Sunday 14 September 2008

Honey Buzzard and Redwing unexpected highlights

Heysham Obs

In the early afternoon, a Honey Buzzard was located by Dan Haywood off Ocean Edge caravan park and was watched heading south towards a point between Fluke Hall and Fleetwood. So other observers stood a chance of interception, it was phoned out to RBA immediately as a 'probable' and the identification was a few seconds later confirmed with 'scope views by myself. The subsequent reaction suggests that, even if there is a small delay, you dont phone out 'probables' but wait until the i.d. is confirmed!!!

Inshore
Shag - 2 still wooden jetty
Little Gull - 2nd W

Med Gull - two adults

Vis mig - almost all birds heading SE
Siskin - 23
Tree Pipit - 2
Meadow Pipit - 248
Skylark - 1
Swallow - 258
House Martin - 5
Chaffinch - 20
House Sparrow - 6 (4+2)
Grey Wagtail - 25
alba Wagtail - 6
Common Buzzard - one south 1050hrs, one south c1300hrs - rare here
Sparrowhawk - one in-off then south
Coal Tit - flock of 5 south

Collared Dove - 2
Linnet - 1

Mistle Thrush - 27 but probably off-passage

Grounded
Whitethroat - 1
Chiffchaff - 15-20
Goldcrest - 9
Willow Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 1
Robin - fewer than in recent days with a lot of singing birds, indicating lack of competition from migrants
Redwing - one
Wheatear - 6
Jay - 4+ 1 - the group of 4 was 'new in' but no definite evidence they were moving through

Ringing
Nets at Middleton & Heysham produced: Grey Wagtail (13), Goldfinch (2), Swallow (2), Blue Tit (2), Reed Bunting (2), Willow Warbler (1), Chiffchaff (4), Wren (1), Robin (1), Reed Warbler (1)

Middleton afternoon

Gadwall - 1, Swallow at 40/hr south, 1 Snipe, 9 Tufted Duck


Moths
Red-line Quaker new for the year & rather early

Butterflies
Small southerly movement of Red Admiral - c16

Elsewhere
Juv Hobby seen well for c20minutes around Botton Mill/Thrushgill. Osprey south along the Lune late afternoon, earlier ringtail Hen Harrier over Sunderland/Cockersands fields. Five Buzzard of unknown origin over Bare in the morning. 44 Little Egret roosting at Leighton Moss