton Nature reserve
Green sandpiper - Tim Butler pond
Common sandpiper - main pond
1 Tufted plus c15 Gadwall - "No swimming" pond

South wall near wooden jetty -evening
19 Mediterranean gulls
1 Rock pipit

A few pics from the last couple of days - first one is unique - advertising Stena line!  Thanks to Janet and Malcolm

General airflow too North westerly

Arctic  Tern -Juv briefly

Kittiwake - Juv late pm 

Med gull - at least 7 red nab

Little gull - ad
Wheatear 1 Ocean Edge foreshore

Bonus ringing session

Decent catch by the office this morning courtesy of the Goldfinch plague, a few Greenfinch and yet another Reed Warbler which is having a record out of habitat year.   Robin, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler completed the migrant line-up

About 15 different Meds around including what appears to be the Czech-ringed bird and a frustratingly not quite close enough green ring which looks like a new one

Shag in harbour

The Rock Pipit pair around the harbour seem to have elusively produced one young

More tomorrow am including pics

The second pair of rock pipits back on the agenda

These are so awkward to monitor compared to the straightforward scenario on Heysham Head.  Up to three have been seen and pics taken which seem to show a young bird

Med gull- About 40 around but only one Juv seen
Sandwich Tern - 7 red nab am tide
Dunlin - I think jean counted 650 on Red Nab
Little egret - 5
Shag - seen today
Rick pipit - probably three birds seen

Moths
Cochylis atricapitana and agriphila geniculea in office trap