Saturday 2 October 2010

This will do on a morning with little expectation

Heysham Obs
A bit laid back about this morning being other than going through the motions and even stopped for 'cheap' petrol along Caton Road, then noticed more than a touch of east in the 'southerly' wind as Heysham was being approached.  Highlight, following a few musical 'teu' calls from overflying Reed Bunting, was a harder 'teuk' at 0750hrs.   Surely time to retain my place on the 'serial Lap Bunt on call' blacklist, but the trill was a softer rippling and the "middle of the wings" were 'white'!

Vis mig from the office 0700-1000, intermittent from about 0900
Chaffinch - 329 SW (no Brambling today)
Meadow Pipit - 39 SE
Alba Wagtail - 34 S
Reed Bunting - 8 S
Skylark - 4 SE
Goldfinch - 44 S
Carrion Crow - 29 S, including flock of 9
Sparrowhawk - one high to the south
Pink-footed Goose - 130 S (very early on)
Linnet - 13 S
Tree Sparrow - 2 SE
Black-headed Gull - flock of 5 purposefully S
Starling - 27 S
Collared Dove 1+1 S
Snow Bunting - probably a male S at 0750hrs
Siskin - 7 S
Greenfinch - about 20 appearde to be 'vis' birds
Grey Wagtail - one found in mist net & obviously slipped through the vis scrutuny!, 2 south along the seawall
House Sparrow - one S

Grounded
Chiffchaff - just one by the office
Goldcrest - ditto
Rock Pipit - 3 half-moon bay

Inshore
The only reports was of the 1CY Med Gull along the north wall and two Little Egret Ocean Edge

Elsewhere
Seriously different vis mig scenarios at all five local sites this morning with Chaffinch passage being the only reasonably comparable denominator!   Over 1000 Meadow Pipit over Crag Bank, just the other side of Morecambe, which did not go over Heysham or along the western side of the Lune. Yellow hammer SW over the Lune vis mig site at Heaton.  Black Tern on the pager for Leighton Moss along with Great White Egret