Monday 5 October 2009

Trickle of rather high vis & productive ringing

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE & HNR ringing
A ringing session at Middleton of 40 or so new birds included 4 Grey Wagtail, 7 Reed Bunting, a Blackcap and 4 Chiffchaff. A further Grey Wagtail was ringed during a very low-key multi-task at HNR office, making 62 so far this autumn, with the end of the passage surely nigh. Please inform as many birders as possible to keep an eye open for colour-ringed birds, especially during the coming winter and on the breeding grounds next year. This theoretically includes a chunk of last year's birds perhaps wintering to the north of here as more 'resident' adults? See right hand column for the configurations. Rather odd was the capture of a Meadow Pipit ringed last autumn. Local or passing through the same site? - surely the former!

Heysham NR & Middleton vis mig first light to 1130
Pink-footed Goose: 34+52+31 south
Meadow Pipit: 21
Goldfinch: 5
Skylark: 1
Greenfinch: 25
Chaffinch: 24
Swallow: 14
Reed Bunting: 1-2
House Sparrow: one high to south
Whooper Swan: 4 - also seen from Caton Moor!!
Grey Wagtail: 10 (5 ringed)
alba Wagtail: 10
Starling: 5
Linnet: 3

Ocean Edge pre-tide
Med Gull - adult
Bar-tailed Godwit - 9

Grounded miscellany
Green Woodpecker - Middleton IE
Chiffchaff - 4+ Middleton, one HNR
Blackcap - one HNR, one Middleton
Goldcrest - just the one heard very early morning

Insects
Middleton IE: 5 Migrant Hawker, 6 Common Darter, 3 Comma, one Peacock, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood. Yesterday at Middleton: 8 Migrant Hawker & 17 Common Darter. 2 Red Admiral on yellow buddliea by HNR office

Elsewhere
2 x Great White Egret EM Pools. Cetti's Warbler ringed at Leighton Moss along Lower Hide to causeway path. Caton Moor vis 0700-0900 including the above Whooper Swans and a very high southbound Raven - definitely a migrant