Tuesday 7 February 2012

Quiet weather, quiet birds





Artistic selection from the harbour area.  Thanks Janet - note the Czech-ringed Med

Heysham Obs
Not a lot happening today other than a further increase in Shelduck in the Red Nab area to just under 200.  The main surprise was a Golden Plover which flew inland with a gang of Lapwing mid-morning.  The cold weather has also dampened the enthusiasm of the early-season songsters with only Robin, Great Tit and Dunnock intermittently holding forth on the reserve

North wall
Med Gull - 2 adults
Twite - zero
Meadow Pipit - 1
A bit too hazy to count Eider

Harbour
Kittiwake - 5
Shag - 6 - the ringed bird has a sequence ?1(4)6062? but is not traceable on these numbers

Outfalls/Red Nab area
Wigeon - 92
Shelduck - 189
Turnstone - 31
Golden Plover - 1, then inland
Kittiwake - 1 outfalls

Ringing by the office
About half a dozen new Chaff/Green/Goldfinches and a retrap Goldcrest.  Certainly no obvious influx of birds on to the feeders in the cold, but sunny & not wind-chilling weather