Thursday 25 March 2010

Earliest ever ants in pants?

Heysham Obs
Knocking the Chiffchaffs off the top spot were several (initially unseen) smallish black ants which transferred to my clothing as I was packing up the mist nets and thence to a painful area.  I cannot remember seeing ants in March before.  No wonder the Green Woodpecker(s) are hanging around.  Otherwise routine stuff this morning, despite a promising wind direction and a bit of cloud/spits and spats

HNR Office area
Robin - lightweight unringed bird
Chiffchaff - 2 males moved through to the north, one via a mist net
Green Woodpecker - one on the reserve
Reed Bunting - one female caught which had been ringed at Middleton IE on 18/8/09
Meadow Pipit - 223 NE 0715-1015 (11 ringed = niggling wind).  There was then a surge just ahead of a splodge of uniform cloud with the birds orientating more west to east i.e. 'in-off', giving a total of 349 in 3.5hrs
alba Wagtail - 6 NE
Siskin - 1 NE
Woodpigeon - 2 high to the north
Carrion Crow - flock of 6 NE chased of by locals
Sand Martin - 3 together NE at 1145hrs

North harbour wall 0830-0930 (different vis birds to the office)
Meadow Pipit - 89 NE
alba Wagtail - 12 NE
Linnet - 4 off-passage
Twite - c60 off-passage
sea dead

Ocean Edge not checked, hence the Wheatear absence!

Elsewhere
Great Grey Shrike still Dalton Crags 150m S of trig point (awol yesterday morning).  15 Whooper Swans in fields near Gressingham Bridge this evening, presumably the remains of the wintering flock - one was darvic-ringed but cannot be certain this is the wintering bird.  Can anyone check in better light, please?